"HONG KONG 2009 - 23rd Asian International Stamp Exhibition"
The HONG KONG 2009 - 23rd Asian International Stamp Exhibition (HONG KONG 2009) is being held from 14 to 17 May 2009 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The theme of HONG KONG 2009 is "Youth Philately". "HONG KONG 2009" has the patronage of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (F.I.A.P.) as the 23rd Asian International Stamp Exhibition. It is organized by the Hong Kong Philatelic Society and Hongkong Post as the main sponsor. "HONG KONG 2009" aims to keep alive the interest in philately generated from the past stamp exhibitions and promote stamp collecting as a healthy and educational hobby. It is also an excellent opportunity for participants to broaden their knowledge on stamp collection. Mr.Dhanjanay Desai of Ahmedabad is the National Commissioner from India and Mr. Sunder Bahirwani of Hyderabad is the member of Jury from India. 22 entries have been sent from India in different classes.
Daily theme will be set for each day of the Exhibition period as below:
14 May 2009 (Thursday) - Youth Day
15 May 2009 (Friday) - Friendship Day
16 May 2009 (Saturday) - Collector Day
17 May 2009 (Sunday) - Family Day
15 May 2009 (Friday) - Friendship Day
16 May 2009 (Saturday) - Collector Day
17 May 2009 (Sunday) - Family Day
To mark the opening of the stamp exhibition, a stamp sheet-let was issued on May 14. The sheet-let takes the tangram, a puzzle game comprising seven pieces, as its subject. A special printing effect is applied to the stamp and the enclosed screener can be placed on the stamp, and when moved slightly, the hidden pattern and words will come out.
On May 16, Hongkong Post will issue a set of Hong Kong Museums Collection special stamps. This set of stamps, presenting six selected exhibits from the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, and the University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong, allows people to have a glimpse of the Chinese calligraphy and paintings of celebrated Chinese artists.
Czech dead letter offices
Covers passed through Dead Letter Offices (DLOs) represent a fascinating collecting topic where each item is a unique piece with own history and usually with both sides full of cancels, markings, postage stamps andseals. DLOs process letter mail that is undeliverable to the addressee and cannot be returned to the sender. Such mail is officially opened and returned if a valid address is found. DLOs were established at postaldirectorates and existed already in the 19th century in Praha (Prague) and Brno. During the 20th century their number increased to 8 in 1949 when most of them were closed and only the original two DLOs remained. Since1952 only one DLO existed; it was in Praha, since 1966 in Trnava and since 1993 in Brno. The usual Czech term for DLO is "postovni ulozna", sometimes used in the form "postovni ohlasovna a ulozna" (Dead letter and parceloffice). No fees were associated with processing of mail by the DLO but since 1937 the return postage was charged. DLOs used paper seals for closing opened covers and a large variety of manipulation, "fee to collect" and other auxiliary handstamps to mark necessary data on the covers. The DLOs also used line handstamps, date stamps and official stamps intended for internal use that can be sometimes also found on processed mail.
The following exhibit ; presents a specialized documentation of Czech dead letter offices from 1901 (when the usage of paper seals for closing mail begun) to 1966.
From a Stamp Lover ......
STAMPS OFFER A MESSAGE
BY N.KALYANI
Postal mail is passé now, or so everyone seems to be making out the situation to be. But it is strange yet true that my interest in philately started after e-mail became so popular. It’s strange but life throws up such surprises.Just how was my interest piqued? I am interested in issues related to the environment and wildlife and write on such topics. And it was a matter of coincidence that I saw a reflection of some of these aspects in stamps. For instance, I wrote about a wonderfully shot award-winning film by wildlife filmmaker Naresh Bedi on the elusive, cute and furry red panda, an endangered species found in the misty mountainous terrains of eastern India. Subsequently, I learnt that as early as 1963, a stamp on the red panda had been issued by India.
Similarly, India post has released stamps on the occasion of World Environment Day (5th June), World Forestry Day, Water Year, and on various issues of environment conservation such as energy conservation and rainwater harvesting, to name a few. Stamps are also brought out on endangered bird and animal species, wildlife protection, and national parks and sanctuaries. A couple of years back, I also had the opportunity of viewing a philatelic exhibition titled Explore Nature at the National Philatelic Museum in Delhi’s Dak Bhawan on Parliament Street. It threw open a vista of stamps and philatelic material on nature, environment and flora and fauna. All this sparked my interest in philately. For an issue like conservation and environment protection could be conveyed even through a little piece of paper! And for its reach even to the remotest and otherwise most inaccessible areas, postal stamps could be a great way to communicate a vital message!
Philately is both the study and collecting of stamps. And that is what makes it entertaining as also informative and educative. Even as I began taking interest in stamps on the theme of environment and nature, I began to see the magic in the world of philately in general. The variety in stamps from around the world starting with the 1840 penny black stamp, the world’s first stamp issued by UK is a matter of great fascination. Stamps are issued in various shapes and sizes: square, rectangle, rhombus, circle, hexagon and triangular shapes. Any unique feature makes a stamp special. For instance, UAE released real pearl souvenir stamp sheets. Likewise, it is fascinating to note that Austria has come out with a soccer ball material stamp and the cork stamp has been issued by Portugal. Stamps have been brought out in pleasant and lip-smacking flavours too. Yes, for Switzerland’s Swiss chocolate stamp offers you the flavour of their famous confectionery. And India has brought out stamps with the fragrance of sandalwood, rose and jasmine.
Errors in stamps make for their rarity and therefore high value- as, for instance, the inverted head of the queen on an Indian stamp of 1854. Similarly, India’s 1994 set of bird stamps used water soluble ink and were therefore withdrawn. This made the stamps rare.As regards themes, there is an unlimited variety. Portraying as they do a country’s history, geography, politics, culture, heritage, art, architecture, science, sports and flora and fauna, stamps are considered ‘the windows of a nation’.
A philatelic collection includes stamps and other postal stationery such as first day covers (FDCs), special cancellation covers, maximum cards that are special pictorial post cards, miniature sheets of stamps, folders of information, aerogrammes, inland letters et al. I began my collection by focusing on the theme of wildlife stamps released by India. Collecting stamps of one’s own country is a good starting point because they are cheap and easily available. Of course, I also collect all kinds of newly released mint stamps of India. At the Dak Bhawan, I also opened an account so the newly released stamps would be home-delivered to me.
Then there are stamp dealers from whom stamps and other philatelic material can be purchased, though at a premium, priced according to the rarity of the item. Another collectible is an FDC autographed by the stamp designer. As for instance I got the FDC, with the recent stamp on Ustad Bismillah Khan, autographed by the designer of the stamp, Chitta Ranjan Pakrashi, the octogenarian stamp designer who has more than 50 stamps to his credit.
I also get to receiving stamps as gifts from those who know my new interest. For instance, I received for a present the set of four WWF stamps released by India in 1999 featuring the highly endangered Asiatic lion from S L Bansal, a well-known philatelist who indulges in wildlife stamps and maximaphily. And my sister picked up a special stamp booklet of Christmas stamps of Australia in 2007 brought out for 50 years of the country’s Christmas stamp releases.Even as a small-time collector I find myself hooked on to philately.
The author may be contacted - N.Kalyani
Published in weekly magazine, "Sahara Time" (9 - 16 May 2009 Issue)
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