SINGAPORE - COVER FROM TERENCE TAN

A nice cover fromSingapore through Cover Collectors Circuit Club. There are three stamps from Singapore and Philippines 40 Years of Diplomatic Relations (Bridges)

Thanks to Terence Tan

Stamp - Singapore and Philippines 40 Years 

of Diplomatic Relations (Bridges)

Miniature sheet of the joint stamp issue with the theme ''Bridges''

Top-left: ''Bamban Bridge'' - (Philippines)

Top-right: "Cavenagh Bridge'' - (Singapore)

Bottom-left: ''Henderson Waves" and "Alexandra Arch" - (Singapore)

Bottom-right: ''Marcelo Fernan Bridge'' - (Philippines)

The joint stamp issue with the theme ''Bridges''

Date of Issue: 28 August 2009

Denominations: 1st local, 65¢, 80¢ & $1. 10

Stamp Size: 40.8mm x 29.85mm

Miniature Sheet: 120mm x 75mm

Perforation: 13

Paper: Unwatermarked

Printing Process: Offset Lithography

Printer: Secura (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Sheet Content: 10 stamps per sheet

Designer: Victorino Z. Serevo

Graphic Designer: Chan Willie

Bamban Bridge - (Philippines)

Bamban Bridge', crossing the Sacobia-Bamban River system, along the MacArthur Highway between Mabalacat, Pampanga and Bamban. Tarlac, is one of the modern and sleek-looking bridges in The Philippines. The bridge's arch has a span of 174 metres and contains 1,400 tons of steel. It is one of the longest bridges of its type in the world and was completed sometime around 1998.

Cavenagh Bridge - (Singapore)

Cavenagh Bridge', built in 1868, is the oldest bridge on the Singapore River. Built to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of the Straits Settlement, it was converted to a pedestrian bridge. Now, with lighting added in the 1990s to accentuate its architectural features at nightfall, it provides the most convenient pedestrian link between the cultural district at the north bank and the commercial district to the south of the Singapore River.

Henderson Waves -  (Singapore)

Henderson Waves (亨德森波浪桥)) is a 274-metre (899 ft)[4] long pedestrian bridge. At 36 metres (118 ft) above Henderson Road, it is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. It connects Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. It was designed by IJP Corporation, London, and RSP Architects Planners and Engineers (PTE) ltd Singapore.

The bridge has a wave-form made up of seven undulating curved steel ribs that alternately rise over and under its deck. The curved ribs form alcoves that function as shelters with seats within. Slats of yellow balau wood, an all-weather timber found in Southeast Asia, are used in the decking. The wave-forms are lit with LED lamps at night from 7pm to 2am daily

Alexandra Arch -  (Singapore)

Alexandra Arch (亚历山大拱桥)) is an 80-metre (260 ft) long bridge that features a curved deck and tilted arch like an opened leaf, connecting Alexandra Road, Singapore and Hyderabad Road. It was designed by Buro Happold with LOOK Architects. The Gillman Village, which was a former British military camp in the early 20th century, now houses a mixture of restaurants, pubs and art galleries. Like the Henderson Waves bridge, Alexandra Arch will be lit with colour-changing LED lamps. At the end of the Alexandra Arch, there is a path lined with flowering plants which leads to the HortPark.

Marcelo Fernan Bridge - (Philippines)

Marcelo Fernan Bridge' is an extradosed cable-stayed bridge located in Metro Cebu, Cebu in the Philippines. It spans across Mactan Channel connecting Cebu Island to Mactan Island. Opened in August 1999 to decongest the traffic from the older Mactan-Mandaue Bridge, the bridge has a total length of 1237 metres with a centre span of 185 metres. This bridge is one of the widest and longest bridge span in the Philippines, and is named after Senator Marcelo Fernan from Cebu City.

INDONESIA - COVER FROM IRENE CHAN

A nice cover from Indonesia through Cover Collectors Circuit Club. There are three stamps from a 24 stamps  Souvenir sheet dedicated to Traditional Indonesian Textile (Circulated October 3, 2011)

Many thanks to Irene Chen

If you wish to have more information on Indonesian traditional textile please visit the web page

http://www.expat.or.id/info/traditionaltextiles.html

HONDURAS - COVER FROM SONIA ANDRADE LEE

Many thanks to Sonia Andrade Lee for her nice cover and all other goodies she send me.

