Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Indonesia - Traditional Ceremonies 2011




Issued date: 24 Februuary 2011
Denomination: Indonesian Rupiah 1500
Theme: Traditional Ceremonies
Size: 41.60 x 25.31

Perforation: 12.75 x 13.50
Composition: 24 pieces (6x4) Tete-Beche
Colors: 4 Separations + Invisible Ink
Paper: Tullis Russel
Gum: PVA
Printing Process: Offset
Printing Quantity: 300,000 sets
Designer: Pidi Baiq
Printer: Perum Peruri

IDR 1500 - The Ritual of Grebeg Syawal of Yogyakarta.
Grebeg SYawal is held in Yogyakarta palace. The event is held to coincide 1 Syawal: The event itself is centered on the north square of Yogyakarta and move toward to the Mosque Gede of Yogyakarta Palace.
Lanang mountains (male moutains of crops) are made of vegetables and other crops escorted by the ten bregada (unitary force) soldiers taken to Mosque Gede of Ngayogyakarta palace.
The Lanang mountains (male mountains of crops) become seizure of society, this procession is preceeded with a prayer for the community welfare and safety by the headman of the Mosque Gede Kauman.
Within minutes, all the crops that is served in the lanang mountains grabs out of masses. In the same time in the ward Tratag of Yogayakarta Palace, Sungkeman Ngabekten ceremony is being held followed by the people of Yogyakarta. As for the palace courtiers and relatives, Sungkeman against the Sultan will be held the next day. This ceremony has become a tradition of Yogayakarta Palace.

IDR 1500 - The Ritual of Ngaben of Bali
Ngaben is cremation or cremation of Hindus in Bali. Ngaben is a ritual performed to send the bodies to the next life.
Bodies should be placed in his sleep, the body's corpse is placed in a coffin. The coffin is placed in the sarcophagus that resembles to an ox, or in container temple-shaped made of wood and paper. The sarcophagus that resembles to an ox or temple-shaped is taken to the cremation place through a procession.
The peak of Ngaben ceremony is the burning of the entire structure (Ox or monasteries made of wood or paper), along with the corpes. The fire is needed to liberate the spirit from the body and facilitate the reincarnation.
Ngaben is not always performed immediately. For the high caste members, it is reasonable to perform this ritual within 3 days. But for the lower caste members, the body was buried first and then cremated in a group to a village.

IDR 1500 - The ritual of Pasola, Sumba from East Nusa Tenggara
Pasola is a game of agility of throwing javelin made of wood to each other on a horse that is being driven hard by two opposing groups. Pasola is part of a series of traditional ceremonies performed by the people of Sumba still adhered to the original religion called Marapu (local religious communities sumba). Pasola games is held in four villages in West Sumba district, they are Kodi, Wonokaka, and Gaura. Pasola is performed in the four villages in turn between February and March each year.

IDR 1500 - The Ritual of Tiwah, Dayak of Central Kalimantan
Tiwah is the procession of delivery of relatives ancestors spirits who have passed away by purifying and moving the remains of the body from the grave into a place called Sandung.
According to Kahirangan the death of a family cause Pali that can only be removed by a ceremonial malapas Pali called tiwah. Tiwah ceremony is being perfomed, because the Pali can lead to bad consequences for personal lives, families, communities, and even the environment, as well as for the late, in order to clear the way towards a glorius place that God provided through Tiwah ceremony.
Tiwah ceremony is the last of the ceremonial procession of a person's death, which begins with Mangubur ceremony, which brings the corpse to the cementary of Tantulak Ambun Rutas Matei aims to deliver- Liau balawang panjang ganan bereng to a a place called Lewu Balo Indu Rangkang Penyang. This is a place of waiting supposedly located on the third stgae of heaven. The last ceremony is tiwah that reunify the three spirits before and deliver them to Heaven, known as Lewu Tatau.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Papua New Guinea - Traditional Dances 2010


Issued on 01 December 2010

Traditional Dance #2 - WAR
Papua New Guinea is known for its unique cultural diversities and traditions. The extreme diversity is reflected by more than 850 languages and a fragmentation of the people, customs, and traditions that is unlike any other country on earth.

