New stamps on farming …

 

Date of Issue : 20 March 2012

The bright yellow sunflower is native to North America and grown mainly in Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. Sunflower seed is a source of oil used for cooking, salads, paints and industrial lubricants. Non-oil varieties of sunflower are used as birdseed or roasted and eaten as a snack.

Hi ! Here is a wonderful set of five stamps issued by Australia Post on ‘Farming in Australia’ featuring cow rearing, fruit and flower cultivation in Australia. The stamps are so beautifully designed featuring fruits in the best possible view that it attracts a collector on the very first sight !! This stamp set is a nice collecting item for those collecting on fruits, flowers and cow breeds !!

 

The dairy industry is one of Australia’s major rural industries, ranking behind only beef and wheat. While all states and territories have dairy industries, most production occurs in the more temperate south-east areas of the country, and includes milk, yoghurts and a wide variety of cheese types. The most common dairy cow breeds are the Holstein Friesian and the Jersey.

 

The pineapple is a tropical fruit native to South America and in Australia grows best in tropical Queensland and northern New South Wales. Lutheran missionaries planted the fi rst crops in Brisbane in 1838 and the commercial industry was established in 1924. In 1946 canning plants were built at Rockhampton and Cairns.

 

Australia is consistently among the top 10 wine-growing countries in the world. Shiraz is the most produced variety, followed by chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. The main wine-producing states are South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, although Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and ACT also have wine industries.

The humble apple tree originated in Central Asia and is one of the most widely cultivated plants in the world. Of the many apple varieties in existence, around 15 are produced commercially in Australia, with Pink Lady^TM, Granny Smith, Gala and Sundowner^TM being the four most common. Victoria is Australia's leader in apple production and the market is primarily domestic, with the majority of fruit sold and consumed fresh.

Maxim Cards

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Sea Birds from South Georgia..

 

To be  issued on  : 21 March, 2012

 

This stamp issue, produced in association with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), recognizes some of the lesser-known species of seabird breeding on South Georgia. The species depicted are part of the rich biodiversity found in South Georgia's unique environment. WWF is one of the world's leading conservation organisations who work towards conservation and sustainability.

The cold waters around South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands are highly productive and provide rich feeding grounds for many species of seabirds. Twenty five species of seabird breed on South Georgia (with two additional species, Adélie penguin and Antarctic fulmar, breeding on the South Sandwich Islands) and many vagrant and non-breeding species are also seen around the islands.

Imperial shag (Phalacrocorax atriceps) (60p)

The imperial shag is found in rocky coastal areas and breeds in small colonies in most parts of South Georgia. They are a monogamous species and usually lay 2 -3 eggs (though can lay up to 5). Laying occurs in October/November with eggs taking 5 weeks to hatch and fledging occurring in March. Their nests are made of seaweed and grass glued together with mud and guano. Imperial shags forage mainly in inshore areas (though can also travel further offshore) on small fish, crustaceans, polychaetes, gastropods and octopuses. They dive down to an average of 28m for around 5 minutes to catch their prey, although they have been recorded to dive as deep as 70m.

Antarctic tern (Sterna vittata) (70p)

Distributed throughout the Southern Ocean and common throughout the year around South Georgia, the Antarctic tern start breeding from mid-November to early December with chicks fledging in January. Nesting close to shore in natural depressions in the rock or shallow scrapes in the ground, their eggs and chicks are well camouflaged. These small birds (31-38cm long) are susceptible to human disturbance and to predation of their eggs and chicks by rats, however they will defend their nest sites vigorously, dive-bombing anything passing too close. Feeding in inshore waters, often in the kelp zone, their main prey is small fish but they also take crustaceans, polychaetes, molluscs, insects and algae.

