Stamp of the day
ERRORS ON STAMPS – misprint
Sometimes something wrong is printed on a stamp by mistake. A good example is today's stamp from Lübeck, which was issued in 1859. On the 2 Schilling stamp, in the center to the left is written: "Zwei ein halb", which means 2½ in German. The stamp is very rare. CV is...
ERRORS ON STAMPS – folds
If there is a fold in the paper on which a stamp is printed, it results in a colorless area on the stamp when the fold is straightened out. A very fine example of this type of error is this block of four from the USA. The stamp has a face value of 15 cents and...
ERRORS ON STAMPS -misperforation
Mis perforated stamps are not as rare as one might think. They become a reality when quality control at the postal service fails. Today's stamps from 1926 show a beautiful example from the United States. The item was advertised for sale at an auction as: "a stunning...
ERRORS ON STAMPS -“misperforation”
Mis perforated stamps are not as rare as one might think. They become a reality when quality control at the postal service fails. Today's stamps from 1926 show a beautiful example from the United States. The item was advertised for sale at an auction as: "a stunning...
ERRORS ON STAMPS – wrong color
A wrong color on stamps can make them extremely valuable. The best known example is the "Tre skilling yellow" from Sweden (1855), which is one of the rarest stamps in the world. In 2010 it was sold for no less than 2,3 million $. You can read about this stamp in my...
ERRORS ON STAMPS-inverted center
Inverted center pieces on stamps became a concept when two-color stamps began to be printed. The printing technique was then more primitive and took place in two separate processes. First one color was printed and then the next. This created the possibility that the...
ERRORS ON STAMPS – Tête-bêche
Tête-bêche (French for "head-to-tail” or "head-to-head") is a joined pair of stamps in which one is upside-down in relation to the other. It can be produced intentionally or accidentally. Like any pair of stamps, a pair of tête-bêches can be a vertical or a horizontal...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest of the approximately 18 different penguins that exist; the emperor penguin is the largest. The king penguin gives birth to 1 young at a time and raises 2 young in a 3-year period. The king penguin weighs...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100–115 cm (39–45 in) from beak tip to end of...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). The genus name comes from Latin phasianus, "pheasant". The species name colchicus is Latin for "of Colchis" (modern day Georgia), a country on the Black Sea where pheasants...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The diademed tanager is a species of Neotropical bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Stephanophorus. It is purplish-blue with a white crown distinguished by a small red spot, and it is found mostly in open areas in southern...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The lamb vulture is a very large bird of prey with a wingspan of up to 280 centimeters. It is widespread in Southern Europe, Africa and Asia. It feeds on the carrion of recently dead animals and their bones, as well as animals that it catches itself. It is estimated...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The northern black korhaan (Afrotis afraoides), also known as the white-quilled bustard, a species of bird in the bustard family, Otididae. It is widely distributed across Southern Africa. Its habitat is primarily open grassland and scrub. Todays stamp showing the...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) is a small diving duck some 45 cm (18 in) long. The male has a white head with black crown, a blue bill, and reddish-grey plumage. The female has a dark bill and rather duller coloring. Its breeding habitat is lakes with...
BIRDS ON STAMPS
The Barn owl is a medium-sized, light-colored owl with a distinctive heart-shaped face. It has black eyes. It is an owl of 33-39 centimeters and with a wingspan of 85-93 centimeters. The female weighs more than the male, namely 330-460 g. It is one of the world's most...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – United Kingdom
Charles Philip Arthur George was born on 14 November 1948 and coronated on 6 May 2023 as King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. King Charles III has become the first monarch in British history to be featured on postal stamps...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Vietnam
Bao Dai (1913-97), with the original name Nguyen Vinh Thuy, was the 13th and last ruler of the Nguyen dynasty and the last emperor of Viet-nam. He ruled from 1926 to 1954, when he was removed from power by Diem. Todays stamp is from 1951 and show the portrait of...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Norway
Oscar I (1799-1859) was king of Sweden-Norway from 1844 to 1859. He was the son of Karl 14. Johan and was married in 1823 to Josefina, daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais Leuchtenberg. Todays stamp from Norway is showing the portrait of King Oscar I. The stamp is issued...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Sverige
Oscar II was king of Sweden-Norway 1872-1905 and of Sweden 1872-1907. He was the son of Oscar 1st and Josefina, and he was married in 1857 to Sofia. He lived from 1829 until1907. Todays stamp is from 1885 and the first issue from Sweden showing the portrait of the king.
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Denmark
Christian IX became king in 1863 after the childless Frederik VII and was the first regent of the Glücksburg line of the Royal Family. He married in 1842 Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel, with whom he had six children. Christian IX managed to get four of his children...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Austria
Charles I of Austria (Karl I) was the last Emperor of Austria 1916-1918 and as Charles IV the last King of Hungary 1916-1918. He was born in 1887 and died in 1922. Todays stamp is from 1917 and is showing the portrait of Charles I.
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Spain
Amadeus I of Spain was an Italian prince from the House of Savoy, who for a short period from 1870 to 1873 was king of Spain. He was a younger son of King Victor Emanuel II of Italy and was known throughout most of his life as the 1st Duke of Aosta. Today's stamp is...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Portugal
Peter V (Pedro) was King of Portugal from 1853 to 1861. Peter was the eldest son of Queen Maria II and her second husband, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Peter V died aged only 24 during a cholera epidemic and was succeeded by his younger brother, Ludvig I (Luis...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – France
Napoléon III of France was France's first president from 1848-52 and last emperor from 1852-1870. He was the son of Napoleon I's stepdaughter Hortense de Beauharnais and officially of Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte. Today's stamp is from 1852 when Napoleon was...
KINGS AND EMPERORS ON STAMPS – Hungary
Franz Joseph I belonged to the Habsburg dynasty and was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia from 1848 to 1916. His 68-year reign is the fourth longest in European history. Today's stamp from Hungary shows the portrait of King Franz Josef. The stamp...
BUTTERFLIES ON STAMPS
Todays stamp from Antigua shows the beautiful butterfly Danaus plexippus. It is also called the monarch butterfly or simply monarch. It is a milkweed butterfly from the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger,...
BUTTERFLIES ON STAMPS
Todays stamp from The Maldives show the very beautiful butterfly Tainopalpus imperialis. It is also called the Kaisar-i-Hind, That means the "emperor of India". It is a rare species of swallowtail butterfly found in east Asia. The Kaisar-i-Hind is much sought after by...
BUTTERFLIES ON STAMPS – Panama
Todays stamp from Panama shows the beautiful butterfly Caligo illioneus. It is also called the Illioneus giant owl. It is an owl butterfly belonging to the nymphalid family, Morphinae. The genus Latin name Caligo means "darkness" and may refer to the active periods,...
“BUTTERFLIES” ON STAMPS
Todays “butterfly” is actually a grasshopper. Phymateus viridipes, also known as the African bush grasshopper, is an African locust in the family Pyrgomorphidae (gaudy grasshoppers). Todays stamp from the Republic of Rwanda shows the subspecies Phymateus viripedes...
BUTTERFLIES ON STAMPS
Todays stamp from former Yugoslavia (1964) shows the Apollo or mountain Apollo (Parnassius apollo). It is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. This beautiful butterfly is named after the deity Apollo, that is recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth...