Odd Banknotes - 07 Thailand

Once more, for my collection of odd banknotes, I will take you to Thailand.

In 2004, Queen Sirikit celebrated her 72nd birthday.
Counting in 'cycles' of 12 years, this means the 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary.

The banknote that was issued for that occasion, is in fact a banknote with 2 front sides.
At first, I even thought that 2 different banknotes were issued.

Side 1 shows the royal couple, King Rama IX is standing and his wife, Queen Sirikit is sitting next to the king.

Side 2 shows the queen alone, with scenes from her life.

side 1

side 2

Thai people honour the royal family very much.
Also the banknote design has been well overthought.
For example, the size of the note is 72 x 162 mm.
It's the queen's 72th anniversary and 1+6+2 = 9 fererring to King Rama IX.
The serial numbers on the banknote start at 0000001 and end in 7299999.
Again we see the 72 and the number 9.

Mark the serial number, it starts also with a '9' : typical for the commemorative notes issued under King Rama 9.

young Queen Sirikit of Thailand

Odd stamps : 01c Perfumed stamps

One of my first postings on odd stamps, was dedicated to perfumed stamps.

Not many countries issue this kinds of stamps, but luckily, Belgium continued this good tradition.
And what flavour is best to add to belgian stamps... of course chocolate!

The chocolate is almost dripping off of the sheet, and a strong chocolate perfume makes you almost bite into the sheet.

We see on the sheet different kinds of presentations of chocolate: sprinkles, solid blocs of chocolate, pralines, chocolate spread and a regular chocolate bar.

The small globe on the stamps shows that the stamp is not intended for use within Belgium or even within Europe.

The sheet contains 5 stamps for sending standard letters from Belgium to any country outside Europe.
Knowing that the rate (anno 2013) for one 'world' stamp is € 1,34. (€ 1,24 if bought per 5 minimum); the sheet itself costs € 6.20 each (+/- $ 8)

http://www.bpost.be/site/nl/residential/pricing/prices.html
http://www.bpost.be/site/fr/residential/pricing/prices.html#

As the sheet doesn't fit into an standard (small) sized envelope... It costs 3 of those stamps to send it abroad. (+ € 3.72 ($ 4.80))

Belgian chocolate is delicious, but at those rates, you have already half a kilo of real belgian pralines...

Banknotes : Security marks 3b

On the back side of the new 5 euro notes, we find some new items:

We see a new type of serial number with two letters and 10 numbers (in stead of 1 letter and 11 numbers).

old (top) and new (bottom) 5 euro note

Belgian serial numbers (check code 9) jump 9 numbers each time

For the first time, we see a part of the searial number is repeated on the note.
The last 6 digits of the serial number are reprinted vertically on the note.

part of the serial number is repeated on the note

Since the European Union is expanding, new countries and languages are introduced.
Bulgaria is using the cyrillic alphabet, and therefore, "EBPO" (the bulgarian way to say EURO) is added on the notes.

3 ways to write "Euro"

A security feature that was used in the first series, and that is repeated in this set, is a gold print on the back of the note.
The number 5 and the Euro symbol (€) is visible when you hold the note on it's side.

 5 € 5 € 5 €

The other banknotes will be renewed in the future too...

Banknotes : Security marks 3a

Le beaujolais nouveau est arrivé...
Wine lovers will know this expression, when the new beaujolais wine is introduced every year.

I'm not going to talk about wine however, but about the new '5 euro' banknote, and it's security features.

I had to take a picture from the internet, as it's impossible to scan the banknotes I have.
(Of course that's the purpose of the security features, that scanning becomes impossible).

the new 5 euro note

First thing we notice is the silvery stripe (1) on the right hand side of the note.

We see the head of the Greek godess Europa, and holding the banknote in the light, the same head apprears as watermark.

watermark (Europa) in detail

Secondly, the code that refers to the printing company (2), is now clearly visible next to the silvery stripe on the right hand side of the note

A third (3) new thing, is the colour shifting 5
Previously only € 50 notes and higher, got a colour shift ink. Now this feature is also used for the 5 euro note.

colour shift in the 5

The ink on both ends of the note's front side palpable and will help blind and impaired people to recognise the notes better (see 4). Also the large "5" on the front side of the note, is printed in the same way, and is palpable.

detail of the 5 euro note

For the first time, a year (2013) is printed on the notes (5).
We also notice more abbreviations then before on the note. Bulgarian and Czech is added. (6)

Finally, (7) the signature of M. Draghi, gouvernor of the European Central Bank has been put under the European flag.

Odd stamps : 08 Stamps with special cuts - 06 h

When I started posting hexagonal stamps (and even earlier, pentagonal stamps, or even square stamps), I never had the intention to post only regular hexagons.
However, as that is a natural shape, ask the bees, it's also the most common shape when it comes to odd geometrical stamps.

And of course, the reason why I write this, is of course because today I'm presenting a non-regular hexagonal stamp.

non-regular shaped hexagon

This is one of the most odd shaped stamps I have in my collection.
Later on I will mention the odd stamps with free shapes, but this on, surely is very special.

The stamp was isssued in a small sheetlet, and as far as I know, it was also only emitted as a sheetlet.

