EUROPA Stamps 2015 Are Here!

EUROPA 2015 - Old Toys!

Europa postage stamps are special stamps that have been issued since 1956 until the present. They represent cooperation among postal authorities and do much to encourage the hobby of philately. They are some of the most collected and popular stamps in the world.

They are issued by the member postal administrations belonging to the PostEurop Association. The first issue from 1956 pictured a tower made up of the letters “EUROPA”. Many topics have been chosen to represent the EUROPA theme – sculptures, paintings, folklore, historic events, inventions, transportation, gastronomy, and this year’s common theme is old toys. 

We are and will continue to offer all the Europa stamps that become available from all nations that participate. Click here to see the newest Europa stamps on our site.

Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary Penny Black!

Stamp Collecting – Where It All Began….

Ever wonder how philately – the study of stamps – and stamp collecting actually started? It’s a really interesting story…..

Stamp collecting dates back to 1840 when the first postage stamp – the British Penny Black – was issued.

Originally, when a letter was sent, it was the recipient that had to pay the postage. More often than not, the letter was refused. This, of course, was not a very profitable way to run the postal service. Sir Rowland Hill, the Postmaster at that time, introduced reforms that would allow mail to be sent for a penny for a ½ ounce and the sender would now have to pay the postage. That first stamp, printed in black with Queen Victoria’s picture on it, became known as the Penny Black. It is still one of the most sought after stamps, even after all these years. It wasn’t long until the rest of the world adopted this type of postal system, and stamp collecting was born!

Oh, how far this hobby has come since those early days! And yet, it remains very much the same – people from all over the world collecting those little pieces of paper, and enjoying all that philately has to offer.

To commemorate the 175^th anniversary of that first Penny Black stamp, Great Britain has issued a four stamp set – two stamps showing the Penny Black, and two stamps showing the Twopenny Blue. The issue date was May 6^th. There are also mini sheets, presentation packs, Smiler sheets – all that Royal Mail offers with their commemorative stamps. The first day covers will offer two different cancels – the traditional one from Edinburgh and the alternate one from Bath.

Click here to see all the Penny Black stamps, both old and new, that Herrick Stamp has to offer.

Latest New Issues Stamps From Around the World!

Hello again! 

Every two weeks Herrick Stamp lists all the latest new issues from countries around the world. I thought it would be fun to showcase a few of them every couple of weeks, just to share what I think is interesting and fun about stamps today. So…here goes….

Great Britain has issued a 10 stamp set (2 strips of 5 stamps each) featuring great British comedians. Included in this set are Spike Milligan, The Two Ronnies, Billy Connolly, Norman Wisdom, Morecambe and Wise, Lenny Henry, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore (my FAVORITE!), Monty Python, French and Saunders, and Victoria Wood.

Admittedly, I’m not familiar with too many of these comedy greats, but those that I do recognize, I LOVE their humor. Dudley Moore and Monty Python are comedic geniuses!

We also have quite a few new issues available for Iraq, Palau and Georgia. Palau has sheetlets and souvenir sheets offered – even a sheetlet featuring Bubble Tea! 

I love to see the diversity of topics available on stamps these days.

I’ll be checking back again in a couple of weeks with more new issue news.

Until then…

Philately On!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

No, I haven’t just woken up like Rip Van Winkle, and missed January 1^st!

But it is the Chinese New Year and this year is the Year of the Sheep (Ram or Goat).

It is said that people born in the Year of the Goat are creative, intelligent, dependable and very calm. They have a very nurturing personality and make excellent care-givers. They are comfortable being alone and enjoy exploring their inner thoughts.

Some famous people born in the Year of the Sheep are Michelangelo, Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Rudolph Valentino, Barbara Walters, Orville Wright, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis and Matt LeBlanc.

The philatelic world loves to celebrate the Chinese New Year with beautifully designed stamps to commemorate the occasion.

So, click here to be taken to all the Lunar New Year stamps that we have to offer – there is something for every type of collector available on our site – Herrick Stamp.

Dragons!

DRAGONS!

Hold on….are we in a Harry Potter movie? Do any of us know how to Train our Dragons?

No worries! These beautiful dragons are pictured on the new 6 stamp set from Jersey, available here.

Each stamp features a different dragon, beautifully illustrating these mystical creatures, created from legends around the world. Included are The Beowulf Dragon, St. George & the Dragon, The Bukunawa, The Colchian Dragon, The Chinese Dragons and the Welsh Dragon.

Jersey has also produced a six stamp Souvenir Sheet, Presentation Pack, First Day Covers and sheets of 10 stamps.

These stamps and hundred more worldwide new issues are always available on our website at www.herrickstamp.com

New Issue Stamps....What's the Buzz About??

What is it about new issue stamps that I seem to like best?   

It is the freshness of them. So many collectors like nostalgia and older stamps. New Issues have a more forward looking appeal. It would be logical to assume that older collectors like older stamps and newer (younger) collectors line new stamps.

I like them both. My collecting interests are forward and backward looking at the same time. Great Britain Penny Black #1 is as interesting as the most recent Great Britain commemorative set. I especially like the new British Prime Ministers issue.  But then again I started collecting in the era of King George VI and I really really like all commonwealth KGVI stamps.

So, whether you collect old stamps or new stamps, Herrick Stamp is the best place to shop for all your collecting needs.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Another Stamp Collecting Perspective

From time to time I will post a blog entry written by someone other than myself. I like to give the perspective of other stamp enthusiasts and get a glimpse of the philatelic world through their eyes.

Musings of a Stamp Collector.....

I was mounting a set of China (Taiwan) 1966 Fruits in a stock book. Not hinging it mind you when I thought about the innocence of the designs of Scott # 1414-17.  While the China Republic Stamps were vaguely anti-communist in that era, the stamps from the Peoples Republic of China were still stuck in the Cultural Revolution of the 1960’s.

China PRC stamps were all about Mao Tse-tung and stamps of the Republic of China were starting to take on a life of their own.  In those days China Republic still held a security council seat at the United Nations and PRC wanted to replace the Taiwan representation as if it was speaking for all of mainland China.

Politicians in the USA were screaming about the immoral communists and the righteous President Chiang Kai-shek.  It all seems so long ago and so far away now.

Stamps of China PRC are just so hot and stamps from the Republic of China (Taiwan) are as cold as a mountain breeze.

It started me thinking about the rest of that region and I started wondering about Korea stamps. Right now North Korean stamps are embargoed and the people and leadership of that country excoriated in the press and in Congress. The South Koreans are virtuous and prosperous and their stamps are popular. Someday there will be a change in the North and their stamps will become popular and their people will be free and productive. No timeline offered here. Just as the communists used to say “it is the inevitability of history”.

Back to me now!

We offer hundreds of different China PR stamps, China-Taiwan stamps, South Korea stamps and North Korea stamps on our website. Please be sure to visit our New Issue gallery for the most up-to-date listings of worldwide newly issued stamps!

Thanks for stopping by!