Weeks #2017.25 on SébPhilatélie

What was on this blog in French late June?

Monday 19 June: Satirical responses to Donald Trump Presidency.
How to protest against Donald Trump (and the most conservative members of the Republican Party) and convince opponents to react and GOP supporters to think again?

The label shown as example by its creator (postalprotest.com).

Three solutions happened late June 2017: TV channel Comedy Central's satirical The Daily Show entertained New Yorkers with a temporary museum between Friday 16 to Sunday 18, just opposite the famous Trump Tower:

The Donald J. Trump

Presidential Twitter Library

that still can be visited on this 3D website.

Even  former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, decided to go satirical and has been filming youTube videos to educate his presidential colleague beyond the wall how to behave as a chief of State: 24 May, 7 June and 28 June. Enjoy.

Finally a simple citizen created a website, postalprotest.com, to sell cinderella stamps with the likeness of Trump and classic U.S. stamp ornament, valued "0 cents" that English-speaking members of StampBoards forum read "no sense". The designer tells that his inspiration came from browsing his late father's collection.

Wednesday 21 June: New postage marks and service for periodics in France.
Not very popular among collectors, but still postal marks and services: the postage paid marks directly printed on envelopes or plastic bags wrapping printed newspapers, magazines and other periodicals sent to subscribers.

New (left) and former (right) marks for the press sent through the postal system (screen capture of La Poste's dedicated website).

With a video game bimonthly - and ironical - magazine issue of mid-June, I discover the new marks by the French post. The illustration above present more understantable service mark: P1 for the uurgent press of the day, and so on P2, P4 and P7 depending on the need for the publication to be delivered with haste and depending on the cost.

The four new logotype replaced the three colour former: red, black and green.

The "Publissimo" (Pmo) marks are updated to in the same way and are for periodical publications that are not members of the Press Commission that negociates with State the help of press diffusion.

Thursday 22 June: New definitive series in Ukraine.
Betweenn Saturday 10 and Tuesday 20 June Ukrposhta issued the first eight stamps of Ukraine's ninth definitive series: Arms of municipalities, towns and villages.

I thank the blog Мой почтовый мир / My postal world for his webmaster's work to publish the new issues of Ukraine (among others).

Ukrposhta published an envelope for the new series' first day of use with a map locating the cities/villages and their oblasts (via My postal world, 10 June 2017).

Designed by Natalia Andreichenko following the recommendations of Andrey Grechilo, President of the Ukrainian Heraldry Society, the 8 stamps illustrate the arms of Chop (Zakarpattya), Klesov (Rivne), Nizhyn (Chernigov), Shatsk (Volyn), and villages of Marinin (Rivne) et Parutino (Mykolaiv).

Six here because the last two are remarkable because of the relations between Ukraine and Russia. But first, here is a list of the letter codes for the postal rates:

From a mail by Ukrposhta (via StampBoards).

The two stamps are from territories currently disputed between Ukraine on one side, Russia or Russian-[choose your opinion]ed independentist groups on the other.

Yalta, first stamp issued in this series, "V" for the interior basic letter (via My postal world, 10 June 2017).

Since the events of early 2014 the "Euromaidan protest"-inspired governments of Ukraine are facing the de facto integration of Crimea and Sebastopol into the Federation of Russia. So the issue of the Yalta stamp... The stamp will appear on many envelopes inside the country, the message is clear: Crimea is Ukrainian.

A traditional role for a stamp: to reinforce sovereignty... as Russia has been doing with stamps about Crimean places since 2014.

Arms of Yenakiieve (via My postal world, 21 June 2017).

The other troublesome stamp was issued Tuesday 20 June bearing the arms of Yenakiieve, in the oblast of Donetsk and the industrial region of Donbass, où deux groupes pro-russes revendiquent l'indépendance et sont en guerre civile contre l'État ukrainien.

