Mongolian 1978 Union of Mongolian Writers Commemorative

The 50th anniversary of the Union of Mongolian Writers commemorative stamp.

From the land of Genghis Khan comes this stamp from late 1978 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Union of Mongolian Writers.

Established in 1929, the UMW is Mongolia's oldest writer's association. According to their website, they have over 800 members as well as their own writers' publications, annual poetry and fiction readings, programs for visiting foreign authors, a writers' museum, and much, much more. Ever since their creation, the UMW has been a crucial organization for promoting Mongolian authors at home and abroad and for promoting foreign literature in Mongolia.

As for the stamp above, the artwork says it all! Through pen and paper (and in our own time, word processing programs and text editors) it's possible to bring back to life the world of Genghis Khan and transform our own modern-day world into writing.

A very meaningful stamp which commemorates not just the anniversary of the UMW, but writing and reading in general!

Two Mexican Stamps

Two Mexican stamps issued in 1977.

Here are two new stamps I added to my collection this week: a couple of Mexican stamps from 1977-78.

The stamp on the left is a special airmail issue from that year commemorating 40 years of Mexico's Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration. This board is Mexico's equivalent of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service government agencies in the US and Canada, who also intervene in labor disputes. This stamp was issued in a $1.60 peso denomination.

A side view of the airmail stamp.

The stamp on the right is a special anti-tuberculosis seal issued in Mexico during 1977. These stamps are issued yearly by Mexico's National Committee Against Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (C.N.LT., or Comité Nacional de Lucha contra la Tuberculosis Mexico). In 1977, the subject for the seals that year were cactii from around the world. The artwork on this particular stamp is of a sea urchin cactus and, like all other anti-tuberculosis issues, it features the Cross of Lorraine international anti-tuberculosis logo in the corner. This stamp was a 20 centavos issue and was issued on New Year's Day 1977.

Links:
-http://tbsealsmexico.org/english.htm (English homepage of the CNLT and of the Mexican anti-tuberculosis seals.)

1962 Romanian Cruiser Aurora and Lenin Commemorative

Romanian stamp commemorating 45 years of the uprising on the Russian cruiser "Aurora".

One of the most dramatic incidents in Russia's October Revolution was the uprising abroad the Navy cruiser Aurora. It was aboard this ship that, on October 17th, 1917, a number of the crew joined the Bolsheviks, led a mutiny, and took control of the ship. They then fired the shot that signalled the attack on the Winter Palace in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) and supposedly even joined the attacking Bolshevik forces! This attack was one of the last episodes of the Bolshevik Revolution.

Forty-five years later, the Romanian postal authorities issued a special commemorative honoring the uprising aboard the Aurora. The stamp features a super-imposed Lenin and a Soviet flag pointing upwards. In the background is the Aurora itself.

This stamp was a fitting tribute to the Aurora and the October Revolution in general by Poșta Română during the period of time when Romania was under Communist rule and an ally of the Soviet Union. 

Japanese National Sports Festival Commemoratives

Two stamps commemorating Japan's 13th National Sports Festival held in 1958.

During the 1950s and 60s, two 5-yen stamps were issued in Japan every year during the month of October. These two stamps commemorated the National Sports Festival, which is held throughout the year and reaches its conclusion in October.

The National Sports Festival - or the Kokutai (国体) games as they are often called - is one of Japan's biggest yearly sporting competitions. These games pit teams from each prefecture against each other in a variety of sports, such as basketball, weightlifting, water sports, hockey, and more. Each competition is seasonal. Winter games are played during the winter, summer games during the summer, and fall games during the fall. The fall games held in September-October are the most crucial and determine which cities win the Emperor and Empress Cups.

One of the 12th National Sports Festival commemoratives from 1957.

The two commemoratives were usually issued around the time when the fall games were reaching or had reached their conclusion. They typically depicted athletes or gymnasts at play and scenes which would have typically been seen at the games.

