Cuba - Province Coat of Arms 1966

Prior to 1976, Cuba was divided into the following provinces (from west to east):
1 Pesos - Pinar del Río
2 Pesos - La Habana, contained the present day province of La Habana and included the city of Havana
3 Pesos -Matanzas
4 Pesos - Las Villas (before 1940, "Santa Clara"), contained the present day provinces of Cienfuegos, Villa Clara and Sancti Spíritus
5 Pesos - Camagüey (before 1899, "Puerto Príncipe"), contained the present day provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila
9 Pesos - Oriente (before 1905, "Santiago de Cuba"), contained the present day provinces of Las Tunas, Granma, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo

13 Pesos - National Arms

Now Cuba have 14 provinces & 1 special municipality.

Administratively, Cuba is divided into fourteen provinces and one special municipality not included in any province.
In August 2010 it was approved by the Cuban National Assembly, to split Havana province in two new provinces: Artemisa (which incorporates the 3 eastern municipalities of the neighbour Pinar del Río) and Mayabeque.
The new provinces will start functioning from January 1st, 2011.
Havana city Province (Ciudad de La Habana) will them recover its original name: La Habana.
From west to east, Cuba's provinces are:

1. Pinar del Río
2. La Habana (to be replaced starting from January 1st, 2011 by Artemisa and Mayabeque)
3. Ciudad de La Habana (to be renamed to La Habana)
4. Matanzas
5. Cienfuegos
6. Villa Clara
7. Sancti Spíritus
8. Ciego de Ávila
9. Camagüey
10. Las Tunas
11. Granma
12. Holguín
13. Santiago de Cuba
14. Guantánamo

Cuba's "special municipality" is the Isla de la Juventud ("Island of Youth"), known until the 1970s as the Isla de Pinos ("Isle of Pines") and previously as "Evangelista", "Isle of Santiago" and "Isle of Parrots".

Mauritius - City Coat of Arms 1981

0.25 Rupee - Beau-Bassin/ Rose Hill
Rose Hill is the third largest town in Mauritius, and is capital of the Lower Plaines Wilhems. It is a major commercial centre, second only to the capital Port Louis.
Rose Hill came into being at the end of the 18th century when malaria was spreading in Port-Louis. People moved to the higher plains, where the cooler climate kept most mosquitoes away. Rose Hill and Beau Bassin became widely populated during this time.
Today, Beau Bassin/Rose Hill is a busy town in Mauritius. It is by far the largest residential town in Mauritius inhabited by all ethnic groups. Rose Hill consists of a main town which looks like a 'downtown' with different facilities such as shops, libraries, a bus station, banks, and a post office. The main sites of interest are the Plaza (the town hall, which serves as theater and marriage hall), Balfour Gardens and the Cascadelle View Point.

Beau Bassin has one of the better climates in Mauritius, with the cool winds from Moka and the sunny sky of the west, makes it a good or maybe the best town to live in. Not as hot as Port Louis and not as humid as Curepipe, Beau Bassin is the mildest. One of the reasons why fruits and flowers are abundant. As its name implicates, "Beau", French for beautiful and "Bassin" for some sort hollowness or valley.
1.50 Rupee - Curepipe
Curepipe is a town (population 81,600 in 2003) centrally situated in Mauritius, an island country in the southwest Indian Ocean. It is second in size and importance to Port Louis, the capital. The name originates from the practice of settlers coming to the town to refill, or "cure" their pipes. Curepipe is also referred to as "La Ville Lumière" (in English "The Town of Light") since it was the first town in the island to run on electricity.

2.00 Rupee - Quatre-Bornes
Quatre Bornes (which means Four boundary stones in French) is a town in Mauritius, located in the Upper Plaines Wilhems District. The town has a population of 75,967. It is located about 10 miles to the south of Port Louis, in the centre-west part of the island

2.50 Rupee - Vacoas/ Phoenix
Vacoas-Phoenix is one of the five main towns in Mauritius and the largest town of the country. Vacoas-Phoenix is composed of two main towns, Vacoas and Phoenix.