Since the first fights in April 2014 this city is under the control of the separatists of the People's Republic of Donetsk while part of its suburbs were retaken by the Ukrainian army.

One question: how is the postal system working in Donbass?

Saturday 24 June: Even video games heroes receive postcards.
Just Cause 3 isn't an intellectual reflective video games - sure those kinds of games exist: read Canard PC - but the Swedish studio Avalanche allows its hero the capacity to read.

Introductive video of the game - the only seconds without gun and cannon shots? - during which the hero reads again his cousin's postcard that decided him to go back to its archipelago country in the Mediterranean Sea (via Fl0GaminG video on youTube, 5 December 2015).

In the Just Cause series the player must violently disrupt a dictatorial régime by killing soldiers, destroying strategic and military assets. When enough "chaos points" have been earned, he/she can perform special missions to advance into the story and towards the dismissal of the leader.

The third episode is special because the Agency accepts to send the hero to his country of birth, a Mediterranean archipelago under a military ruler, inspired by interwar fascism and many regional (both European and Arabic) military dictators.

How did he know he should come back and fight?

His cousin sent him a postcard with the dictator as main illustration of both the card and the postage stamp.

Week #2017.08 to .11 on SébPhilatélie

My apologies after a little - still on - overwhelmed job period doubled with the discovery of Nintendo's new title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild.

The best French stamp ever!!!... Let's quiet down a bit (via Phil-Ouest.com).

Saturday 25 February: a French-British-Australian salad.
Since 2009 the Greek letter phi has been forced as the official symbol on French program stamps.

Truncated poster of Jean-Luc Mélenchon's campaign, entitled Disobedient/Rebellious Franceffiche. In stickers and posters it can be found on many urban public and private furnitures (campaign material website).

Since Autumn it's the symbol of the far right politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the current presidential election in France...

On the other of the world multimillionaire CEO of the Australia Post decided to leave its office... after years of philatelic and unions outrage concerning his salaries, months of failed Senate inquiries and weeks of suddenly great media attention.

Presented on Norvic Philatelics blog the new postal rates of Royal Mail seem to indicate the operator is following the Brexit tempo: moderate penny increase for interior mail, huge for international... Mail to Europe being the most punished: +10 pennies!

Sunday 26 February: promotion of philately at the Etihad Museum, Dubai.
The first temporary exhibition in the newly opened Etihad Museum of the United Arab Emirates history, in Dubai, is still interesting journalist.

On the 22 February The National presented the activity proposed to visiting children in order for them to discover postal service and stamp creation.

Monday 27 February: Royal Mail asks internauts their wish for the 2019 program.
The British operator is proposing a survey to the public to get opinions for the 2019 stamp program.

Introduction and first questio of the survey (Royal Mail website).

The ideas are proposed into three domains ; the visitor can tick three boxes per domain. A fourth part allows to add other proposals.

Concerning philatelic philately the 150th anniversary of the Royal Philatelic Society London is among the historic commemorations.

Tuesday 28 February: Continental exhibition in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon next June.
From Thursday the first to Sunday fourth of June 2017, the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon will host a continental interamerican exhibition after the successful 2014 edition.

Logotype of SPM Expo 2017 (official website).

The website permits to read the list of the jury and watch the trophies offered by the insitutions and national federations.

Thursday 2 March: alternate history philately on the BBC.
Imagined in the 1940s, SS-GB, the alternate history serial of the BBC, shows many envelopes during the policeman hero's investigations in a Britain occupied by the nazi forces... if they had successfully landed in 1940.

An occupation stamp, very badly perforated, stuck on an envelope during the first episode (BBC One, Sunday 19 February 2017).

Adapted from the spy novel by Len Deighton, published in 1978: Douglas Archer, one of the best inspectors of Scotland Yard, is forced to make his service works, hoping for a better future, while under the scrutiny of the SS ; the dreadful organisation having begun the census of jews.

The cover of the novel already used alternate philately to strike the potential reader (amazon.co.uk).