While the pairs from the 1950s were very memorable in their own right, some of the last stamps issued in the mid to late 1960s featured some very striking and colorful artwork and were printed using the rotogravure process.

A 17th games commemorative from 1962.

These stamps were an excellent way to pay tribute to the athletes who gave their all at the games that year, no matter whether they won or lost!

Links:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Sports_Festival_of_Japan (The National Sports Festival at Wikipedia.)

Polish 1966 Dinosaur Commemoratives

Two stamps from the Polish 1966 Dinosaur and Prehistoric Vertebrates series.

Today I'd like to share two early stamps from my collection that I acquired as a boy:

In 1966, Poczta Polska (Poland's postal service) issued one of the year's most vivid and collectable set of commemoratives: The Dinosauar and Prehistoric Vertebrate set! This set consists of nine commemoratives that were released on March 5th of that year and these stamps feature some amazing artwork of dinos and other "less-than-prehistoric" mammals that have left us, such as the wooly mammoth and the Machairodus, or the European sabre-toothed tiger.

These stamps were issued in denominations ranging from 20 groszy to 7.10 złotys.

For you dino lovers out there or collectors of dinosaur stamps, this commemorative set is a must-have for your own stamp collection (if you don't have it already)!

Hungarian 1964 Anniversaries and Events Commemoratives

Two stamps from the 1964 Hungarian "Anniversaries and Events" set honoring the National Forestry Service and the Aggtelek National Park. The Aggtelek stamp (right) features the stalactite formation known as "Sesak Szifon" found in one of the caves.

If you bought any type of international stamp packets in the late 20th century, chances are you have some of these stamps in your collection since they were (and still are?) very common. Chances are also good that you've been curious about the meanings of these stamps and have possibly been spent years or even decades trying to decipher them! If this is the case, look no further! In today's blog entry, we'll take a look at the meanings behind these stamps, and a little about the Hungarian-language inscriptions.

Throughout 1964, Magyar Posta (the Hungarian postal service) released a set of commemoratives commemorating birth and death anniversaries of various Hungarian and international figures, as well as national events that took place that year.

The people honored on these stamps include various noteworthy people from Hungarian history, such as the 100th anniversary of the death of Hungarian writer András Fáy. Also commemorated are the anniversaries of births of famous international figures such as Shakspeare, Karl Marx, and Galileo. In addition are two stamps dedicated to sporting figures. These stamps feature eponymous figures of a bowler and two runners. 

A stamp honoring the Albia Regia Days.

Also featured in this set are stamps commemorating events of national significance held in Hungary that year, such as the stamp (right) honoring the Alba Regia Days held in the Hungarian city of Székesfehérvár (also known as Alba Regia) and a stamp commemorating the Budapest Fair. Sporting events such as the 1964 Tennis Exhibition in Budapest and the 9th European Women's Basketball Championship were also commemorated in this series.

Celebrating 30 years of Hungary's aluminum industry.

Two other stamps in this set commemorated the 600th anniversary of the founding of the city of Cegléd and 30 years of Hungary's aluminm industry (right).

Like some of the other Hungarian commemoratives from the 1950s-60s, this set comes in a wide variety of shapes! Square, triangular, and diamond-shaped stamps are all used in this set.

Now about the inscriptions on the stamps. On the sides of all of the stamps are the words Évfordulók- események, which translate to "Anniversaries-Events" in English. The descriptions of the people and events vary depending on the person or event, as well as the stamp artwork. The stamps were issued in 60 fillér, 1, and 2 forint denominations and were issued through March-November 1964.

Stamps from the set commemorating the 100th anniversary of the deaths of Hungarian playright Imre Madach, Andras Fay, and  a stamp commemorating Hungarian revolutionary Ervin Szabo (1877-1918).

This is a fairly large set of commemoratives that covered a wide spectrum of people, places, and topics, and is definitely among the most recognizable of all Hungarian stamps!