Sonia is philatelist and the owner of the blog : http://mimundofilatelico.blogspot.com

About the two stamp cover :

THE FIRST STAMP

The first stamp is a 2005 one from a three stamp set 2005 Airmail - Japanese-Central American Year, and 70 Years of Diplomatic Relations Between Japan and Honduras

On the first stamp of the cover you can see the building of  Congreso Nacional ( Honduras) and also the portrait of Princess Sayako of Japan (now Sayako Sayako Kuroda, formerly Princess Nori of Japan)

The National Congress of Honduras (Congreso Nacional)

Palace of Congress, the Honduran legislative branch headquarters.

The National Congress is a unicameral body responsible for the legislative power of Honduras, is composed of 128 deputies elected in universal and direct way for four years, the number of members is determined by proportional representation according to the departments.

Princess Sayako (ex.)

Sayako Kuroda (黒田清子 Kuroda Sayako?, born 18 April 1969), formerly Sayako, Princess Nori (紀宮清子内親王 Nori-no-miya Sayako Naishinnō?), is the third child and only daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan. She held the appellation "Nori-no-miya" (Princess Nori), until her marriage to Yoshiki Kuroda on 15 November 2005. As a result, she gave up her imperial title and left the Japanese Imperial Family, as required by law.

THE SECOND STAMP

The second stamp is a 2012 one from the stamp set 2012 The 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with Korea

On the stamp you see on the left  Lobo Sosa President of Honduras and on the right Lee Myung-bak President of South Korea.

Porfirio Lobo Sosa (born 22 December 1947), known as Pepe Lobo, is a Honduran politician and agricultural landowner who served as President of Honduras from 2010 to 2014. A member of the conservative National Party and a former deputy in the National Congress of Honduras from 1990, he was President of the National Congress of Honduras from 2002 to 2006. He came second to Manuel Zelaya with 46% of the vote in the 2005 general election. After the military ousted Zelaya in a coup d'état, Lobo was elected president in the 2009 presidential election and took office on 27 January 2010.

Lee Myung-bak (Hangul: 이명박; /ˌliː ˌmjʌŋ ˈbɑːk/; Korean: [i mjʌŋbak]; born December 19, 1941) was the 10th President of South Korea from February 25, 2008, to February 25, 2013. Before his election as president, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, as well as the mayor of Seoul from July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2006. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother, Lee Sang-deuk, is a South Korean politician. He attends the Somang Presbyterian Church. Lee is a graduate of Korea University and received an honorary degree from Paris Diderot University on May 13, 2011.

Lee altered the Japanese-South Korean government's approach to North Korea, preferring a more hardline strategy in the wake of increased provocation from the North, though he was supportive of regional dialogue with Russia, China and Japan. Under Lee, South Korea increased its visibility and influence in the global scene, resulting in the hosting of the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. However, significant controversy remains in Korea regarding high-profile government initiatives which have caused some factions to engage in civil opposition and protest against the incumbent government and President Lee's Saenuri Party (formerly the Grand National Party). The reformist faction within the Saenuri Party is at odds against Lee. He ended his five-year term on February 25, 2013, and was succeeded by Park Geun-hye.

THE OTHER GOODIES

Honduran lempira

www.bch.hn [Central Bank of Honduras]

• The lempira (/lɛmˈpɪrə/, sign: L, ISO 4217 code: HNL) is the currency of Honduras. It is subdivided into 100 centavos.
• The lempira was named after the 16th-century cacique Lempira, a ruler of the indigenous Lenca people, who is renowned in Honduran folklore for leading the (ultimately unsuccessful) local native resistance against the Spanish conquistador forces. He is a national hero, and is honoured on both the 1 lempira note and the 20 and 50 centavos coins.
• The lempira was introduced in 1931, replacing the peso at par. In the late 1980s, the exchange rate was two lempiras to the U.S. dollar (the 20 centavos coin is called a daime as it was worth the same as a U.S. dime). As of May 19, 2014, the lempira was quoted at 20.58 HNL to 1 USD.

Coins

In 1931, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 20 & 50 centavos & 1 lempira. 1, 2 & 10 centavos coins were added in 1935, 1939 & 1932 respectively. The silver 1 lempira coins ceased production in 1937, with the other silver coins (20 & 50 centavos) replaced by cupro-nickel in 1967.