An investigation into a murder by gun shot imposes Archer to work for a German military intelligence officer, sent in urgency by Berlin... Who was the victim? What is he so important? At the same time, London is preparing to host a visit of Soviet dignitaries: what will become of Operation Barbarossa in this timeline?

Sunday 5 March: museums and their mail: the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool.
Many museums exhibit postal history items because they fit the topic of the place. For exemple, this 1941 postcard in the Battle of the Atlantic Gallery in the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool, England.

The reproduced two sides of a Christmas card sent by a prisoner of war to Liverpool in December 1941.

The illustration gave the place of origin: Stalag X-B near Bremen, north west Germany. The article of the Wikipedia in English helped discover this prison camp: Marlag und Milag Nord.

Marlag stands for Marinelager, a camp for all kind of seamen, both Royal Navy captured and merchant marine civilians, hold because they could help the war effort by manning ships sailing to North America to get supplies.

But the civilians got their own camp, Milag for Marineinterniertenlager, after members of the United States and Switzerland's Red Cross Committees visited Marlag.

Tuesday 7 March: Netherlands philately summarised on one postcard.
Thank to philatelist Postcrosser, I received a card franked with three kinds of stamps that NL Post is proposing these past years.

Thank you Shelly!

On the left side, make-up stamps in the design approach the Netherlands are famous for now. In the center the lower stamp of a 2006 illustrated minisheet on Schoonhoven, a historic center of silver craftmanship.

An inspired card printed by editor Greetz, the same as the personalised stamp on the other side of the card. Liverpool and Beatles lover will notice...

Finally, on the right side, a personalised stamp promoting stamp collecting, mimicking the unused war moral poster of Britain: Keep calm and collect stamps.

Saturday 11 March: French colonies' challenges to postal historians.
Two British publications proposed ideas that could motivate collectors to search the French colonies again. First, in the January issue of Gibbons Stamp Monthly, Michael Round ended his stamp studies of the French Territory of the Afars and Issas (1967-1977) with the goal to find cancelled items from all five post offices of the country to become independent Djibouti, including illustrated "flammes" of Djibouti.

Five in a desertic rocky region: too easy?

HMS Vanadis by Jacob Hägg, around 1900s (via Commons by Wikimedia).

In the February issue of The London Philatelist, Staffan Ferdén studied three covers to a Swedish naval officer cancelled in Stockholm and who found him in Tahiti, in the Society Islands, during the 1883-1885 world tour of the HMS Vanadis.

The author is known for his classic Swedish maritime mail collection and studies (to became a book in 2019 - a summary of a recent presentation is available on the Stockholmia 2019 exhibition website: click "Read more" on the 17 December 2016 article).

Why those Tahiti cover among all mail received and sent by the crew, including Prince Oscar Bernadotte? Because Papeete was, with Egyptian Port Said at the entrance of the Suez canal, the only places where there was no Swedish consulate to take care of the mail.

The article is dense, but succeeds to give information on the cruise, the geopolitial situation of this part of Polynesia under French rule since 1880 (after a protectorate period), and all the maritime routes that existed in the 1880s in order to guess which ones the three letters had taken to find Lieutenant Fredrik Peyron.

Still looking for a challenge?

Let's try genealogy: Peyron as in Loïck Peyron, the French sailing champion? Is there a cousin connection is one could climb their respective trees up until the first French Bernadotte King of Sweden?

Conclusion for the week end.
The author of a Sower specialised blog proposed yesterday something surprising and a personal rendition of what may have happened to a countess living in Lorraine when she sent a registered postcard to a friend in Edinburgh, Scotland. Étiquette.

Week... A month on SébPhilatélie: mid-June to early July 2016

Job and the traditional arrival of heat on Southern France make writing a tiresome activity. But the blog in French has continued, especially summaries of Paris-Philex stamp show of last May.

Friday 17 June: exoticism at Paris-Philex.

20th century history of Spain inspires French collectors, not always those of Spanish descent, and the invited Spanish collectors, while Jean-Michel Garaud proposed a collection on Daguin cancellations in Chile.

Exotism can happen in the philatelic rule: surprisingly, Jean-Claude Ferret studied the postal history and cancellations of Nemours, France until today... while generally such monographies stopped at 1876 and the third definitive stamp series of France.

Thursday 23 June: museum on the side of Paris-Philex.

As I was in Paris for Paris-Philex, I visited the Museum at the Golden Door (Porte dorée) a dozen tramway stops from the stamp show.

The façade of the Palace of the Porte Dorée by Alfred Janniot - 1929-1931 - illustrated an exploited imperial workforce and the imperial importations, with the fantasy of "Liberty" and "Peace" for all in the central allegory (picture under Creative Commons licence cc by-nc-nd 3.0 fr - reminder: Janniot died 1969).

Originally built and decorated in the 1930s for a colonial pride exhibition, the place between Paris and the Vincennes Forest and lakes continues to house an aquarium and is upstairs dedicated to the history of immigration in France... Yes, a difficult topic nowadays.

And through the main exhibits and the Borders special one, the philatelic visitor can find a lot of stamps, both postal and fiscal, postcards, etc.

Friday 24 June: a late London Olympic stamp in Australia.

Australia Post issued a stamp celebrating walker Jarred Walker's gold meal at London 2012 Olympics. Why so late? Because he was awarded it last March when the winner was convinced of doping.

The Jared Tallent "instant stamp" (Australia Post shop).

Saturday 25 June: French history and exotism in Gibbons Stamp Monthly this summer.

Starting with issue dated July 2016, the British magazine started a French summer with an article on the Battle of the Somme through British military mail and an other one on the stamps of French Congo in the 1900s.

The latter marks the publication of the French colonies catalogue of Stanley Gibbons, now that France and its colonies/overseas are separated.

In August it is promised an article on Tromelin Island, one of the tony Scattered Islands of France around Madagascar, named after the captain who saved a few surviving of the slaves abandoned there by a French crew after their ship sunk there.

Tuesday 28 June: The London Philatelist read as a good old movies night.

The June 2016 issue of the Royal Philatelic Society London's publication reminded me of a classic movie night on 1980s French television.

The post box Main Street of Gibraltar created thank to information given by Richard Garcia (Google Maps, text added with free software Paint.NET).

It opens with a documentary by Richard Garcia on historic post boxes on Main Street, Gibraltar, followed by a teaser for Stockholmia 2019, an exhibition for the 150th birthday of the Society.

The first movie then plays: an Australian western with mail robbery by Brian Peace.

At the entr'acte, Richard Wheatley proposed a 1970 cover from Britain to passengers on a ship at its stop in Chile. The five stamps all bear a catalogued variety!!!

After the announced of a Guide to Postal Stationery in Iraq, let's go to British occupied then administrated Mesopotamia for a detective story by Barry Scott: what are those red markings on early 1920s mail coming from there?

Thursday 30 June: 1000 articles in 9½ year.

A long personal memory on one thousand articles on SébPhilatélie.

Sunday 3 July: By Mörck, a butterfly artist from Sweden to China through Greenland.

This Spring, author and editor Jon Nordstrøm published a rough interview book with engraver Martin Mörck, surely the second most prolific after Czesław Słania.

Why is there a Chinese engraved soldier on the cover? Because philately and Mörck are "in" in the People's Republic (Nordstroms editions via Nordfrim).

The book is heavily illustrated with lots of stamps of course and engraved plates, but with the collections of Mörck! From the first stamp of Norway on maritime covers that circulated between Norwegian ports to Greenlandish local artwork.

A very interesting read, even if the interview could have been put in writing shape, where you understand that the growth of philatelic interest in China is more profound that just bubble market.

Tuesday 5 July: Stampex 1963 Annigoni Hong Kong souvenir.

Found after browsing some boxes at Paris-Philex, this souvenir from the famous London stamp show. It's the second one I got presenting how the colors are printing on a Honk Kong Queen Elizabeth II stamp.

The souvenir distributed at the 10th Stampex London.

The collections by effigy of Queen Elizabeth II are numerous: Wilding, Machin,... and Annigoni from the larger than life royal painting by Pietro Annigoni in 1956 that ended on many stamps and banknotes as collected by StampBoards.com members.

Note that The Queen: Art & Image exhibition is still available on the National Portrait Gallery website.

Wednesday 6 July: journalism and La Poste in Brittany.

A very small scandal in the far western region of France: a regional newspaper and a national radio reported the anger of a client of the postal operator. She sent flyers to schools to promote the activities of her theater in Breton association.

But, with the schoolyear end coming quickly, she was asked to translate the flyer because it may be "propaganda"...

If you read a more local newspaper, you discover La Poste's point of view: to have the best postal rate possible, the association was proposed a sending in bulk, more than 400 identical piece of mail towards numerous départements. But to apply, the content should not be illegal or political propaganda.

Much ado about nothing.

Saturday 9 July: open class exibition at Paris-Philex.

At first thought, I don't like to watch thematic, postcard, open class exhibitions... but of course I found some interest in some of those collections at Paris-Philex last May.

The most debated item of the show in Philippe Nadeau's encyclopedic collection on mushrooms: large silver (collection Philippe Nadeau, Paris-Philex, May 2016).

From mould on bread to hair/sking and poo of an elephant (No animal were harmed during the exhibition), the open class collections continued to make many "serious philatelists" grind their teeth when discussing about the little one of the exhibit classes and the most cherished one by the French Federation to catch the attention of new publics.

If the complete collection is read, the whole world is discovered, both on the topic and its philately/postal history. Next to the famous mould on bread, was printed the legend on how the roquefort cheese was accidentally discovered.

Still more useful than some contemporary art I have to watch at the Centre Pompidou, later than Saturday Night of Museum.

Other collectibles used in open class were a vinyle disc, a large Olympic plate, etc.

To be continued...

Week #2016.22 on SébPhilatélie

Tuesday 31 May: King George VI and the Battle of Jutland.
The centenary of the 1916 naval battle betweek British and German navies reminded that a young Prince Albert, to become King George VI, participated and saw the battle from afar.

Prince Albert, beginning of the Great War (Royal Archives via the British Royal Family's Facebook page).

From there, I wonder why this monarch has only been a guest in some Royal Mail's stamp issues and hasn't got a huge commemorative.

Wednesday 1st June: the Crawford Library's online!!!
Announced last March by retired British Library curator David Beech, large parts of the Library of James Ludovic Lindsay, Earl of Crawford, can, since last Monday 30 May, be searched and read online through the Global Philatelic Library.

The catalogue of the Library bequeathed to the Nation virtually list all philatelic literature, pamphlet, sales catalogues ever published until 1911. On that 95% are in the Crawford Library at the British Library. From there, 80% were microfilmed in the 1980s-1990s and then digitised these part years.

The catalogue page that shouldn't be missed (screen captude, 1st of June 2016).

Don't forget to check the catalogue page to know what's in there and because there are free bonuses: two supplements of The London Philatelist on the life of Crawford and the conservation of his Library.

The video posted on youTube.

The passage from film to digital was possible by a grant of the British Philatelic Fund, the volunteering and the server storage capacity of the Royal Philatelic Society London, that now proposed an introductive video to present itself.

Saturday 4 June: the Palmares of New York 2016.
Today's final day of the World Stamp Show New York 2016 and the palmares was published - but for the Champions Class.

The medal with the show logotype by Niko Courtelis.