One fundamental aspect of cultural expression is through traditional dances where it meaningfully describes wider cultural identities.

The performance reflects spiritual, social and historical values through chanting and body movements. Every tribal dance vary across regions, sometimes recounting historic events or legends and sometimes describing important event such as feast, yam cultivation or war.

War dancer
Other dances can sometimes perform at night as means of mediate relations between human, supernatural and ancestral realms.

Among them, war dance is a popular subject of performance and is common throughout Papua New Guinea which reflects training, attack and defense.

The gesture and body movement demonstrates the use of weapons and the fierceness of a warrior.

Most war dances are emphasized by holding shields and spears or bows and arrows imitating combats as the body shifts weight.

The steps and patterns of war dance again varies from region to region; Some performed in a theatrical pattern or without observable formation while others are in square, circle or line formation.

Although Christianity has altered the style and content of dances and music in most indigenous cultures, these forms of art and practices still continue to exist among many tribes and cultures as the most significant markers of cultural and national identities. Such creative cultures are the pillars of recognition, identity and pride among traditional societies in Papua New Guinea

Today cultural dances build self-esteem and instill pride in both performers and audiences, particularly in the younger generations who are competing rapidly with the force of modernity and the changing world.

Stamp Sets:
50t - A Warrior with bow and arrow (WHP)
K1.05 - Simbu Warrior with spear (Simbu)
K5.00 - A Warrior with spear and shield (WHP)
K7.00 - A Mudman with bow and arrow (EHP)

Souvenir Sheet
K10.00 - K10.00 - Tasman Island knife dancer

Papau New Guinea - Contemporary Arts of PNG 2007.jpg


PNG Toea 0.05- Blended Culture - Oro Gagara
PNG Toea 0.30 - Tribesman - Western Province
PNG Toea 0.85 - The Sorcerer - Cultural Initiation (Begesin/ Madang)
PNG Kina 3.00 - Blended Culture - (Hewa Wigman)
PNG Kina 3.35 - Pigs into Python - Legend (Bukawa, Morobe Province)
PNG Kina 5.35 - Tolai Masks - East New Britain Province

Friday, March 18, 2011

Estonia - Coat of Arms 2004


Harju County
Price: 0.28
Date: 28 November 2004
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 10
Quantity issued: 1 000 000
Printing house: Cartor Security Printing/ Prantsusmaa

Harjumaa lies in northern Estonia, occupying the coastal area from Keibu Bay to Eru Bay and stretching as far as 56 km into the inland. In a straight line the distance from east to west is 126 km, but the indented coastline measures 530 km, including 165 km of the islands, of which there are 74. Its area of 4,333 square kilometres makes Harjumaa the second biggest county in Estonia. Harjumaa is also the most populous Estonian county. In 2000 its population was 525,700, more than one third of that of the whole country. It comprises Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, as well as six other towns. Harjumaa is a county of big contrasts. There is a lot of industry spilling out from the capital into the neighboring areas, two big ports apart from that of Tallinn, agricultural land and forests. The communes lying around the capital are densely populated, but farther inland there is almost uninhabited wilderness with a rich wildlife. The landscape along the seashore is scenic, with a limestone escarpment running for almost all its length from east to west. Several rivers form picturesque waterfalls as they descend from it to flow into the Gulf of Finland. Vast stretches of land in the county have been set apart as nature reserves (including one third of the Lahemaa National Park) and there are also numerous archaeological and built monuments – cairns, prehistoric cult stones, hill fort sites, monastic ruins, churches and historical manor halls.

