Banknotes : Security marks 1d

After years and years of 'paper' banknotes, a new type of banknotes are gaining influence.
The paper isn't paper anymore, but polymer.
The correct name of the texture is Biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP).
The use of this type of polymer allows other security printing features that were not possible with paper banknotes.
As this first set of articles is only dealing with the papertype, I will come to those other features later.

Polymere banknotes were used for the first time, in Australia in 1988.
The benefit is ofcourse the enhanced durability of the notes, and the difficulties of counterfeiting them.

Some of the countries that have issued polymer banknotes so far :

In Europe : Romania

first set of polymer banknotes Romania

second set of polymer banknotes Romania - after money reform

In Central America : Mexico

In Asia : Thailand

In Asia/Australia : Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore

To be continued...

Theme : Zodiac signs 10c

All stamps, shown in the two blocks in my previous posts, were also issued as single stamps.
There are thus, two variations of each stamp.

There's a small difference in colour between the two issues, but for some of the stamps, it's very difficult to see.

The best way to see the difference, is when the border of the stamp is still attached.

Romania, zodiac signs set 1 - single stamps

Romania, zodiac signs set 2 - single stamps

The single stamps don't have the gold print above or beneath the stamps.
In stead of that, you'll see "ZODIAC (I) or (II)

Theme : Zodiac signs 10b

In my previous post, I showed the first sheet of Romania, with 6 zodiac sign stamps.
If there's a 'first' sheet, there has to be a second one of course.

Complete sheet Zodiac signs II (2011)

In this second sheet, we'll find the following (remaining) zodiac signs : Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn(us), Aquarirus and Pisces.

Detail - Sagittarius

Again, half of the hemisphere is depicted on the sheet, and we'll see the zodiac signs that were on the stamps of the first sheet.

If we put both sheets on top of eachother, we can complete the whole image :

Complete hemisphere, by putting both sheets above eachother.

Theme : Zodiac signs 10a

In 2011 Romanian postal services issued stamps on the Zodiac theme.
A sheet with 6 square stamps, depicting 6 zodiac signs : Aries, Thaurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo.

First sheet with zodiac signs : Romania 2011

Al stamps on the sheet are preceeded by their symbol  :

At the bottom we see a part of the hemisphere with the other 6 symbols.
There are two zodiac signs that I want to put under your atttention.
First of all my own : Gemini :

Gemini symbol

And secondly : Virgo, because it is symbolised by an angels (or at least a figure with wings).

As you all can guess there's also another sheet, that I will post in my next article.

To be or not to be : CTO - The very obvious ones 01 b

As said in the previous article, most countries under communist influence, have loads of CTO stamps.
Sometimes the cancel is printed together with the printing of the stamp. Where the ink of the stamp stops, the cancel stops as well.

Most Eastern European stamps of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's suffer from the same disease.
Sometimes it needs several copies of the same stamp to see the cancel was put on purpose.
Most of the stamps are still gummed, and they are 'cancelled' in the capital city in most of the cases.
All cancels are on the same date and often on the same corner of the stamp (you need 4 stamps to read the whole cancellation).
Or did you really think a very dedicated postman was cancelling all stamps at the same date, on the same way...

Especially with the stamps of the former Czechoslovakia, the gum is really nasty and can damage your albums permanently. Don't put them together in a box either, when the gum loosens, all stamps stick together.

How many reasons more to remove CTO's out of your collection!

Europe : CEPT - 02b "1956" protest stamps

Shortly after the Second World War, communist influence grew in Romania.
King Michael, king of the Romanians was under high pressure in his own country, by members of the Communist Party.
In 1947 he was forced to abdicate, when Stalin's troups were there end of december 1947.
After King Michael left, Romania became a Soviet satelite state of the former USSR

In 1956 Romania was therfor still under communist leadership.
Not everyone was happy about that, and the gouvernment in-exile issued some stamps, similar to the ones issued by the European Community for Carbon and Steel.

One can recognise the colours of the Romanian flag.

The tower that is supposed to symbolise the construction of Europe, is tumbling down on these stamps.
Also the text underneath the building is a cry for help to the western world, to help Romania (from the communist influence).

"Europa nu poate trai, fara tarile ei din est" - "Europe can not live without her eastern countries"

These 'stamps' are not official - to be considered as propaganda, or cinderellas.
But it's a nice addition to the 1956 set of CEPT stamps.

Odd stamps : 08 Stamps with special cuts - 03 d

Now to the European continent.
Many countries joined the train of issuing diamond shaped stamps too.
First the Netherlands who issued a special stamp to celebrate New Year

Another small country, but know for its stamps is Monaco.
They issued quit a lot diamond shaped stamps in the 50's and 60's of previous century :

Most of the diamond shaped stamps however I found in Easter European countries:
Hungary :

Bulgaria :

And Romania :