Southern skua (Catharacta antarctica) (95p)

The southern skua is a sub-Antarctic species and is regarded as having a stable population. They are distributed widely around South Georgia but are commonest on offshore islands where there are the greatest numbers of small burrowing petrels. Their hooked beak and webbed feet with sharp claws allow the skua to be a highly predatory bird, which, besides burrowing petrels, feed on penguin chicks and eggs. They will also scavenge on carrion on land as well as around fishing vessels. During the winter, skuas migrate northward, departing in April and returning to South Georgia in September. Egg laying starts in November with chicks fledging in late February.

Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus) (£1.15p)

Kelp gulls are omnivores with their diet depending on food availability. They take and scavenge on small prey including molluscs, fish, crustaceans, other seabirds and even chicks and eggs of their own species. This coastal gull is common throughout the year around South Georgia and inhabits sheltered bays. They build nests lined with vegetation and feathers which are little more than a shallow depression in the ground. Two or three eggs are laid during November to December and both parents raise the chicks. Fledging takes 45-61 days and the young gulls take 3-4 years to reach maturity.

In addition to the set, there is a Souvenir Sheet showing a Juvenile Southern skua (£3.50p) and a sheetlet of 16 (4 sets in staggered format) with face value of £13.20p.

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Species information from Bird Life International species factsheets www.birdlife.org

 

Club News

From Our Readers..

Srinivasa Ramanujan

Maxim Card prepared by Sanjiv Jain, Dehradun

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Club News..

 

 

Special cancellation from Gorakhpur 

Sachal Dakghar - Shahidon ko Shrddhanjali ( Homage To Martyrs ) 26 January 2012

 

 

 

: Raman Kumar Mandal – Gorakhpur

Awards : G - Phila 2011, Gorakhpur

Award Ceremony of G-Phila 2011 concluded today on the occasion of Republic Day. Sr.Supdt. of Post,Gorakhpur Sri Alok Ojha gave the awards to the participants. Mr Sandeep Chaurasia won Silver Medal for 'Pre Independent Indian Stationary' and Best exhibit award for 'Railway' . Our member Ashwani Dubey  also won  special award for his exhibit.

 

Ashwani Dubey & Sandeep Chaurasia receiving award from SSP

 

Winners of G - Phila 2011, Gorakhpur

Stamp Exhibition on Jainism in Kolhapur

A stamp exhibition on Jainism  will be   held on January 28, 2012 in Kolhapur Maharashtra

Time 09:00 am to 06:00 pm

Venue - Nandani Village, Taluka - Shirol, District - Kolhapur, Maharashtra

:  Ajay Agarwal - Akola

Maxim Card : Srinivasa Ramanujan

Created by Boben J E of Trivandrum :  www.philalover.blogspot.com

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New stamps on London 2012 Olympics

 

Date of Issue :  1 January 2012

Isle of Man Post will issue  on 1st January, a set of seven  stamps and a beautiful  Miniature Sheet on different sports events of London OLYMPIC 2012. The striking feature of this issue is sheetlet of each stamp which depicts the background picture of the respective event. This makes the sheets awesome !! It is a wonderful set for collectors of Sports and Olympic theme.

 

LONDN 2012 Olympic Games

Sheetlets

 

 

Club News

 

Newsletter on Maximaphily

 

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF MACSU

The Maximum Card Study Unit of America
Founded in 1978, the Maximum Card Study Unit (MACSU) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, collection, exchange, enjoyment, display, and study of Maximum Cards, by spreading the knowledge of Maximaphily among its members
Membership includes a subscription to Maximaphily USA, a quarterly journal featuring news of
the maximum card world and articles by members and experts in the field.

  

Articles featuring topical collecting typically are richly illustrated with maximum cards and share the author's insightful knowledge of the subject and his own personal and helpful experience.
The pages providing information regarding activities of individual members allows members to place free advertising for trading, buying, selling and exchanging information. Here the
opportunity to make contacts with members in other countries is provided.
There are articles evaluating maximum cards according to accepted standards, pointing out good qualities and making suggestions for improvement.

Mail bid auctions are held on occasion, featuring inexpensive cards donated by members.
Every issue provides a page or two of illustrations of the most recent maximum card creations by our members. Every member gets a chance to show his cards and write an article about them.

