Marian Anderson honored with U.S. postage stamp

Legendary operatic star Marian Anderson was honored today when the U.S. Postal Service issued a new commemorative postage stamp recognizing her life and accomplishments. Symbolically, the first-day-of-issue ceremony took place at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, the venue where she was once prohibited from performing because of her skin color.

The stamp art shows an oil painting of Anderson by Albert Slark of Ajax, Ontario, Canada, based on a black-and-white photograph believed to have been made by Moise Benkow in Stockholm, circa 1934. Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Ariz. is art director and designer of the stamp.

USPS.COM
January 27, 2005

Controversy in Italy: new stamp to honor Milanese hero

A controversial new stamp has been issued in Italy commemorating Luigi Calabresi, the Milanese Detective who was shot dead in 1972 following the death of a suspect in his custody.

Pino Pinelli, a railway worker was being questioned by Calabresi over a bombing which had taken place three days earlier that resulted in the death of 16 people. Pinelli somehow fell out of the window in Calabresi’s office to his death. An extreme right wing group was eventually convicted of the bombing.

Three years later, after Calabresi had been cleared of any involvement in Pinelli’s death, he was shot, leading to a crackdown on left wing activists including Adriano Sofri, a leading intellectual.

Key figures from Silvio Berlusconi's right wing government attended the unveiling ceremony of the stamp, with Maurizio Gasparri, the communications minister, declaring Calabresi a "true Italian hero".

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 26, 2005

US Presidential Libraries Issue

The U.S. Postal Service will celebrate Presidential Libraries with a commemorative postage stamp to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955. The Aug. 4 First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremonies will take place at all of the nation's 12 Presidential Libraries and Museums.

The stamp, designed by Howard E. Paine, bears an image of the Presidential seal reproduced in gold against a creme colored background. The type produced in hand calligraphy by Julian Waters, reads: "Presidential Libraries Fifty Years 37 USA."

USPS.COM
January 24, 2005

French Tsunami Stamp

Collectors have an opportunity to contribute to charity by purchasing the special Red Cross semipostal stamp issued by France Post.

The 50c stamp has a 20c surtax which will benefit those affected by the Boxing Day Tsunami in South East Asia.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 22, 2005

Faulty stamp embarrasses New Zealand

New Zealanders are feeling sheepish over a new postage stamp that shows an ewe with powerful, curled horns - horns that in real life are found only on a ram.

Merino ewes, the type depicted on the stamp, have tiny stumps of horn if any at all, lawmaker Katherine Rich pointed out Tuesday.

"The stamp is an absolute impossibility," she grumped.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
January 20, 2005

US Presidents on stamps

A new sheet of stamps is to be issued by the Marshall Islands on 20th January featuring all 43 US presidents, from George Washington to George W Bush.

The sheet is reminiscent of the Presidential stamps used on the Marshall Islands between America’s liberation of the Islands in 1945 and the issue of their first postage stamp in 1984.

The stamps have been designed to look similar to the hugely popular 1938/39 series, with artists Gene Jarvis and Michael Halbert responsible for depicting each president.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 19, 2005

Austrian Skier commemorated: Eberharter to appear on new stamp

One of Austria’s greatest ever skiers is to be commemorated with a new stamp on 20th January.

Born on 24th March 1969, Stefan Eberharter was encouraged to ski from a very early age by his father and two brothers and participated in his first competition at the age of six.

Eberharter announced his retirement from skiing in September 2004 and is now looking to further his new career as a journalist.

AUSTRIAN POST
January 18, 2005

New Malta stamps out today: ancient maps feature on new issue

Malta Post issue four new stamps on 19th January which feature ancient maps of Malta.

The four designs are as follows:
1c - Quintinus map
12c - Melita Insula
37c - La Venuta dell'Armata Turchesca a di 18 Maggio 1565
Lm1.02 - Cartae Veduta dell'Isole del Gozo e Comino

In addition to the four stamps a first day cover, a souvenir folder and a presentation pack will also be available.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 17, 2005

Collectible Presidential Inaugural Envelope, Educational Old Glory Prestige Booklet, add historical color to Inaugural Keepsake Set

Presidential campaign memorabilia, patriotism and the history of Old Glory will be highlighted Jan. 20 as the Postal Service commemorates the 2005 Presidential Inauguration by issuing an Inaugural Keepsake Set.

The set includes a specially designed Inaugural envelope with photos of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney along with a 26-page educational stamp booklet that recounts the colorful history of the United States flag through nearly 100 photographs, and includes twenty 37-cent stamps.

The colorful Inaugural Keepsake envelope is based on a Presidential campaign postcard from the early 1900s.

USPS.COM
January 16, 2005

Royal Mail release schedule for 2005

The Royal Mail’s release schedule for 2005’s stamp issues has been confirmed and looks like this:

The Farm Animals issue kicked off 2005 on 11th January, with the British Journeys series continuing with South West England the subject of a new issue to be released on 8th February.