Malaysia - sheet with hexagonal stamp

Theme : Zodiac signs 12

The following sheet, is a special one.
Well in a way, they are all special of course, but here, I didn't know whether to label it under 'odd shaped sheets' or, 'zodiac signs'.
This Indonesian sheet, has it both.

As you can see in the title, I have chosen to label it under the zodiac signs.
That is what the stamp on the sheet is about.

2007 zodiac sheet - Indonesia

In 2007, the year of the Pig was celebrated.
I can't read chinese, but 猪
is the character for 'pig'... see if you can find it on the sheet.

猪 = pig

pig = 猪

On the stamp, the image of the pig is put on top.
Around the stamp, all 12 zodiac signs are written in Chinese language.
On top of the sheet we see "12 Lambang Shio" ; 12 zodiac signs.

Currency Today : Bangladesh 03

It's time to continue with the current banknotes of Bangladesh.

I showed in previous posts already 2, 5, 10 and 2 types of 20 taka notes.
Today I present the 50 taka note and 2 versions of the 100 taka note.

As on all Bengali notes, we see the portrait of Sheik Mujibur Rhaman, first president of Bangladesh.
In the middle of the note, we also see the National Martyr's Monument (Jatiyo Smriti Soudho).

50 and two 100 taka notes (front)

On the 50 taka note, we see two men drawn by two buffalos (on a field)

On the back of the 100 taka notes, we see a mosque.
Both notes are identical in design (except for the year 2011 and 2012) - but the first one is blue on pink, the second one is monochrome blue.

On the 100 taka note, a microtext "100" is printed, can you find it?

Further on, from the 20 taka notes on, upwards, another symbol is added :

20 taka note

50 taka note

100 taka note

Odd stamps : 08 Stamps with special cuts - 01 j

What's the best way to post an Easter article...
with eggs of course.

In this series of 'round' stamps, I also included some oval stamps before.
Since 'eggs' tend to be more oval, the following two sheets deal with oval stamps.

Let me situate the origin of the stamps.
They come from a tiny island 'Bequia'.
To find it, we go to the Caribbean :

Map of the Caribbean

We zoom in into Saint Vincent and Grenada islands :

The island below Saint Vincent is Bequia Island.
It's not really a country, but part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
This island emits its own stamps.
The stamps are good quality, but as there are less then 10,000 people living on the Islands, and Saint Vincent issues its own stamps, it's an emission that can be discussed.

However, the article of today is about the odd stamps :

sheet 1 :

Full sheet - 3 eggs

 

3 eggs - Bequia

Egg n° 1 : Ruff
Egg n° 2 : Spotted Sandpiper
Egg n° 3 : Sharp-Shinned Hawk

sheet 2 :

Full sheet - 1 egg

1 egg - Bequia

Egg of Great Crested Flycatcher

Happy Easter

Odd stamps : 08 Stamps with special cuts - 04 c

I wrote already about trapezoid stamps (http://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/search/label/trapezoid) but there are more stamps in that shape.

I was on a stamp fair and that's where I found the following stamps of Tanzania.
They are CTO - unfortunatly - but from some countries that's more or less the only way to obtain the emitted stamps.
We see a weird combiation of prehistorical animals

2/- Plateosaurus

3/- Pteranodon

5/- Jurasic Brontosaurus

and 100/- Stegosaurus

and, the other values shows animals that are still alive:

7/- Lions

8/- Tiger (strange, as tigers do not live in Africa)

12/- Orang-Utang (living in Sumatra and Borneo)

20/- Elephants

This weird set is fun for children and for me (as I like the shape) but for collectors not really a hot item.
The fact that they are all CTO makes the whole set even less interesting.
However, I can't keep them away from my blog, as the 'oddness' is there...

Thai coins : 01 g - 10 baht commemorative coins

The next episode in the (almost) never ending story of commemorative coins of Thailand.

Y # 402

In 2005 (BE 2548) a coin was emitted to honour the Treasury Department.
This department, is part of the Thai Ministry of Finance.

King Rama IX - Y 402 front

seal Treasury Dept. - Y 402 back

The seal is rather small depicted on the coin.
It shows a dragon with wings - phoenix with tail.

Seal Treasury Department

Y # 411

Earlier issued, but with a higher number in the catalogue, is the next coin.
Again, a commemorative coin, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Royal Scolar Board.
The foundation of this institued in 1934, took place under King Rama VII (King Prajadhipok).

On the coin, both kings, King Rama VII and King Rama IX are depicted.

King Rama VII and King Rama IX

The back of the coin shows teh Royal Scolar Board's seal.

Royal Scolar Board's Seal

Y # 412

Another 70th anniversary that was commemorated in 2004, is the Queen's 70th anniversary.
Queen Sirikit can be found on the front of the coin; the royal seal on the back of the coin.

Queen Sirikit - Y 412 front

Royal seal - Y 412 back

Queen Sirikit of Thailand

Y # 413

The last coin for today, is not for an anniversary, but was issued at the occasion of the World IUCN Conservation Congress, that was held in Thailand in 2004.
IUCN is the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Again the front of the coins shows the bust of King Rama IX, the back of the coin shows the logo of the IUCN.

The congress was held in Bangkok in November 2004, under the titel : "People and Nature, only one world..."

IUCN 2004

Y 413 - front

Y 413 - back IUCN logo

more to follow...