- Terry Watson, President, Maximum Card Study Unit 

For membership contact email : TERRYW7633@comcast.net  or

MAXICARDS@gmail.com

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Philatelic Tributes to great leaders …

 

 

19 November - Birth Anniversary of Mrs Indira Gandhi

Today is Birth Anniversary of late Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was a great Indian politician who served as prime minister of India for three consecutive terms (1966–77) and a fourth term (1980–84). She was the second female to hold the office of prime minister (after Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka) and she remains as the world's second longest serving female Prime Minister .

Philatelic Tributes to Indira Gandhi

On the  Birth Anniversary of Mrs Indira Gandhi, Vipan Kumar of Chandigarh shares here some Maxim Cards prepared by him   !!

 

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Festivals of India - Guruparv

 

 

Greetings on Gurunanak Jayanti 

Today is Gurpurav , also known as Guru Nanak Birthday, is the birthday of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, and one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism.

Golden Temple of Amritsar is the most important shrine of the Sikhs

Celebrations take place on a large scale in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the world where Sikhs reside. Processions are taken out and verses from the Guru Granth Sahib are recited. The festivities in Sikhism revolve around the anniversaries of the 10 Sikh Gurus. These Gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Their birthdays, known as Gurpurabs, are occasions for celebration and prayer among the Sikhs.

One of the main shrines of the Sikhs is the Golden Temple of Amritsar, in Punjab.  The Temple foundations were Laid by the Fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das (1534-1581). The birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib falls on Kartik Poornima, i.e., the day of the full moon in the month of Kartik. In the Gregorian Calendar, the birthday of Guru Nanak usually falls in the month of November, but its date varies from year to year, based on the traditional dates of the Indian calendar.

 

Christmas stamps from Royal Mail…

Royal mail  issued a set of new stamps  on 8 November for this year’s Christmas .

This year, the seven Christmas 2011 stamps each feature a beautiful image inspired by the accounts of the Nativity from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. The large and small second class stamps show the Angel speaking to St Joseph in a dream. The large and small first class stamps depict Our Lady dress in a red holding the Baby Jesus.

The 68p stamp portrays the stable scene. The £1.10 one shows an Angel speaking with the Shepherds, and the £1.65 stamp is of the Three Kings, discussing the Star which will lead them to Bethlehem.

Date of Issue :19 October 2011

Dwarkapex 2011 – Bosco Public School, New Delhi

: Ashwani Dubey – Gorakhpur 

 

From our Readers…

Maxim Card 

 

Maxim card prepared by Sanjiv Jain, Dehradun email : jainsanjiv@live.com

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Remembrance Day 11.11.11

 

Date of Issue : 2 November 2011

Australia Post issued a set of two stamps on 2 November 2011 to commemorate Remembrance Day ! Though the stamp is issued for 11.11.11 but was issued on 2nd November so it will not have the cancellation of 11.11.11 but the date appears on the cover !!

Remembrance Day, initially known as Armistice Day, marks the anniversary of the armistice on 11 November 1918, which led to the end of World War I - the Great War. Remembrance is observed through one minute's silence at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in honour of those who have died or been wounded in all theatres of war.

Stamp and Coin Cover

The significance of the commemoration throughout allied nations increased in 1920, with the return to Britain of the remains of an unknown soldier. Felled on the battlefields of the Western Front, he was interred with full military honors. At the end of World War II, the Australian government agreed with Britain's proposal to rename the annual observation Remembrance Day, extending the commemoration to those who have served in all military conflicts.

Mini sheet

The most notable symbol of Remembrance Day is the red poppy, or Flanders poppy (Papaver rhoeas). It gained resonance for being among the first plants to bloom on the battlefields of northern France and Belgium during the Great War. For soldiers, the red petals represented the blood of their fallen comrades. 

Maximum Cards

: Australia Post

From our Readers…..

