Canada - 50th anniversary of Formula 1 in Canada: Formula 1 has always been a big thing in Canada from the very beginning in 1967, when the first Canadian Grand Prix took place. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Formula 1 racing in Canada, the Canadian postal service issued a commemorative set of stamps, featuring 5 great drivers from different periods. Though the drivers competed at different points in time, they all played a large role in the development of Formula 1 as we know it today. The five stamps depict Sir Jackie Stewart, Gilles Villeneuve, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. The risks of racing becomes evident, when you take the faiths of two of these drivers into account - Villeneuve and Senna. Both of these were fan-favorites, and both ended their lives in fatal crashes in a Formula 1 racer. Many of the safety features in the current racers are consequences of these tragic accidents. Of the five racers depicted, only Lewis Hamilton is still active. He is in the prime of his career, and holds a wide range of records, and list can only be expected to expand in the coming years. The stamps are denominated at the domestic rate in Canada, and are here seen as a pane of five stamps. The stamps can be found in our catalogue. France - Reflections of the world: This issue might not be as recent as they often are, but we decided that this one was worth it. On January 7th, the French postal service issued this booklet of 12 stamps, which feature beautiful scenes from around the world. What is particular is, that the scenes are all reflected on a body of water, producing spectacular views. The scenes on the stamps are from all around the globe with almost all the continents represented, and such diverse places as USA, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Japan. The stamps are denominated at the priority rate in France, and can be found in our catalogue. |