Hiiumaa County
Price: 0.28
Date: 28 November 2004
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 10
Quantity issued: 1 000 000
Printing house: Cartor Security Printing/ Prantsusmaa

Hiiumaa is the smallest county in Estonia, taking up the western island of the same name along with Kassari Island and about 230 islets in the coastal waters of the main island. The total area of the county is 1,019 sq km and it has a population of only about 10,300.The county town of Kärdla, 3,767 inhabitants in 2003, is a quiet green place of small houses surrounded by orchards and vegetable gardens.Fishery and fish processing, forestry, trade, transport, construction, farming and tourism are the main sources of livelihood.The island’s main attractions are its nearly empty beaches, forests covering about 70 percent of the island and abounding in wildlife, as well as manmade structures - churches, historical manor seats, farm buildings and lighthouses . Standing out among them is the 16th century Kõpu Lighthouse, one of the oldest constantly functing ones in the Baltic Sea.

Estonia - Coat of Arms 2005


East-Viru County
Price: 0.28
Date: 08 March 2005
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 marki/ stamps
Quantity issued: 1 000 000
Printing house: Cartor Security Printing/ France

Ida-Virumaa (Estonia’s East-Viru County) lies on Europe’s eastern border - the right bank of the Narva already belongs to Russia. From north to south, the county takes up the area between the high southern coast of the Gulf of Finland and the sandy beaches along the northern bank of Lake Peipsi. The western part of the county is covered with large forests and bogs. The most magnificent sight is the limestone bluff that rises to 56 meters above sea level at Ontika and boasts a rare strip of primeval forest between it and the sea. Near Valaste Estonia’s highest, 25.6 metre Valaste Waterfall drops down from the escarpment. The biggest conglomeration of lakes in Estonia, with forty of them scattered over an area of just 30 sq km, also lies in Ida-Virumaa. The county, with a population of amount 180,000 in a territory of 3,364 sq km, is a foremost industrial area yielding more than 14 percent of Estonia’s gross domestic product. Investors have discovered opportunities and advantages of this controversial county and their investments into business, real estate and infrastructure in the area have been growing from year to year. Completion of a port in Sillamäe will give the county an additional thrust for operating as a transit corridor as well as a tourist destination.

Järva County
Price: 0.28
Date: 15 March 2005
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 000 000
Printing house: Cartor Security Printing/ France

Järvamaa is a historical county in central Estonia. Settlement acquired a permanent nature since the 13th century when German knights established a foothold in Paide. In 1265 an Order castle with an octagonal 30-meter corner tower, Pikk Hermann, was erected there in 1265. Even today the tower is the main device on the coat-of-arms of both Järva County and the county government seat, Paide. With a territory of 2,700 sq km, Järvamaa is one of the smallest Estonian counties. More than half the present population of 39,000 live in rural areas. As of 1 January 2005 Paide had 9,606 and Türi 6,558 inhabitants. The county has numerous sources and bogs, serving as an important freshwater deposit for northern Estonia. Nature reserves of various categories cover more than half the territory. Järva County boasts a number of old architectural monuments. There are several Gothic churches dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, as well as a number of stately manor halls, most of them built in the 18th and 19th centuries. The condition of those manors where schools were set up after the nationalisation of manors in the early 20th century is the best. The county also has several museums, the oldest of them being the 1905-established Järva County Museum that has a branch in the Paide Vallitorn (the restored Pikk Hermann). Imavere has the Estonian Dairy Museum, Türi a Broadcasting Museum, Järva-Jaani a Firefighting Museum and the village of Vetepere in the Albu rural municipality the museum of the novelist Anton Hansen-Tammsaare on a late 19th century farm.

Jõgeva County
Price: 0.28
Date: 05 July 2005
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 000 000
Printing house: Cartor Security Printing/ France

Jõgeva County lies in central and eastern Estonia, being open and accessible to people coming from anywhere in Estonia. The county stretches 75 kilometres from east to west and 45 kilometres from north to south. The western boundary of the county runs along the upper reaches of the Navesti, while the eastern boundary follows the shore of Lake Peipsi, extending thirty kilometres from Tiirikoja to Kodavere. Historically and culturally Jõgeva County can be divided into three diverse areas – Põltsamaa, Vooremaa and the Lake Peipsi rim. The landscape is varied, with woods and bogs alternating in the Central Estonian plain; there are some primeval forests as well. Vooremaa with its beautiful mirror lakes is the pride of the county, one of the most peculiar glacial surface features in Europe. Also the Russian-speaking Old Believers’ villages with their churches, village streets stretching without a break along the Lake Peipsi shore and traditional activities have no parallels elsewhere. Jõgeva County has three towns and ten communes, with about 38,000 people living in a territory of 2,604 square kilometres.

Lääne County
Price: 0.28
Date: 08 July 2005
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 000 000
Printing house: Cartor Security Printing/ France

Lääne County lies the farthest west on the Estonian mainland, lying on a relatively sparsely populated coastal area – 12 inhabitants per square kilometre compared with the overall Estonian density of 32 inhabitants per sq km. The county takes up 2,394 sq km, 5.3 percent of the territory of Estonia. The county comprises 237 islands, islets and reefs; the biggest of them are Vormsi (96.64 sq km) and Osmussaar (4.92 sq km). The total length of the coastline is 399 kilometres. The county has eleven local governments – one town (Haapsalu) and 11 communes. The population was 28,968 as of 1 April 2005. Lääne County has 14 nature reserves making up 22 percent of the territory of the county, the best known of them being the Matsalu National Park, a bird sanctuary extending to 480 square kilometres. It is believed more than two million waterfowl stop there during the spring and about 300,000 in the autumn migration. The total number of bird species registered in Matsalu is 270, with 157 species regularly nesting in the area. Lääne County is one of eight prehistorical Estonian counties. From 1228 to the Livonian War in the 16th century the county belonged to the Bishopric Oesel-Wiek. The construction of the oldest architectural monuments of the county, bishop’s castles and churches (Lihula, Haapsalu, Koluvere, Ridala) began then. Sea eagle with a nimbus is the historical device of Lääne County ever since the Bishopric Oesel-Wiek was established in the 13th century. It orignally belonged to St John the Evangelist, appointed by the Pope as the guardian saint of the bishopric.

Estonia - Coat of Arms 2006

Lääne-Viru (West-Viru) County
Price: 0.28
Date: 25 January 2006
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 280 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

Lääne-Viru is a North-Estonian county (maakond) on the Gulf of Finland. It has an area of 3,627 square kilometres and its population in 2005 was about 70,000. Apart from the county seat of Rakvere, the county has three other towns. The nature is varied and the different landscapes, all with their peculiar vegetation and types of forests, lie in zones from the coastline to the southern boundary line. Straddling the border with the neighbouring Harju County is the Lahemaa National Park, the first in Estonia and, when it was established in 1971, also in the Soviet Union. With its forests and nature trails, restored manor complexes, the skippers’ village of Käsmu and the fishermen’s hamlet of Altja it is highly popular with tourists. Further south, the Pandivere Upland with its numerous springs giving rise to several rivers could be called the water pump of Estonia. The county has a well-developed industrial sector, intensive agriculture and business life. The main areas are food, woodworking, forestry, building materials and trade. Lääne-Virumaa has age-old folk dancing and singing traditions, and today the Viru Säru Festival draws international participants. A monument to the Estonian language stands at Kadrina, the letter õ for a typical Estonian sound was invented in Viru-Nigula and the county seat of Rakvere of just 17,500 inhabitants has a thriving professional theatre and art centre.

Põlva County
Price: 0.28
Date: 08 February 2006
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 250 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

Põlva County is situated in southeastern Estonia, stretching from the Otepää Highlands in the west to Lakes Lämmijärv and Pihkva (Pskov) in the east. In the southeast, the county borders on the Pskov Region of the Russian Federation. The county has a territory of 2,165 square kilometres and a population of 32,800, of these 9,500 in the two towns, Põlva and Räpina. The main sources of livelihood are agriculture, forestry, industry (dairy products, wood, flax and vegetable processing) as well as services to tourists. The county has 14 local governments. The population is very homogeneous, practically all the inhabitants being ethnic Estonians. In parts of the county the people still daily use the ancient South-Estonian dialect. Nearly 40 percent of the territory is arable land, forests making up another 40 percent. Large tracts of the land are in a near-pristine state. The relief is overwhelmingly varied with 125 lakes in valleys between round hillocks mainly in the western part. The Ahja and the Võhandu have beautiful sandstone outcrops along parts of their course. Põlva County is an area of balanced development famous for its rich cultural heritage and beautiful scenery, a safe living and working environment with growing popularity among tourists and holiday-makers.

Pärnu County
Price: 0.28
Date: 08 March 2006
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 210 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

Pärnumaa, lying in the southeast of Estonia on the Gulf of Riga, has the largest territory among Estonian counties (4,807 square kilometres), being home to nearly 90,000 people. The county has the oldest known settlement sites in Estonia, Pulli and Reiu, that are dated back to 11,000 years ago. It was established on the basis of the 13th to 16th century Pärnu commandery of the Teutonic Order as well as later Polish, Swedish and Russian administrative units. In the 19th century Pärnu was one of the centres of the national movement. The first president of the Republic of Estonia, Konstantin Päts, was born in Tahkuranna. The history of the county seat of Pärnu goes back to 1251. It is known as a resort town since the mid-19th century and is nowadays declared the summer capital of the country for the summer months. Besides, the county has two towns and 19 other local governments, including the Gulf of Riga island of Kihnu. The device on the golden shield of the Pärnu County coat of arms is a black bear standing up on its hind legs, with the eye, fangs and claws in silver and the tongue red.

Rapla County
Price: 0.28
Date: 06 September 2006
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 660 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

Rapla County (2,979 square kilometres, 37,000 inhabitants) is situated in North and Central Estonia and lies largely on the North-Estonian limestone bedrock. It is an area of big forests and bogs. The main source of livelihood is agriculture, but glass, paper and other branches of industry are also represented in the county. The county has several prehistoric strongholds and numerous more recent manor halls. Every August Rapla’s imposing twin-steepled Mary Magdalene Church hosts an international church music festival. Rapla is one of the youngest counties in Estonia, formed during a campaign of Soviet reorganization in 1950 when the southern part of Harju County was set off as a separate administrative unit. It was extended in another campaign in 1959–1962 at the expense of territories that had earlier belonged to the neighbouring Järva, Lääne and Pärnu counties. Also the coat of arms of the county symbolizes this amalgamation of four different parts.

Estonia - Coat of Arms 2007


Saaremaa County

Price: 0.28 Euro
Date: 25 January 2007
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 5 090 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

The Estonian Saare (Island) county is made up of five inhabited islands and numerous small islands and islets with a total territory of 2,922 square kilometres and a population of about 38,000. The island county is valued by both islanders and mainland Estonians as the place to spend their summer holidays, discovering deserted beaches and the islands' natural wonders. The islands' unique natural and cultural heritage, the islanders' warm humour and hospitality will help visitors forget the fast pace of daily life and experience the passage of time the islands way in the westernmost Estonian county, where the sun sets later than on the mainland. Various cultural events organised on Saaremaa, Muhu, Abruka, Vilsandi and Ruhnu will make island holidays a success. But for those who prefer peace and solitude, there are the Vilsandi National Park and the Viidumäe Nature Reserve, as well as the characteristic island landscapes - alvars and juniper stands, coastal and wooded meadows, not to mention coastal villages and the roar of waves breaking on the shore.