 

Chinese numerology and Feng Shui for 2011

This year we are going to experience four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11, and that's not all; Take the last two digits of the year you were born and the age you will be this year and the result will add up to 111 for everyone!!!! This is the year of MONEY. Also, this year, October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays & 5 Saturdays. This happens only once every 823 years. These particular years are known as Moneybag years.

: Sanjay Goenka

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Thai Traditional Festivals …

 

Date of Issue : 10 November 2011

Thai post will issue a set of four stamps on 10 November 2011 featuring traditional festivals of Thailand.

Reflection of Thai way of life

Design 1: Loy Krathong and Candle Festival (Sukhothai Province)

This festival has been held as far back as Sukhothai period. In the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng, it was known as "Jong Parien ceremony" or "Loi Phra Prateep". There was a mention in the Stone Inscription No.1 that this was largest festival in Sukhothai city, which led to a belief that this must be the same festival as Loi Krathong.

Design 2: The Festival of Illuminated Boat Procession (Nakhon Phanom Province)

The Festival of illuminated Boat Procession or locally known as Lai Rua Fai is an important festival held by the northeasterners to celebrate the end of Buddhist lent on the 15^th vexing moon night or the 1^st waning moon night of the 11^th lunar month of each year. "Rua Fai" is a boat made from banana trunks or bamboos of 5-6 wah tied together. Sweets and any items people want to donate are placed in the boat. The boat exterior is decorated with the flowers, incense sticks, candles, lamps and torches to be lighted before the boat is released into a canal or river. This is the origin of the name "Lai Rua Fai".

Design 3: Yi-Peng Festival (Chiang Mai Province)

This stamp depicts the 12^th Lunar Month Full Moon Festival of Lanna Thai (the northern region) which is known as Yi-Peng. On the day of Yi-Peng, people decorated Buddhist temples and their houses with banana trees, sugar cane, coconut fronds, Tung flowers, and Chor Prateep. Various style of paper lamps called Khom Yi-Peng are hoisted high as offerrings to the Lord Buddha. Small bowl lamps are lighted as offerings to the Three Gems of Buddhism while floating paper lamps are lighted and released into the sky as offerings to Phra Ketkaew Chulamanee in heaven.

Design 4: Loi Krathong Sai (Tak Province)

Tak Province organizes Loi Krathong Sai festival on the full moon of the 12^th lunar month of each year. Latex of Yang trees is mixed with wood chips, formed into small balls and placed at the bottom of halved coconut shells. On the nights of the festival the latex balls are lighted and floated in the Ping River at regular interval, forming long rows of flickering lights above the water. These coconut shells (krathong) will eventually flow out of the audiences' sight. It is believed that participants and spectators of this festival will be blessed with what they wished for during the festival.

Source : Siamstamp

From Our Readers….

