IT'S NOT JUST A HOBBY


Friday, October 23, 2009

Sweden - Svenskt Mode 2007


Technical Details:
Country / Post : Sweden
Date of Issue: 29 September 2007
Primary theme: Mankind (Clothes & costumes)
Subject: Swedish Fashion (Svenskt Mode)
Width: 27.0 mm
Height: 48.0 mm
Denomination: 5.50 SEK
Number in set: 8
Layout/Format: booklet of 8 of 8 designs
Perforations: 12.5 by 12.5
Stamp issuing authority: Posten Sverige AB
Printer: Sweden Post Stamps
Gravyrer: Lars Sjooblom and Martin Morck
Haftesomslag: Illustration Stina Wirsen, grafisk from Norbert Tamas

5.50 SEK - By Lars Wallin
5.50 SEK - By Ann-Sofie Back
5.50 SEK - By Katja of Sweden
5.50 SEK - By Behnaz Aram
5.50 SEK - By Gunilla Ponten
5.50 SEK - By Carin Rodebjer
5.50 SEK - By Rohdi Heintz
5.50 SEK - By Nakkna

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Gibraltar - Fashion Designs by John Galliano 1997


John Galliano is a Gibraltarian fashion designer who has been heading the worldwide know fashion label Dior for years. John Galliano himself produced the sketches and artworks depicted on the stamps.

Issue on 24 October 1997 by Gibraltar Post - Fashion Designs by John Galliano
30p Fashion Design
35p Fashion Design
50p Fashion Design
62p Fashion Design
£1.20 Fashion Design (SS)

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Montserrat - Military Uniforms 1978


Military Uniforms 1978
1.50 East Caribbean Dollar - Officer, 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot, 1784
0.30 Cent ECD - Private, 21st (Royal North British Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot, 1796
0.40 Cent ECD - Corporal, 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot, 1881
0.55 Cent ECD - Sergeant, 14th (Buckinghamshire) Regiment of Foot, 1837

Montserrat - Military Uniforms 1979


Military Uniforms 1979
0.30 Cent ECD - Private, 60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot, 1783
0.40 Cent ECD - Private, 1st West India Regiment, 1819
0.55 Cent ECD - Officer, 5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot, 1819
2.50 East Caribbean Dollar - Officer, 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, 1830

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

New Zealand - Military Uniforms 2003


Technical Detail:
Date of Issue: 02 April 2003
Designers: Ross Jones, Watermark, Wellington, New Zealand
Printer: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand
Stamp Size: 30mm x 40mm
Denomination: 40 Cents

Sheet Size: 20
Process: Lithograph
Perforation Gauge: 14
Paper Type: De la Rue103gsm red phosphor coated litho stamp paper

For more than 140 years, New Zealand's armed services have played a vital role in defending and protecting both our own and others' shores.

And just as history has meant a continually changing military landscape, so too our uniforms have evolved.

This stamp issue illustrates 20 of the uniforms worn by New Zealand's army, air force and navy personnel in combat and peacekeeping operations - and in countries ranging from South Africa to those of Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. The stamps also include distinctive uniform details as well as the service medals relevant for each period - a fascinating glimpse of the heroes of our nation.


4o Cents - Forest Rangers Officer 1860s
Insets: 'Pillbox' cap and a silver FR (Forest Rangers) cap badge.
Medal: New Zealand Medal 1860-66.

4o Cents - 'Lieutenant Commanding', Napier Naval Artillery Volunteer 1890s
This officer is also a member of the Royal Naval Reserve.
Insets: Royal Naval Reserve Cap and Officer's button,
Medal: New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal.

4o Cents - Amuri Mounted Rifles Officer, 2nd Regiment North Canterbury Mounted Rifles 1900-1910
Insets: Black cloth helmet puggaree, with a gold 2nd Regiment North Canterbury Mounted Rifles helmet plate, and a cross belt plate of the North Canterbury Mounted Rifles.
Medal: New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal.

4o Cents - Trooper 5th New Zealand South African Contingent 1899-1902
Insets: Brass NZMR (New Zealand Mounted Rifles) shoulder titles, and the silver plate with the Royal Cypher in the centre which was part of a horses bridle.
Medal: Queen's South Africa Medal.

4o Cents - Staff Officer of the NZ Division 1918
Insets: New Zealand Signal Corps (NZ Engineers) cap badge and a blue armlet with a silver fern worn by staff officers with Brigade HQ NZ Division.
Medal: Victory Medal.

4o Cents - Petty Officer 1914-18
Insets: Petty Officer rank insignia, with chevrons that indicate 8 years good conduct (top). Torpedoman badge (bottom)
Medal: Victory Medal.