Coins currently in circulation are :

    5 centavos

    10 centavos

    20 centavos

    50 centavos

Banknotes

The Bank of Honduras and the Banco Atlantida issued the first lempira banknotes in 1932. They were in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 lempiras. The Central Bank of Honduras took over production of paper money in 1950, introducing 50 lempiras notes in 1951. In 1975, 100 lempiras notes were added, followed by 500 lempiras in 1995.

In January, 2010, a new 20 Lempira note was introduced to market made by a polymer base, 60 million notes were issued.

Banknotes in circulation are :

WIKIPEDIA

2008 Airmail - Paintings By Gaye Darlene Bidart de Salutsky

16. July WM: None   Perforation: 13¼

Gaye Darlene Bidart de Salutsky

Born on Roatan Island, Honduras, there Gaye-Darlene learned traditional and powerful Obeah love spells still commonly practiced. Educated in the United States, she has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University; her Bachelor of Arts degree is from the City University of New York; studied visual, dramatic and performing arts in New York’s world-famous studios.  You may have seen this articulate and enchanting Love Witch on television or heard her radio interviews as Latin America’s “Dear Abby.”  She also shared her love spells in COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE and syndicated newspaper love advice columns and books including THE NAKED WITCH/LA BRUJA DESNUDA and BODY READING.   You can talk to the Love Witch/La Bruja del Amor in person at the Miami International Book Fair during November 13-20, 2011.   Free of charge, she will also tell your fortune.

Sources

http://gdbdesatulskyblog.authorsxpress.com/about-the-author/

http://www.stampworld.com (Honduras)

wikipedia 

http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sayako-kuroda-formerly-princess-nori-of-japan/

http://www.congresonacional.hn/

ONLINE FREE STAMP CATALOGUES

As I try to write my information in this blog about the post stamps existing on my covers I need to get an advice from philatelic resources. Mainly my information is coming from online stamp catalogues and the worldwide philatelic services. As an eager philatelist I know that this search is common problem for newbie as well as eager collectors and  I think that is a good idea to present you my bookmarks on this subject.

I hope that giving you the proper internet addresses you will find fun to explore them by yourself. 

The UPU

http://www.upu.int/en.html

Established in 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), with its headquarters in the Swiss capital Berne, is the second oldest international organization worldwide. With its 192 member countries, the UPU is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It  helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services.

In this way, the organization fulfils an advisory, mediating and liaison role, and provides technical assistance where needed. It sets the rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail, parcel and financial services volumes and improve quality of service for customers.

For philatelists there are 2 basic pages in the UPU web page:

The first is the special page which gives the opportunity to find the web pages of the postal authorities in every part of the world at:

http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/member-countries.html

The second is an online stamp catalogue per country at:

http://www.wnsstamps.post/en

PHILATELIC BUREAUX & POSTAL ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE WORLD

This service gives you the information you need in order to contact any philatelic bureau worldwide.  You get  website links, email links, postal addresses, telephone and fax numbers.  

If there is an English language version of a website, it directs you to that. If the  philatelic bureau is not known you are directed to the general website for the Post Office of the country.

http://www.philatelicbureau.com/

Postbeeld Freestampcatalogue.com

Freestampcatalogue (FSC) is a world stamp catalogue free for everyone to use. Almost all official stamps issued from about 1920 to the present day are shown in the catalogue. However, this includes only stamps and blocks - no special items, misprints, varieties etc. The stamps are displayed per set, resulting in more than 200,000 series and blocks. By using the filter function on the right side of this page, you can easily find stamps sorted by country, theme or date, or a combination thereof.

FSC is built and maintained by PostBeeld, international stamp dealers located in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Items that are in stock are displayed with a PostBeeld selling price and an order button. PostBeeld uses the reference numbers of various catalogues (e.g. Michel, Yvert, Stanley Gibbons, Scott, NVPH).

