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October 2016 | | Dear Member, This week the newsletter includes a little trivia about stamp design, which you can read much more about below. We also have two very interesting recent stamp issues from Spain and USA respectively, as well as great offers from the Autumn Brochure from Nordfrim, which came out this week. You can read much more about all of this below - happy reading! | | | | Fun Fact of the Day As you probably know, one of the most striking characteristics of a stamp, and the easiest form of recognition, is the name of the issuing country on the stamp. As part of an international agreement among postal authorities, all countries are required to print the name of the country on the stamp, among other things, in order to recognize the issuer. 
But then, what is this? This stamp doesn't carry the name of any issuing authority, and it is not just a crazy coincidence. As the rule states there can be "No rule without an exception", and there is an exception to the name rule. Great Britain is the only country in the world, which does not have to print the name of the country on the stamps. Here is why. Following The Great Post Office Reform in Britain, and after trying a wide range of alternative payment options for sending mail, a breakthrough was made, as Britain moved to a postal system which incorporated fixed rates for sending letters. This in turn lead to the development of proof of payment, where an adhesive label was added to the letter. The reform took place in 1839, and already in 1840, the first ever postal stamp was issued - the Penny Black. As the stamp was issued for national postage purposes, there was no reason to add the issuing country to the stamp. Even after cooperation with foreign postal services began, the design was respected, and it was agreed that British stamps did not have to include the name of the country, as long as the stamp included the current royal regent of Britain in the design. This agreement still holds today, and there seems to be no rush to change it. 
The first time a British stamp included the word "Britain" in the design, was in a special commemorative issue in celebration of the Festival of Britain in 1951, as seen above. | | Current and Upcoming Stamp Issues | | Correos Spain - 7 New wonders of the World - Taj Mahal In this issue of September 23rd, one of the 7 new wonders of the world is depicted - The Taj Mahal in India. The Taj Mahal was commissioned in 1631 by Shah Jahan, and was finished in 1643, although the gardens were not completed until five years later. The Taj Mahal, also known as Crown of Palaces, stands as a monument in honor of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. Taj Mahal is one of the most impressive pieces of architecture in the world, and in 1983 it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 2007 it was included in the list of the World's 7 New Wonders. In 2015 Correos Spain issued three stamps commemorating three of the other 7 Wonders. So it is probably safe to assume that they will also issue similarly themed stamps in 2017. The stamp can be found in the Stampworld Catalogue.  United States Postal Service - Jack O'Lantern
On September 29th 2016, something extraordinary happened - USPS issued its first ever Halloween themed stamps, as they are expanding their holiday themed issues. In their first Halloween issue, what could be more suitable than the popular carved pumpkins, also known as Jack O,Lanterns, which are so strongly tied to the Halloween tradition. There are many stories about the origin of the Jack O'Lanterns, but according to folklore, Jack tricked Satan into promising him that his soul would never be taken to hell. Satan kept is promise, but when Jack ended up dying, his soul wasn't allowed into heaven, nor was it allowed in hell. Hence, Jack's soul was forced to wander the face of the earth forever, looking for a resting place. To light his path, Satan gave him an ember from hell, which he placed inside a carved turnip. The sweet yet spooky stamps can be found in the Stampworld Catalogue. | | Nordfrim - New Brochure Out Now! 
Nordfrim is one of the leading sources, if you wish to add to your collection, or if a certain accessory is a must-have, on your quest for the perfect stamp collection. What ever your goal is, Nordfrim will be more than able to help. They always carry more than 13,000 items in stock, and they likely have exactly what you are looking for. This week, Nordfrim's big Autumn Brochure came out, and it features more than 60 pages of great offers, covering everything you may need for your stamp collection. 
Of all the items in the brochure, we are particularly excited about the Western Germany kiloware, the Giant Cuban High Quality Collection, and the Chinese 2014 Year Pack. However, there are hundreds of other great offers in the brochure and we encourage you to check it out here. | | Are you looking for the gold standard in Catalogues? If you are looking for a catalogue, which is both useful and comprehensive, look no further. MICHEL Catalogues have been the gold standard for decades, when it comes to philately, and they are especially strong in the Western European countries, where they roam as the uncrowned king. MICHEL have the benefit of being both broad and deep. They are very strong in general catalogues, but also have a very wide range of specialized catalogues, and this duplicity makes MICHEL so very useful, as a collector can stick with one type of catalogue, although their specific philatelic interests may change over time. At Stampworld, we encourage you to see what MICHEL have to offer in your area of interest - they will almost certainly cover your interest as well. You can see their wide assortment on their website. | | Status at Stampworld As you may have noticed, our bi-weekly newsletter comes a week later than usual. We have been so busy with making improvements to the website, that we decided to wait a little with the newsletter. Since the last newsletter much has happened. We recently switched to a new server, in order to accommodate the growing interest in the site we see from all parts of the world. We have spent the last few days catching bugs, and it looks like we are getting there. However, if something should still be less than optimal, we will appreciate your feedback. Each day, more than 2,000 stamps are added for sale, and the number just keeps rising, along with the number of active sellers on the site. If you are interested in becoming a seller on Stampworld, you can find more information about the different options here. You are also welcome to contact us directly on support@stampworld.com. At Stampworld, we continue to improve your experience when using the site. In order for us to personalize the experience for you even further, we need to know your philatelic interests. You can fill out these by going to your user profile at Stampworld. You can also find it here (if you are logged in to your account). | | | | To stay informed about everything happening at Stampworld.com you can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.You can also keep an eye on the website, as improvements are implemented regularly. | | | | |