4o Cents - Rifleman of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (NZRB) 1916-18
Insets: Brass NZRB shoulder titles, and soldier with the rank of corporal manning a trench.
Medal: Victory Medal.

4o Cents - New Zealand Engineers (NZE) Sergeant, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) 1939-45
Insets: NZE grenade collar badge, and 2 NZEF brass 'Onward' cap badge
Medal: New Zealand War Service Medal.

4o Cents - Matron Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Hospital, 1940s
Insets: Lieutenant Commander rank straps, with red tips to indicate the wearer is a member of the medical branch.
Unofficial hand embroidered anchor, from front corners of cape, to indicate naval association.
Medal: New Zealand War Service Medal.

4o Cents - New Zealand Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) 1942
Inset: Green and black embroidered "Onward: badge, and a NZFC (New Zealand Forces Club, Cairo)
Medal: New Zealand War Service Medal.

4o Cents - RNZAF Bomber Pilot attached to Bomber Command (Royal Air Force), 1943
Insets: Escape compass (concealed in a button), RNZAF Pilot's badge
Medal: New Zealand War Service Medal.

4o Cents - Fighter Pilot, No 1 (Islands) Group RNZAF, Command Air South Pacific (COMAIRSOPAC) 1943
Insets: RNZAF Tropical Flying Helmet with oxygen mask, 14 Squadron badge
Medal: New Zealand War Service Medal.

4o Cents - Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) Driver, New Zealand, 1943
Insets: WAAF Beret, Hat badge
Medal: New Zealand War Service Medal.

4o Cents - Gunner 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA), Korea 1950-53
Inset: RNZA brass cap badge, and a New Zealand Commonwealth arm brassard.
Medal: Korea Medal.

4o Cents - Acting Petty Officer, HMNZS Tamaki 1957
Insets: Trousers creased in particular fashion to facilitate easy stowage in a kit ocker. Standard Navy cap.
Medal: Korea Medal.

4o Cents - New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) scouts Malaya 1955-57
Inset: Jungle green hat
Medal: General Service Medal 1918-1962 with clasp "Malaya"

4o Cents - RNZAF Canberra Pilot in the Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force), Malayan Emergency 1960
Insets: 75 Squadron badge, Protective Helmet with oxygen mask
Medal: General Service Medal 1918 - 1962 with clasp "Malaya"

4o Cents - Infantryman, Victor Company, 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, South Vietnam 1960s
Inset: Jungle green hat
Medal: Vietnam Medal.

4o Cents - Infantryman, New Zealand Battalion, United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) 2000
Inset: UN shoulder brassard, and UN base ball cap
Medal: New Zealand East Timor Medal.

4o Cents - New Zealand member of Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) Bougainville, 2001
Inset: PMG white dove badge, and yellow sun hat.
Medal: New Zealand General Service Medal (Peacekeeping Operations)

On the reverse of each stamp is a brief description of the uniform and the medal depicted. This is only the third occasion that New Zealand Post has produced this special feature in recent times.


Monday, October 12, 2009

Malta - Uniform Military 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991

Malta - Uniform Military 1991


Maltese Uniforms Military (Fifth Issue)
Date issue: 13 August 1991
Designer: Luciano Micallef

3 Cents - Royal Militia Fencibles 1860
10 Cents - Royal Malta Regiment of Militia 1903
19 Cents - King's Own Malta Regiment 1968
25 Cents - Armed Forces of Malta 1991

Malta - Uniform Military 1990


Maltese Uniform Military (Fourth Issue)
Date Issue: 25 August 1990
Designer: Luciano Micallef

3 Cents - Captain - Royal Malta Militia 1889
4 Cents - Field Officer - Royal Malta Artillery 1905
10 Cents - Labourer - Malta Labour Corps 1915
25 Cents - Lieutenant - King's Own Malta Regiment of Militia 1918

Malta - Uniform Military 1989


Maltese Uniforms Military (Third Issue)
Issue date: 24 June 1989
Designer: Luciano Micallef

3 Cents - Officer - Maltese Veterans 1815
4 Cents - Subaltern - Royal Malta Fencibles 1839
10 Cents - Private - Malta Militia 1856
25 Cents - Colonel - Royal Malta Fencible Artillery 1875

Malta - Uniform Military 1988


Maltese Uniforms Military (Second Issue)
Issue date: 23 July 1988
Designer: Luciano Micallef

3 Cents - Private - Maltese Light Infantry 1800
4 Cents - Gunner - Malta Coast Artillery 1802
10 Cents - Field Officer - First Maltese Provincial Battalion 1805
25 Cents - Subaltern - Royal Malta Regiment 1809