Tartu County
Price: 0.35 Euro
Date: 02 July 2007
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 3 000 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

Estonia’s Tartu County is versatile both in terms of its nature and culture. It has the town of Elva set in a pine wood, the Vooremaa drumlin area, a remnant of the Ice Age, the eel-rich Lake Võrtsjärv lined with reed beds, major wetlands at both ends of the River Emajõgi, the undulating Kambja and Pangodi area that will progress into uplands slightly further south, primeval forests at Järvselja and the banks of Lake Peipsi, one of the largest fresh-water bodies in northern Europe, on the banks of which Russian-speaking Old Believers grow the best onions in Estonia. The Emajõgi cuts the county, and indeed the whole of Estonia, into two halves. In olden times its served as the boundary between two major dialectal groups, as well as frames of mind. Yet the county also has unifying features: conservative balance, a patriotic spirit, cultured interests and the will to learn. In fact, learning and aspiration for education is the most important common denominator for the county. It is the county where the first Estonian schools for peasants’ children opened and where the only classical university in Estonia attracts students from near and far. The aura of the county seat, the educational and research centre of Tartu, prevails over the whole county and its people have picked fostering education and research as their development strategy.

Estonia - Coat of Arms of Viljandi 2007


Viljandi
Price: 0.35 Euro
Date: 25 October 2007
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Perforation: 13¾ :14
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 2 335 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

With about 20,000 inhabitants, Viljandi is the sixth biggest city in Estonia. Located on the bank of Lake Viljandi, it stands out for its varied nature and well-developed infrastructure. Side by side with services and trade woodworking and textile industry and construction companies play an important role. The place is rapidly developing as a tourism destination. The cultural scene in the city is set by the Ugala Theatre, the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and the annual International Viljandi Folk Music Festival. Viljandi was granted the Riga Charter in 1283. In the 14th century it was admitted to the Hanseatic League. Today’s Viljandi is a pleasant place to live and to visit, a place with rich historical and cultural heritage – a city created for creation. The Viljandi Town Hall was first built after the Great Northern War in 1768–1774 as a one-storied stone house. Its present appearance dates from 1931. The coat-of-arms of the city is one of the oldest among the coats-of-arms of Estonian local governments. The image of a rose with five petals was featured on the small seal of the city as early as in 1429.

Estonia - Coat of Arms 2008


Valga County
Price: 0.35 Euro
Date: 07 February 2008
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 2 715 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

Valga County (Estonian: Valgamaa) lies in southern Estonia and as it has a common border of 101 kilometres with Latvia, it is deservedly called the south gate of Estonia. The landscape is picturesque and changing – there are flat areas, moraine heights, big forests, numerous scenic lakes and winding rivers. The territory of the county is 2,046 square kilometres and it had 35,000 inhabitants at the beginning of 2008. The Valga County in its present boundaries was formed in 1920 of the town of Valga and parts of the neighbouring counties. This makes the county quite an exciting place – you can find in it cultural influences of Tartu County, as well as dialectal and cultural features of both southern Viljandi County and of the Võru area. But the past of the historical Valgamaa goes back much farther – to the time of Empress Catherine II who issued a ukase on 3 July 1873 by which the present Valga County was formed of the northeastern parts of the Riga and Cesis counties. Valga County and the town of Valga have always been seen as the focal point of Livonia, where people used to meet to settle important matters. Valgamaa is a county with a venerable past, and thanks to its attractiveness it is a pleasant place to rest, to live and to work. The Estonian-Latvian town of Valga-Valka was granted a city charter by King Stefan Batory of Poland back in 1584, the Helme-Tõrva area is the location of the singular mausoleum of the Russian army leader Barclay de Tolly, while Otepää, often called the Pearl of Estonia, is known far and wide as a ski resort.