For more about this set, be sure to have a look at the following site:

-http://colnect.com/en/stamps/list/page/1/country/6955-Hungary/series/55038-Anniversaries-Events/year/1964 (The 1964 Anniversaries and Events set in its entirety.)

1967 Bulgarian Nikola Kofardzhiev Stamp

A 1967 Bulgarian stamp dedicated to Nikola Kofardzhiev (1904-1931).

In 1967, Bulgaria Posts released a commemorative stamp dedicated to one of its "anti-fascist heroes": Nikola Kofardzhiev.

According to the 1986 edition of the Biographical Dictionary of the Comintern, Kofardzhiev was a Communist leader and revolutionary who lived in Bulgaria during the 1920s. He was a barber who was also a leader of the national young communist movement, as well as an early member of the Bulgarian Communist Party's Central Committee. He took part in the attempted 1923 Communist insurrection in Bulgaria which ultimately proved to be a failure. However, he didn't flee like many of his contemporaries and stayed in the country to organize and lead the Party. From 1928-1930, Kofardzhiev was also one of Bulgaria's representatives to the Comintern Executive Committee in Moscow under an alias. After returning home, he became head of the BCP's Party Secretary and found himself in opposition to a clique that had split the Party. In October 1931. Kofardzhiev was killed by Sofia police after returning from consultations in Moscow on how to deal with this split. Along with other young Communist leaders in Bulgaria, Kofardzhiev was gvien a bad rap in the history of the Party for "leftist deviation".

This stamp was issued in a 1 stotinka denomination and, according to Colnect.com, was part of an issue titled Anti-fascist Heroes.

Korea's King Sejong Stamps

A statue of King Sejong in Seoul's Yeouido Park.

One of Korea's national heroes is the Joseon-era King Sejong (1397-1450). Under the rule of King Sejong, many scientific advancements were made, legal and political reforms were enacted, the Japanese pirates that plagued Korea were neutralized, and the Manchu armies were kept at bay by Joseon military forces. Most importantly of all, King Sejong himself is credited with creating the Korean alphabet known as Hangul (한글). This system of 24 letters made the ordinary people of Korea literate and remains the default alphabet of Korea to this very day. In effect, King Sejong took many of the priviledges of the upper classes - in particular the ability to read and write - and handed them down to the rest of the country's population. He has remained a hero to the Korean people to this very day.

King Sejong also enjoys a special distinction that very few other monarchs worldwide can enjoy: He is one of five linguistic scholars worldwide to be depicted on national currency. His likeness has adorned the ₩10,000 won bill since 1962, making him one of Korea's most instantly recognizable historical figures.

It's no small wonder then that he has been the subject of a number of stamp issues in South Korea since the ROK was established after World War II! Since 1948, Korea Post has issued several different commemoratives of King Sejong and the Hangul alphabet.

A King Sejong stamp from 1956.

The first King Sejong definitive stamp was issued at the end of 1956. This stamp is a 40-won stamp that depicts a seated Sejong on the face. In July 1957, this stamp was printed in a shade of red rather than the original purple.

The King Sejong definitive of 1961-62.

Five years later, another definitive was issued commemorating King Sejong and his greatest achievement, the Hangul alphabet. This 3-won stamp features a close-up of King Sejong surrounded by all 24 Hangul letters. In 1966, this stamp was re-issued in red and had the official English name of South Korea - "Republic of Korea" - listed above the Korean name of Korean Post.

In 1993, Korea Post would issue another King Sejong stamp. This 710-won definitive was printed in full color and featured the famous painting of Sejong. Behind him is Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음), the document that listed the Hangul alphabet and explained its usage to the people. Another version of this stamp, a  red 910 won stamp, was issued a year later. Both of these stamps commemorated scientific achievements during the early years of the Joseon Dynasty and reflected the increase in postage rates that took effect in 1993.

In 2000, a King Sejong stamp similar to the ones above would be issued as part of the fifth issue of the Millineum Series issued by Korea Post commemorating important figures from Korean history and their achievements. However, this one also featured the section from Hunminjeongeum titled  "Pictorial Vowels Representing the Eight Divination Signs" interspersed with the rest of the artwork.