The rest of this years’ schedule looks like this:

Jane Eyre – 24th February
Magic! – 15th March
Castle Definitives – 22nd March
World Heritage Sites – 21st April
Trooping the Color – 7th June
Motorcycles – 19th July
A Celebration of Food – 23rd August
Classic ITV – 15th September
Trafalgar – 18th October
Christmas – 1st November.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 15, 2005

Hepburn stamp causes stir

The fortunate collector who found an example of the withdrawn German Audrey Hepburn stamp has been told that it could fetch up to 50,000 euros at auction. Experts are advising he sells soon though before another example surfaces as collectors across Germany start to search frantically.

Werner Duerrschmidt, the 57 year old Bavarian postal worker who came across the stamp in September admits he was somewhat taken aback when he made the discovery: "I'd never heard of this issue," he said. "I asked other collectors and they hadn't either."

He contacted the German Philately Society who confirmed the stamp’s identity. It is now on display in the Philately and Postal History Museum in Bonn, although Duerrschmidt does plan to sell it eventually.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 13, 2005

Legendary singer Marian Anderson returns to Constitution Hall on U.S. Stamp

Operatic and concert star Marian Anderson will be commemorated on a new United States postage stamp on Jan. 27, 2005. The stamp honoring Anderson is the 28th in the Postal Service's popular Black Heritage series.

A gifted vocalist, Anderson was one of the greatest classically trained singers of the 20th century and an important figure in the struggle of black Americans for racial equality. Singing a varied repertoire in her rich contralto, Anderson opened doors for other black artists."

USPS.COM
January 11, 2005

Luxembourg celebrate presidency

Luxembourg Post release a special booklet of stamps on 25th January to commemorate the country's six-month presidency of the European Union.

Luxembourg succeed the Netherlands and will take control of the council until 30th June for the 11th time in their history. A collection of four stamps entitled "The Colors of the Four Corners of Luxembourg" will be issued, each focusing upon the country's different landscapes.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 09, 2005

Norway commemorate artist: renowned fairytale illustrator saluted

The strikingly beautiful Lunar New Year Stamps souvenir sheet was dedicated today by the U.S. Postal Service at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, HI. The event celebrated, commemorated and brought to a triumphant finale the award-winning and popular Lunar New Year stamp series designed by world-renowned artist Clarence Lee.

The double-sided souvenir sheet contains two of each of the Lunar New Year stamps issued over the last 12 years. Each is valued at the current 37-cent First-Class letter rate.

To commemorate the Chinese Zodiac, Lee created an intricate paper-cut design honoring each animal mentioned in an ancient Chinese fable. The fable says the emperor asked all animals to report to him on the day of the Chinese New Year, and the first 12 to reach the palace would be rewarded with a year named after them. As a result, 12 animals with their own distinctive characteristics and fate represent each year in the Chinese Zodiac.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 06, 2005

Triumphant finale of award-winning USPS stamp series

The strikingly beautiful Lunar New Year Stamps souvenir sheet was dedicated today by the U.S. Postal Service at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, HI. The event celebrated, commemorated and brought to a triumphant finale the award-winning and popular Lunar New Year stamp series designed by world-renowned artist Clarence Lee.

The double-sided souvenir sheet contains two of each of the Lunar New Year stamps issued over the last 12 years. Each is valued at the current 37-cent First-Class letter rate.

To commemorate the Chinese Zodiac, Lee created an intricate paper-cut design honoring each animal mentioned in an ancient Chinese fable. The fable says the emperor asked all animals to report to him on the day of the Chinese New Year, and the first 12 to reach the palace would be rewarded with a year named after them. As a result, 12 animals with their own distinctive characteristics and fate represent each year in the Chinese Zodiac.

USPS.COM
January 05, 2005

NHL All Star Stamps: Canadian Hockey Legends featured

Canada Post issue a new set of stamps on 29th January 2005 featuring six former ice-hockey stars from the NHL (National Hockey League). The new issue is the sixth and final instalment of the NHL All-Stars series.

The following six greats have been chosen to appear on the stamps:

Henri Richard
Born in 1936, Richard played Centre for the legendary Montreal Canadiens team, winning 11 Stanley Cup Championships over an amazing 20 year career history which saw him play 1256 games, score 358 goals and notch 688 assists - 1046 points.

Grant Fuhr
The greatest goalkeeper in Hockey during the 1980s, Fuhr was a major factor for the success of the Edmonton Oilers, alongside the Great One - Wayne Gretzky. Together they helped the Oilers win four Stanley Cups before the team was broken up and both departed. Fuhr continued to perform to a high standard before retiring in 2000 whilst playing for Calgary Flames.

Allan Stanley
Born in 1926, Stanley competed for more than two decades in the NHL. A highly accomplished defenseman who was able to read and anticipate the play, he won four Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Pierre Pilote
A notorious hardman, Pilote was born in a French-speaking town and claims the first words he spoke in English were, ‘do you want a fight’. He turned professional in 1951 and joined Chicago Blackhawks in 1956, captaining them to Stanley Cup victory in 1961.

Bryan Trottier
A highly talented centre, Trottier won four Stanley Cups with the excellent New York Islanders team of the early 1980s and then twice more in the early 1990s after helping to rebuild the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was inducted in to the Hall of Fame 1997 and has since become involved in coaching.

John Bucyk
A legend for the Boston Brunis, Bucyk played 21 seasons for them, five as captain and helped them to win the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. He remains the clubs top goalscorer with 545 and was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 1981."

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
January 02, 2005