Not being able to visit it, I cherry picked into the palmares to create the article:
- How philatelists of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon succeeded (third Large Gold for Jean-Jacques Tillard).
- How does the-postal-history-meets-societies-history class succeeded. Quite well with a Grand Prix International thank you.
- What's at the bottom of the list: certainly not failures!
- From hints by Australian dealer Glen Stephens on StampBoards.com, some collections to check: a Tre Skilling Banco yellow here, a King Edward VIII stamp project there...

Eurovision Day: Oh Happy Day!

Translated during the ESC from the article in French written at noon.

The most motivating day of the year: the Saturday of the Eurovision Song Contest final!

A competition superbly ignored by most of the French, idolized almost everywhere else in Europe, down (or up if you're from there) to Australia, and, now, by a paid tv channel in the United States.

A week of rehearsals, semi-finals and the big party... before politicking came back tomorrow.

Motto, key-picture and logotype of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 (via the Wikipédia in English).

So important, that postal operators issued stamps at the effigy of their former Eurovision winners: four stamps for Norway in 2010 for example.

Alexander Rybak, Norwegian ESC 2009 winner, on a stamp from the 18 May 2010 series, on a postcard received via Postcrossing (thank you Jörg, cancelled 3 June 2010).

Last year winner, the Swede Måns Zelmerlöw was awarded a 20 personalised stamp sheet by Austria Post (with a premium of almost 6 euros... by an operator that sell luxuous vacuum cleaner too)... For the first 2016 semi-final he sung the new scenic version of Heroes interpreted now with actual children. Even if the animated ones were artistic too.

The special sheet by Austria Post - a collector would be the name in France (to the product).

No stamp this year from the Swedish part of PostNord ; after all, Austria Post was an official partner of the 2015 contest. Moreover, the Swedish philatelic program seems light and balanced: watch the  2015 and 2016 issues still available.

A default though: most stamps need to be bought by booklet or strip of ten... even at the WOPA agency.

Obviously, the stamp promoting equal rights for lesbian, bisexual, homosexual and transgender people may have attract many of the Eurovision public to the post offices of Stockholm, being issued May 4th, a week before the semi-finals.

Issued the week before the contest and opening the Pride season in the Free World (PostNord.se)

However, a musical series was issued 15 January 2015 to acknowledge the celebrity and success of six Swedish pop artists: soprano turned popstar Robyn, disc jockey Avicii, Seinabo Sey for soul pop, singer and producer Max Martin and folk duo First Aid Kit.

Two of the 2015 stamps celebrating Swedish pop (philatelic bulletin of PostNord).

The series is pleasant to watch as it is drawn with a pen by Jenny Mörtsell, a common tool of illustration.

Now, what song has touched my ears or my reflexion during the promotions and the semi-finals? Every ones that are pop or rock... obviously or I won't be watching the show right now!

Austria again with Zoë who sings her fearytale à la Disney Classics and in French... Yes, something is not quite Eurovisionesque there ;) Pupil at the French high school of Vienna, the whole of her first album is in French. And Austrians like it since she's the winner of the national public competition. Et ça plaît en Autriche puisqu'elle est issue du télé-crochet national.

Zoë, Loin d'ici, semi-final 2016 on youTube.

In the topic: let's party but lest not forget... The Ukrainian singer Jamala commemorates the Crimean Tatars deported in 1944 by the Soviet government... Born in Kyrgyzstan from a Crimean Tatar father and an Armenian mother, her family came back to Ukraine only after the dislocation of the Soviet Union in 1991. Like France last year with the centenary of the Great War, the goal is not to win but to send a message... Will he hear it ?

Jamala, 1944, semi finale 2016 on youTube.

And finally, surprise: has France Télévision put some cash aside or win the lottery to host the 2017 edition, right between to two rounds of the French presidential (and tumultuous) election on Sundays 23 April and 7 May?

Imagine: a bilingual song any European can understand, lively, and the final broadcast on the main public channel... Something's fishy here.

Amir, J'ai cherché, the song clip.