5.00 Rupee - Port Louis
Port Louis (pronounced in French as IPA: [pɔʁlwi]) is the capital of Mauritius. It is the largest city of the country and main port, which borders the Indian Ocean. It is located in the Port Louis District.
Port Louis was already in use as a harbor in 1638. In 1735, under French government, it became the administrative center of Mauritius and a major reprovisioning halt for French ships travelling around the Cape of Good Hope. The Port is named in honour of King Louis XV. The first Governor was Count Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais.

Bahrain - Bahraini Ardha 2008

Country/ Post: Bahrain
Date of Issue: 16 December 2008
Primary theme: Mankind (Clothes & costumes)
Subject: Bahraini Ardha
Width: 45.0 mm
Height: 35.0 mm
Denomination: 0.10 BHD (100 Fils)
Number in set: 11 (show set)
Layout/Format: miniature sheet of 8 of 8 designs
Perforations: 14 by 14
Stamp issuing authority: State of Bahrain Ministry of Transportation Postal Directorate
Printer: Oriental Press State of Bahrain


Country/ Post: Bahrain
Date of Issue: 16 December 2008
Primary theme: Mankind (Clothes & costumes)
Subject: Bahraini Ardha
Width: 54.0 mm
Height: 40.0 mm
Denomination: 0.20 BHD (200 Fils)
Number in set: 11 (show set)
Layout/Format: miniature sheet of 3 of 3 designs
Perforations: 14 by 14
Stamp issuing authority: State of Bahrain Ministry of Transportation Postal Directorate
Printer: Oriental Press State of Bahrain

Bahrain will today issue a set of 11 commemorative stamps to mark National and Accession days.
The special edition stamps, which feature Bahrain's traditional Ardha in a new multi-faceted issue, bear the portraits of His Majesty King Hamad as well as the late HH Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
The collection is issued by Bahrain Post and will be available in denominations of 100 and 200 fils.

El Salvador - Coat of Arms 2009

14 Departments/ Provinces (departamentos, singular - departamento);

Dolares 0.10 - Torogoz (National Bird)
Dolares 0.10 - Ahuachapan
Dolares 0.10 - Santa Ana
Dolares 0.10 - Sonsonate
Dolares 0.10 - La Libertad
Dolares 0.10 - Chalatenango
Dolares 0.10 - San Salvador
Dolares 0.10 - Cuscatlan

Dolares 0.10 - Izote (National Flora)
Dolares 0.10 - La Paz
Dolares 0.10 - Cabanas
Dolares 0.10 - San Vicente
Dolares 0.10 - Usulutan
Dolares 0.10 - San Miguel
Dolares 0.10 - Morazan
Dolares 0.10 - La Union

France - Coat of Arms 1941

0.20 Francs + 0.30 Francs - Nancy
0.40 Francs + 0.60 Francs - Lille
0.50 Francs + 0.70 Francs - Rouen
0.70 Francs + 0.80 Francs - Bordeaux
0.80 Francs + 1.00 Francs - Toulouse
1.00 Francs + 1.00 Francs - Clermont-Ferrand
1.50 Francs + 2.00 Francs - Marseille
2.00 Francs + 2.00 Francs - Lyon
2.50 Francs + 3.00 Francs - Rennes
3.00 Francs + 5.00 Francs - Reims
5.00 Francs + 6.00 Francs - Montpellier
10.00 Francs + 10.00 Francs - Paris

France - Coat of Arms 1942

0.50 Francs + 0.60 Francs - Chambery
0.60 Francs + 0.70 Francs - La Rochelle
0.80 Francs + 1.00 Francs - Poitiers
1.00 Francs + 1.30 Francs - Orleans
1.20 Francs + 1.50 Francs - Grenoble
1.50 Francs + 1.80 Francs - Angers
2.00 Francs + 2.30 Francs - Dijon
2.40 Francs + 2.80 Francs - Limoges
3.00 Francs + 3.50 Francs - Le Harve
4.00 Francs + 5.00 Francs - Nantes
4.50 Francs + 6.00 Francs - Nice
5.00 Francs + 7.00 Francs - Saint-Etienne

Australia - Uniform Military 1985

0.33 Dollar Australia - Royal Victorian Volunteer Artillery
0.33 Dollar Australia - Western Australian Pinjarrah Cavalry
0.33 Dollar Australia - New South Wales Lancers
0.33 Dollar Australia - New South Wales Contingent to the Sudan
0.33 Dollar Australia - Victorian Mounted Rifles