Viljandi County
Price: 0.35 Euro
Date: 27 March 2008
Print: ofset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 2 930 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

Viljandi County (Est: Viljandimaa) lies in the Sakala Upland with deep primeval valleys cutting into it. Estonia's largest inland water body, Lake Võrtsjärv, spreads in the eastern part of the county, while the western part is taken up by big wetlands of the Soomaa National Park traversed by several tributaries of the River Pärnu and boasting a fifth season – high water. The county has 55,000 inhabitants and is divided into 15 local government units. The county town of Viljandi is known as the seat of a theatre and the venue of various cultural events, not least the summer Folk Music Festival when the town sees the number of its residents double. Northern Viljandimaa is proud to be the birthplace of the Kapp family of composers and of the 13th century Sakala elder, Lembitu, who put up a fierce resistance to invaders. The eagle holding a bared sword in its claws in the coat-of-arms of the county symbolyses the freedom eventually won, while the ears of corn in the small shield represent fertility – southern Viljandimaa, the Mulk Country, in particular has always been known for its industry and prosperity.

Võru County
Price: 0.35 Euro
Date: 30 OCtober 2008
Print: offset
Designer: Lembit Lõhmus
Sheets: 5 x 5
Quantity issued: 1 650 000
Printing house: AS Vaba Maa

With nearly 39,000 inhabitants and a territory of 2,305 square kilometres Võru County lies in Estonia’s far southeastern corner and it has a common border with Latvia and Russia. Stone age settlement sites at Kääpa, on the Võhandu River and at Roosisaare are regarded as the oldest, going back 5,000 years. Today the county has 12 rural communities and the County seat of Võru, which was granted the status of a town in 1784. The communities fall into two historial regions – the Võru and the Seto cultural areas where the local dialects and traditions are still honoured today. Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald lived for 44 years as a doctor in Võru and it was there that he produced all his literary work, including the Estonian national epic, Kalevipoeg. The county is famed for its picturesque scenery – it has the highest point in the Baltic countries, Suur Munamägi, and numerous rounded hills covered with forests. Of the valleys lying between the hills Ööbikuorg (Nightingale Valley) is known the best; it also has the deepest lake in Estonia, Rõuge Suurjärv. They say that Võru County is a part of Estonia where you can be alone with nature – travelling there you may end up in places where it seems as if no one has been there before. With his warm heart a Võrokõnõ takes care of the world and its creatures.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Indonesia - Provincial Emblems 2008


Country / Post: Indonesia
Date of Issue: 17 August 2008
Primary theme: National symbols (Coats of Arms)
Subject: Provincial Emblems
Width: 48.0 mm
Height: 32.0 mm
Denomination: 2500 IDR
Number in set: 11 (show set)
Layout/Format: miniature sheet of 11 of 11 designs
Perforations: 13.5 by 13.5
Stamp issuing authority: Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications
Printer: AMG Security Printing

IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Bali
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Gorontalo
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Jawa Barat
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Jawa Tengah
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Kalimantan Barat
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Maluku
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Papua
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Riau
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Sulawesi Barat
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Sumatera Barat

Indonesia - Provincial Emblems 2009


Country / Post: Indonesia
Date of Issue: 17 August 2009
Primary theme: National symbols (Coats of Arms)
Subject: Provincial Emblems
Width: 48.0 mm
Height: 32.0 mm
Denomination: 2500 IDR
Number in set: 11 (show set)
Layout/Format: miniature sheet of 11 of 11 designs
Perforations: 13.5 by 13.5
Stamp issuing authority: Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications
Printer: AMG Security Printing

IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Banten
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Jawa Timur
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Kalimantan Timur
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Kepulauan Riau
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Lampung
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Papua Barat
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Sulawesi Tengah
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Sulawesi Tenggara
IDR 2500 - Provincial Emblems - Provinsi Sumatera Selatan

Indonesia - Provincial Emblems 2010


Country / Post: Indonesia
Date of Issue: 13 December 2010
Primary theme: National symbols (Coats of Arms)
Subject: Provincial Emblems
Width: 48.0 mm
Height: 32.0 mm
Denomination: 2500 IDR
Number in set: 11 (show set)
Layout/Format: miniature sheet of 11 of 11 designs
Perforations: 13.5 by 13.5
Stamp issuing authority: Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications
Printer: AMG Security Printing

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