In reality the site is a combination of stock lists and buying lists of the largest stamp dealers in Europe. Does not contain philatelic background information (such as perforation, printing methods etc).

http://www.postbeeld.com/en/fsc/home/

stampworld.com

An interesting multilingual online catalogue. Please read faq for more useful info.

http://www.stampworld.com/en/

There are also some interesting online catalogue pages mentioned below for which you can find more useful info at :

http://www.stampcollectingblog.com/best-free-stamp-catalogs.php

• CataWiki

Site address: http://www.catawiki.com/catalog/stamps/100273-countries-regions-territories

• Colnect

Site address: http://colnect.com/en/stamps/countries

• Stamps of the World

Site address: http://www.stampsoftheworld.co.uk

• Stampedia

Site address: http://www.stampedia.net/

TAIWAN R.O.C - COVER FROM GEORGE WU

A nice cover from Taiwan Republic of China through Cover Collectors Circuit Club. It has on it one stamps (two pairs)  from the Flowers Postage Stamp (IV), which is a 4 stamps set,  and 3 stamps from one souvenir sheet  from the Taipei International Flora Expo Commemorative Issue (2 sheet).

Thanks to George Wu

 

 Def.129 Flowers Postage Stamp (IV)

Chunghwa Post previously issued three sets of definitive stamps on flowers on March 12 and October 14, 2009 and January 20, 2010, respectively. Now it is following up with a fourth set, featuring Bauhinia variegata, Euphorbia milii, Brunfelsia hopeana, and Plumeria rubra. The designs follow:

1.        Bauhinia variegata. (NT$0.50)

This deciduous tree of the pea family (Fabaceae) is commonly known as the orchid tree, butterfly tree, or camel’s foot. Its leaves are either round or shaped like a wide heart with a cleft on both base and apex, so that they resemble the hoof of a goat. Its inflorescences, which are axillary, each have five pale pink petals, one with red purple veins. This sun-loving tree is a great ornamental and street tree.

2.        Euphorbia milii (NT$9.00)

This evergreen shrub of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) is commonly known as crown of thorns. Its thick and erect stems are densely covered with thorns. Its leaves are long and ovate-shaped. What are commonly described as the plant’s flowers are actually brick-red bracts. The actual flowers are located inside the bracts and are either orange or yellow in color. Every part of the plant is poisonous. It prefers warm weather and is suitable to plant in containers or a hedge.

3.        Brunfelsia hopeana (NT$13.00)

This evergreen shrub of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) is commonly known as manaca. Its leaves are elliptical to obovate. The blooms are blue at first and fade to white gradually, giving the plant two colors of flowers at the same time. The flowers send out a faint fragrance at night. The plant’s roots, bark, stems and leaves are poisonous. It prefers warm weather and is suitable for ornamental planting in gardens, large containers, or as a hedge.

4.        Plumeria rubra (NT$17.00)

This small deciduous tree of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) is commonly known as frangipani. The plant has thick branches and possesses a toxic milky sap. Its leaves are broad lanceolate to long elliptical. Its fragrant flowers, creamy white with a yellow center, have five oval-shaped petals, which have a propeller-like arrangement. This sun lover has a long flowering season, making it a great garden specimen.

 http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/W_stamphouse/index_en.jsp?ID=2807&file_name=A129IV

 http://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/444238-Bauhinia_variegata-Flowers_IV-China_Republic_Taiwan

 Com.318 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo Commemorative Issue

The 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo, was held from November 6, 2010 to April 25, 2011. 

The 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo is the first international horticultural exposition ever held in Taiwan recognized by the International Association of Horticultural Producers. To mark this grand occasion, Chunghwa Post has released two souvenir sheets.

The expo’s logo is an orchid blossom made up of five human figures. Each of the five figures represents a separate continent and has a different color—red, orange, blue, green or purple. Inspired by the seasons of nature, the mascots of the expo are fairies representing five flowers: the lily, the sun flower, the moth orchid, the hydrangea, and the tulip. One of the souvenir sheets comprises nine NT$5 stamps, each depicting a species of orchid, for a total value of NT$45. The other souvenir sheet comprises ten NT$5 stamps, for a total value of NT$50. Each of the mascots is represented by two stamps. The logo of the expo can be found in each stamp and in marginal inscriptions of both sheets.

A stamp folio – “Blooming Flowers Stamp Folio” and two framed-shaped holders with one souvenir sheet separately – “Blooming Orchids” and “Dancing Flowers” will be released at the same time. In addition to two souvenir sheets, the stamp folio contains one sheet of stickers with floral design as a compliment.

http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/W_stamphouse/index_en.jsp?ID=2807&file_name=B318&stamp_cat_standard=Commemorative%20Stamps&type=2805