Malta - Uniform Military 1987


Maltese Uniforms Military (First Issue)
Issue date: 10 June 1987
Designer: Luciano Micallef

3 Cents - Suldat - Seklu XVI
7 Cents - Kmandant - Seklu XVI
10 Cents - Gonfalonier - Seklu XVIII
27 Cents - General Tal-Galeri - Seklu XVIII

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Romania - Stamp Exhibition Philatelia 1987 in Koln (Cologne), Coat of Arms


Stamp Exhibition Philatelia 1987 in Koln (Cologne)
Issue date: 19 October 1987
Perforation: 13 1/4
Issued: 60,000 Blocks

3.00 Lei - Bucharest (Coat of Arms)
3.00 Lei - Cologne (Coat of Arms)

Romania - New Year Traditions 1986


New Year Traditions:
Issue date: 26 December 1986
Perforation 13 1/4
Designer: Manescu Mihai

50 Bani - Capra (Issued: 1,800,000)
1.00 Lei - Sorcova (Issued: 1,500,000)
2.00 Lei - Plugusorul (Issued: 1,000,000)
3.00 Lei - Buhaiul (Issued: 800,000) Flaws: black dot over u in buhaiul (r1, c3)
4.00 Lei - Caiutii (Issued: 500,000)
5.00 Lei - Uratorii (Issued: 200,000)

Romanian Winter Season Traditions:
In Romania, the winter holiday season is truly in full-swing from December 24 to January 7. Highlights include: Christmas Day, New Year and Ephiphany, with their respective eves. The most important feature of these celebrations is their unique variety of colorful Romanian customs, traditions, and believes, of artistic, musical, and other folklore events, which make the winter holidays some of the most original and spectacular spiritual manifestations of the Romanian people.

The Goat Tradition - Capra
Throughout the season, teenagers and young adults especially enjoy caroling with the "Goat". The "Goat" is actually a usually boisterous young person dressed up in a goat costume. The whole group dances through the streets and from door to doo, often with the flute music. This tradition comes from the ancient Roman people and it reminds us of the celebration of the ancient Greek gods.
This costumes is also called "brezaia" in Wallachia and Oltenia, because of the multicolored apperance of the goat mask. The goat jumps, jerks, turn around, and bends, clattering regularly the wooden jaws.

Sorcova
"Sorcova" is a special bouquet used for New Year's wishes early New Year 's morning. Children wish people a "Happy New Year!" while touching them lightly with the bouquet. After they have wished a Happy New Year to the members of their family, the childrengo to neighbours and relatives. Traditionally, the "Sorcova" bouquet was made up of one of several fruit - tree twigs (apple-tree, pear-tree, cherry-tree, plum-tree); all of them are put into water, in warm place, on November 30th (St.Andrew's Day), in order to bud and to blossom on New Year's Eve.

Sorcova, vesela,
Sa traiti, sa-mbatraniti,
Ca un mar, ca un par,
Ca un fir de trandafir,

Tare ca piatra,
Iute ca sageata,
Tare ca fierul,
Iute ca otelul,

Peste vara, primavara,
Nici capul sa nu te doara,
La anu' si la multi ani !


Nowadays people often use an apple-tree or peer-tree twig decorated with flowers made up of colored paper. The children receive all kinds of treats such as: cakes, honeycombs, biscuits, pretzels, candies, nuts, money.


The Little Plough - Plugusorul
Plugusorul is a small plough. In Romanian folklore is a traditional procession with a decorated plough, on New Years' Eve. This is a well wishing custom for the field fruitfulness into the new year. This custom arises from "Carmen Arvale", a Roman wish for bountiful crops.
The ploughmen are teenagers and children carrying whips, bells, and pipes in their hands.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Brunei Darusallam - Brunei Handwoven Material 1988

Norflok Island - 125th Anniversary of Pitcairn Migration to Norfolk Island 1981


125th Anniversary of Pitcairn Migration to Norfolk Island

Activities Associated With Anniversary Day on Norfolk Island to commemorate The Safe Arrival of The Pitcairners.
On the 8th June 1856, The Pitcainers landed on Norfolk Island, and each year since that date the descendants of the Pitcairn families have commemorated the safe arrival in traditional fashion.
The 8th June each year is set aside as a public holiday.
The day's festivities commence with a reenactment of the original landing.
A procession from the pier to the cenotaph and the graveyard for the laying of wreaths and the singing of hymns follows.
The families of the Pitcairn descendants then proceed to Government House for the judging of the most original dressed family.
The singing of grace precedes the commencement of the Anniversary Day Picnic.
After the Picnic Lunch the Annual Cricket match between 'The Bounty' team and the 'Allcomers' team is contested.
The festivities conclude at night with the Bounty Ball.