Canada - Royal Military School 1976

Belgium - City Coat of Arms 1940

0.10 Belgian Francs + 0.05 Belgian Francs - Mons-Bergen
0.30 Belgian Francs + 0.05 Belgian Francs - Gent-Gand
0.40 Belgian Francs + 0.10 Belgian Francs - Arel-Arlon
0.50 Belgian Francs + 0.10 Belgian Francs - Brugge-Bruges
0.75 Belgian Francs + 0.15 Belgian Francs - Namur-Namen
1.00 Belgian Francs + 0.25 Belgian Francs - Hasselt
1.75 Belgian Francs + 0.50 Belgian Francs - Brussel-Bruxelles
2.50 Belgian Francs + 2.50 Belgian Francs - Antwerpen-Anvers
5.00 Belgian Francs + 5.00 Belgian Francs - Liege-Luik

Belgium - Coat of Arms 1946

0.65 Belgian Francs + 0.35 Belgian Francs - Mechelen
0.90 Belgian Francs + 0.60 Belgian Francs - Dirant
1.35 Belgian Francs + 1.15 Belgian Francs - Oostende
3.15 Belgian Francs + 1.85 Belgian Francs - Verviers
4.50 Belgian Francs + 45.50 Belgian Francs - Leuver

Belgium - Coat of Arms 1947

0.20 Belgian Francs + 0.20 Belgian Francs - Bouillon
0.65 Belgian Francs + 0.35 Belgian Francs - Nivelles
0.90 Belgian Francs + 0.60 Belgian Francs - Sint Truiden
1.35 Belgian Francs + 1.15 Belgian Francs - Charleroi
3.15 Belgian Francs + 1.85 Belgian Francs - Sint Niklaas

Sweden - Coat of Arms 1981

1.40 Kronor - Östergötland (Ostro Gothia)
1.40 Kronor - Jämtland
1.40 Kronor - Dalarna
1.40 Kronor - Bohuslän

Coat of Arms of Swedish Provinces:
The coat of arms of the Swedish provinces are very old. Most of them were first used in 1560 in the funeral procession of King Gustav Vasa from Stockholm to Uppsala. They have remained more or less unchanged. More than half of the 24 provinces feature animals. There are two types: heraldic such as lion, eagle, griffin, and dragon, or animals common to the country such as elk, reindeer or deer. There is one interesting difference between the north and the south: there are no heraldic animals in the coat of arms of the north, but plenty in the south. Other motifs are utility objects like arrows and tools. A third group is inspired by the flora topography, e.g. an oak or a river.
The stamp motifs come from the provinces of Bohuslän, Dalecarlia, Jämtland, and Östergötland.

Design: Jan Magnusson
Printed: Harrison & Sons Ltd, Great Britain

Sweden - Coat of Arms 1982

1.40 Kronor - Dalsland
1.40 Kronor - Oland
1.40 Kronor - Vastmanland
1.40 Kronor - Halsingland

Coat of Arms of Swedish Provinces:
Dalsland features a bull to symbolize the extensive cattle breeding, which used to be the main source of income of the province. For a long time the coat of arms had an ox with a peacefully hanging tall. Now it has a heraldic bull with its tall turned up.
Halsingland also features an animal that is significant for the province, a he-goat. The real home of the goat in Sweden has traditionally been Halsingland where the countryside is well suited for this hardy domestic animal, which has been in the coat of arms ever since 1560.
Vastmanland features three connected arches with the middle one higher than the other two. A burning mountain used to signify a mine on old maps and the symbol is considered to be connected with the Sala silver mine, the richest of Swedish natural resources in the 16th century and a firm base for the finances of the nation.
Oland - like Dalsland and Halsingland - also features an animal chracteristic of th eprovince at the time when the coat of arms appeared in 1560. When Erik XIV was the Duke of Oland and Smaland he introduced deer for the royal hunts. There has been a variant of the coat of arms with two deer, one on top of the other. The necklace on the deer shows that the animals was introduced by man.