In 2008, a set of commemoratives were issued that pertain to King Sejong. However, these do not feature the king himself, but the South Korean station in Antarctica that was named after him! This set features artwork depicting the station and station personnel riding around on snowmobiles amid penguins and forbidding cliffs of ice. It was released in commemoration of the station's 20th anniversary.

King Sejong is one of Korea's greatest kings who not only changed Korean history forever, but also left his mark on Korean philatelic history!

(King Sejong statue image copyright: InSapphoWeTrust via Wikimedia Commons.)

1955 Brazilian Padre Bento Stamp

A Brazilian "Padre Bento" postage tax stamp circa 1955.

In my post about the Buda Castle commemorative, I discussed a mammoth stamp that you just might have in your collection. Now here's a stamp you may have in your collection that just might be one of the smallest!

In 1955, Correios Brasil (the Brazilian postal service) issued a series of postal tax stamps commemorating one of Brazil's national heroes: Father Bento Dias Pacheco, or "Padre Bento". Padre Bento was a priest who initially served the slaves in the Itu district around the city of São Paulo, but later on would dedicate his life to serving people suffering with Hansen's disease, or leprosy. He lived in a leper's colony at Finca de Piedade and helped the people there with their daily needs. He dressed and cleansed their wounds and helped those who could no longer see or walk. For forty-two years Padre Bento put the welfare of these people before his own and dedicated his every waking hour to them. He served the patients at Finca de Piedade until his dying day in 1911.

Father Bento Dias Pacheco. (Wikimedia Commons)

In Brazil, he is remembered as a hero and a role model. He is buried at the Igreja do Senhor do Horto e São Lázaro church in the Itu neighborhood named Padre Bento in his honor. For the past decade a campaign for the Vatican to beatify and canonize Padre Bento as a saint has been underway in Brazil, where he is remembered as a man who answered his calling and dared to go where other people feared to tread.

This stamp features a portrait of Padre Bento and the inscription Preservacao da crianca contra o mal de Hansen ("[Protecting] the [children] against the evil of Hansen's Disease). This series is a multi-colored set issued in 10 centavos denominations. In 1963, this series (Scott # RA10) was re-issued, but with the inscription Correios do Brasil in a different font.

This stamp may be small, but it tells the story of an amazing man who is not very well-known outside of Brazil!

Links:
-http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento_Dias_Pacheco (Entry in Portugese Wikipedia about Bento Dias Pacheco.)

1986 Hungarian Recapture of Buda Castle Stamp

The Hungarian stamp from 1986 depicting the recapture of Buda Castle.

I think anyone who is lucky enough to own this stanp will agree that this is one of the largest stamps, if not the largest, to grace the pages of their stamp album! However, it's a stamp that's not only humongous in size, but rich with Hungarian history and art.

This 4-forint stamp, which was issued by the Hungarian postal service in September 1986, commemorates the 300th anniversary of the recapture of Buda Castle from the Ottoman Turks by the Holy League in 1686. Featured on the stamp face is Hungarian artist Gyula Benczúr's (1844-1920) famous painting from 1896 titled Budavár visszavétele, or The Recapture of Buda Castle in 1686 in English.

This stamp was also significant in that a year later, UNESCO would designate Buda Castle a Budapest World Heritage Site.

This stamp definitely has a special place in the collection of anyone who collects Hungarian stamps!

1961 "Paraguay en Marcha" Stamps

The "Paraguay en Marcha" stamp series from 1961.

In 1961, the Parguayan postal service issued a set of stamps depicting technological and industrial progress across the nation at the time when Paraguay was ruled by Gen. Alfredo Stroessner and the Colorado Party. This issue, titled "Paraguay en Marcha" ("Progress in Paraguay"), featured a barge hauling logs and a radio tower. These stamps were issued in 90 céntimos as well as 1, 2, and 5 guaraní denominations.