Army Postal Service Covers – Part- 8

- P. Ramakrishnan

601	313 FIIELD REGIMENT	07/01/2010
602	314 FIELD REGIMENT	07/01/2010
603	CORPS OF ELECTICAL & MECHANICAL	08/01/2010
604	1 MEDIUM REGIMENT	15/01/2010
605	17 ENGINEER REGIMENT	31/01/2010
606	ARTY CENTRE NASIK	04/02/2010
607	126 INF BN (TA) J & K RIF	05/02/2010
608	23 MECH INFAN	06/02/2010
609	21 GRENAADIERS	11/02/2010
610	12 ASSAM RIF	11/02/2010
611	18 GUARDS	11/02/2010
612	19 J&K RIF	11/02/2010
613	21 PARA	11/02/2010
614	20 JAT	11/02/2010
615	18 GARH RIF	11/02/2010
616	13 SIKH REGT	11/02/2010
617	19 DOGRA	18/02/2010
618	142 AD REGT	20/02/2010
619	511 AD MSL REGT	20/02/2010
620	11 CORPS	03/03/2010
621	75 (I) BDE	05/03/2010
622	49 SQN	09/03/2010
623	107 HU	09/03/2010
624	5 MAHAR	23/03/2010
625	19 ARMED REGT	25/03/2010
626	323 AD REGT	27/03/2010
627	436 ADMSL REGT (SP)	27/03/2010
628	322 AD REGT	27/03/2010
629	15 ARMD REGT	03/04/2010
630	19 GUARD	03/04/2010
631	76 ARMD REGT	03/04/2010
632	147 LT AD REGT	03/04/2010
633	513 AD REGT	03/04/2010
634	3 ASSAM REGT	08/04/2010
635	16 ASSAM RIFLES	09/04/2010
636	117 ENGR REGIMENT	09/04/2010
637	2/8 GR	13/04/2010
638	BORDER ROAD ORGANISATION	07/05/2010
639	22 ASSAM RIFLES	15/05/2010
640	HQ CE BEACON	19/05/2010
641	ARMY CADET COLLEGE WING, INDIAN MILITARY ACADEMY	04/06/2010
642	100 ENGINEER OFFICERS DEGREE COURSE COLLEGE OF MILITARY ENGIN	23/06/2010
643	BRIGADE OF THE GUARDS 5	25/08/2010
644	1/11 GORKHA RIFLES	01/09/2010
645	MADRAS SAPPERS	30/09/2010
646	108 INF BN (TA) MAHAR	01/10/2010
647	107 INF BN (TA) 11 GORKHA	01/10/2010
648	117 INF BN (TA) THE GUARDS	01/10/2010
649	106 INF BN (TA) PARA	01/10/2010
650	14TH BN THE ASSAM REGIMENT	15/10/2010
651	31 ARMOURED DIVISION	19/10/2010
652	5TH BN THE GRENADIERS	23/10/2010
653	415 (I) ENGINEER SQUADRON	30/10/2010
654	115 INF BN (TA) MAHAR	01/11/2010
655	CORPS OF MILITARY POLICE	01/11/2010
656	RAJPUT REGIMENT	20/11/2010
657	JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES	20/11/2010
658	ARMY ORDNACE CORPS	08/12/2010
659	ARMY SERVICE CORPS	08/12/2010
660	IMA ACADEMY	11/12/2010
661	9 BASE REPAIR DEPOT INDIAN AIR FORCE	08/01/2011
662	31 SQUADRON AIR FORCE	08/01/2011
663	6 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY	01/02/2011
664	ARMY DENTAL CORPS	12/02/2011
665	2 BN FIRST GORKHA RIFLES	19/02/2011
666	JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES 5	25/02/2011
667	51 MEDIUM REGIMENT	01/03/2011
668	81 FIELD REGIMENT	01/03/2011
669	GORKHA RECRUITING DEPOT, KUNRAGHAT	03/03/2011
670	110 HELICOPTER UNIT	09/03/2011
671	44 SQUADRON AIR FORCE	09/03/2011
672	128 AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT	01/04/2011
673	127 AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT	02/04/2011
674	PROJECT DANTAK	23/04/2011
675	PROJECT DEEPAK	04/05/2011
676	28 ASSAM RIFLES	15/09/2011
	New and to be issued…
676	85 ARMOURED REGIMENT	30/09/2011
677	4/9 GORKHA RIFLES	14/10/2011
678	1 PARA	17/10/2011
679	4 PARA	22/10/2011
680	MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY	29/10/2011
681	GORKHA RIFLES 01	20/11/2011
682	ARMY AVIATION CORPS	26/11/2011
683	129 AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT	26/11/2011
684	04 GORKHA RIFLES	27/11/2011
685	PROJECT HIMANK	05/12/2011

This is the complete list of Army Postal Covers upto 2011, compiled by P. Ramkrishnan of Chennai. P. Ramkrishnan may be contacted at email : pramakrishnan1@royalenfield.com Postal address :  42 varalakshmi Nagar Extn, Kolathur, Chennai 99

Maxim Cards : Rashtrapati Bhawan

 

  

J E Boben of Trivandrum has designed maxim cards for Rashtrapati Bhawan stamos issued on 5 August 2011. Email : annakutty.03@gmail.com  Blog : http://www.philalover.blogspot.com/

 

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