Design: Jan Mangunsson
Printed: Harrison & Sons Ltd, Great Britain

Sweden - Coat of Arms 1983

1.60 Kronor - Västergötland
1.60 Kronor - Medelpad
1.60 Kronor - Gotland
1.60 Kronor - Gästrikland

Coat of Arms of Swedish Provinces:
The four coats of arms this year have been selected with regard to the geographical spread of the provinces and the colours in the coats of arms, so that stamps with the same background colour are not placed beside each other.
Gotland features a ram carrying a banner on a rod with a cross. This picture can be derived from a 13th century seal. It is a variant of the motif in Christian art with Jesus depicted as Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God).
Gästrikland, like Jämtland, has an elk in its coat of arms and has had ever since the beginning in 1560. The coat of arms is spangled with a diffuse number of balls. They have no direct symbolic meaning, but are there for decorative reasons.
Medelpad has a coat of arms representing the two big waterways in the province, the twin rivers Ljungan and Indalsälven.
Västergötland has a lion in its coat of arms , the foremost of quadropeds in heraldry.

Design: Jan Magnusson
Printed by photogravure in Great Britain

Sweden - Coat of Arms 1985

1.80 Kronor - Närke
1.80 Kronor - Ångermanland
1.80 Kronor - Värmland
1.80 Kronor - Småland

Coat of Arms of Swedish Provinces:
Närke, like Dalarna, has crossed arrows in its coat of arms. The Närke arrowheads are triangular and broader. The roses have no symbolic significance.
Småland's coat of arms shows a lion rampant holding a crossbow. From the beginning (1560) the coat of arms only featured a Småland type of crossbow, set diagonally.
Värmland features an eagle in its coat of arms with its wings spread out in the heraldic fashion. The eagle - like the lion - is one of the oldest and noblest of heraldic animals. From the beginning the coat of arms of this province featured a beaver or a wolverine.
Ångermanland's coat of arms illustrates salmon fishing, which used to be an important industry in this provinces. Note that the salmon in the middle is turned the other way for aesthetic reasons.

Design: Jan Magnusson
Printed: Harrison & Sons Ltd in Great Britain.

Sweden - Coat of Arms 1984

1.60 Kronor - Södermanland
1.60 Kronor - Blekinge
1.60 Kronor - Västerbotten
1.60 Kronor - Skåne

Coat of Arms of Swedish Provinces:
Södermanland has a coat of arms with a griffin. In heraldics the griffin is a mythological creature, a composite of a lion and an eagle. This griffin can be derived from the name of the nobleman Bo Jonsson Grip (= griffin).
Blekinge has a coat of arms with an oak and the three crowns of the national coat of arms around the trunk. The oak is characteristic of the landscape and the crowns symbolize that the province became Swedish in 1658.
The Västerbotten reindeer seemed the best heraldic creature for this region when the coat of arms was designed in 1560. In those days the Lapp region also covered the vast province of Västerbotten.
Scania has the crowned head of a griffin in its coat of arms. The Scanian connection is explained by King Erik of Pomerania in 1437 giving the town of Malmö his personal coat of arms featuring the head of a griffin. When Scania became Swedish in 1658 the province took over the Malmö coat of arms.

Design: Jan Magnusson
Printed: Harrison & Sons Ltd, Great Britain

Sweden - Coat of Arms 1986

1.90 Kronor - Härjedalen
1.90 Kronor - Uppland
1.90 Kronor - Halland
1.90 Kronor - Lappland

Coat of Arms of Swedish Provinces:
Hallands county's coat of arms is considered to stem from the Middle Ages and already existed when the county became Swedish in 1658. The lion has an extremely ancient heraldic history and is still common on the Continent.
Härjedalen county acquired its coat of arms fairly late - not until 1884. The design, tools that were used for turning bog iron and forging iron products, can be traced back to a 17th century seal.
The "savage" in Lapland's coat of arms is an heraldic mythological figure related to the ancient legendary hero Hercules with his club, the god of strength. During the Renaissance in particular, the savage came to symbolize something exotic and legendary, which fitted in well with the still unexplored county.
Uppland county was the principal province in the land of Swedes. As a symbol of the central role it played in the history of Sweden, the county coat of arms includes an orb, one of the five regalia.

Design: Jan Magnusson
Printed: Harrison & Sons Ltd in Great Britain