Let's hope because he will alone on the scene. Even with the magic screens, it can lack of show. But, since 2010, the entertaining Jessy Matador and his dansers, French know that some Central and Eastern European jurys and televoters have some difficulties with the multicultural live in Western Europe.

Jessy Matador, Allez Ola Olé, final 2010 on youTube.

Anyway:

We are the heroes of our time...

But we dance with the demons in our mind...

We are the heroes...

Week #2016.10 on SébPhilatélie

I got quite philatelic fun this week writing on both blogs.

Sunday March 6th: unusual rate drops and demonetisation.

From philatelic forums and Google searches, I learnt that strange things will happen in three countries in their postal system, inimaginable in France or many countries.

By a special agreement between the Unites States Postal Service and the Postal Regulation Commission, the former will be forced to cut down the first class rates on April 10th... Whereas the financial situation of the public company is not safe yet. Talks began on how the public will react that Forever stamps' value is going to shrink a little.

In Sweden, there soon will be one year that the European Court of Justice declared unlawful that PostNord in Sweden add value added tax on public postal services.

In Lithuania, Lietuvos paštas reminds in the press that stamps only valued in litas, the former currency before the euro became the national currency on January 1st 2015, will cease to be valid by the end of the year 2016.

Monday March 7th: Nigeria slowly ascending the philatelic world.

A lucky find on youTube from the Nigeria's news television channel, NTA News: early March, the National Philatelic Promotion Council, established 1992, successfully organised an exhibition and conference in Abuja.

Former Nigerian President (right) praising the study of stamps and honoring Ahmadu Ali, current chairman of the National Philatelic Promotion Council, who celebrated his 80th birthday (NTA News, March 3rd 2016).

A must-see video from NTA and a must-read article on my blog: how does stamp passionates in emerging countries succeed to make the public aware of stamps, stamp collecting, philatelic studies and competitions? Surely a translation in English will be coming here soon.

Wednesday March 9th: PostNL will double the Postcrossing stamp catalogue by March 29th!

The Postcrossing official blog announced on Wednesday that the historic postal operator of the Netherlands will issue a ten stamp minisheet, kitsch-like, promoting the postcard exchange website and touristic place and arts of the low country.

Look at them if you don't fear to loose eyesight (PostNL through the Postcrossing blog).

The Postcrossing stamp catalogue will be added stamps #13 to 22 in one issue, the second one on this topic by PostNL.

On a side note, I discovered that Dutch stamps are only available though a special philatelic website of PostNL - and not the postal site of the operator, and at street level in news/library franchise.

Swedish enigma continues

In September 2007, I presented a silenciously mysterious pictorial cancellation on a 1997 mail from Sweden (and reproduced here). Thank to a exhibited collection and my very thin knowledge of Swedish language, I can now talk a little more about it.

Kjell Ardvidsson published on line his collection about ten years of inkjet cancelling in Sweden on the inevitable philatelic exhibiting website Exponet.

And there, one of the picture talked to my memory. The illustration visibly served at the mail sorting facility in Karlstad, Värmland County, in Western Sweden.

Ardvidsson described it as the "Värmland symbol". However, my sole ressource is the Wikipedia in English's article about the region that develops the heraldic history. A wolve is mentioned that was replaced by the actual eagle.

I will continue to wait and look for what this symbol represents.


Kjell Ardvidsson has got his own website : http://kjell.smult.com/ , with, among other things, a specialised part about postage meter.

Illustrated mystery in Sweden, co-starring Martin Mörck

Today, a mysterious pictorial cancellation on a cover from Sweden, sent at a barely visible date to a French publisher.


The stamp was issued in 1997 and was part of a three-stamp series about marine. This 18th century Compass rose was engraved by Martin Mörck.

I thank in advance the one of you, readers, who will help me discover the significance of the pictorial cancellation. I see a stylised reindeer, or two human beings congratulating one another.