Odd stamps : 02h Silver / golden stamps

Another gold foil stamp came to my attention, right at the moment that a good friend of mine was in Luxemburg.
In 1923 a statue was inaugurated, as a remembrance for the victims of the first world war, in Luxemburg, and those who volunteerd for Luxemburg in that time.
However, during the second word war, the nazis took down the momument.

It was fully restored in 1984, and is now a symbol of independence for the people of Luxemburg.
The sculptor, Nicolas (Claus) Cito, born in Luxemburg, and educated in Brussels, never saw the complete restauration, as he died in 1965.

Claus Cito, by August Macke (1906-1907)

The figure, a golden lady ("Gëlle Fra", in Luxemburgish), is inspired by Niké, the greek godess of Victory, it is a gilden bronze statue, on a 21 meter tall granite obelisk.

Gëlle Fra (Golden Lady)-monument

100 years after the first inauguration of the monument, the Luxemburg postal office, emitted a stamp to commemorate and honour the statue and the scultor.

No better way to do so, was to emit a stamp with golden overprint.
Thanks to my friend Eric, I got a postally used stamp.

postally used Gëlle Fra-stamp

But even greater was my surprise, when we met for real, and the gave me a commemorative sheet of 4, with a certificate of authenicity.

100 years of the 'Golden Lady'

this certificte states, that real gold was used

Malaysian stamp history - 01 b How it started

The history of Malaysian stamps is complicated, but therefore very interesting:

Before 1900

Straits Settlements

British Straits Settlements issue their own stamps, some stamps of India are used too, and can be recognised by their cancellations:
Malacca (B109) - Penang (B147) and Singapore (B172).
For Labuan, stamps or North Borneo, with overprint 'Labuan' are used.

Each of the 9 Malaysian states, issue their own stamps.

Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan (including the few stamps issued with Sungei Ujong overprint), later known as the Federated states, 

Federated state stamps L to R:
Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan

... and Kedah, Kelatan, Johor, Perlis andd Tregganu, or the unfederated states. In those unfederated states, before 1900, Thai stamps were used too.

L tot R : Kedah, Kelatan, Johor(e), Perlis and Tregganu

from 1900 till 1935

Perak, Pahang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan still use local stamps with their specific names on, but also issue stamps under the Federated Malay States.

Federated Malay States

from 1935 till 1941

Each state issues its own stamps again

from 1941 till World War II

A Malayan (Postal) union is formed by the formerly Straits Settlements and the 4 federated states.
Only Postage Due stamps were issued mutually.

Malayan Postal Union

During the WWII till 1948

Each of the states has overprints on their stamps, due to the Japanese (and/or Thai) occupation, sometimes
Japanese/Thai stamps are used too.

Japanese Occupation

By the end of the war, stamps overprinted with BMA (British Military Administration) are used.

BMA overprint

From 1948 (1957) till 1963

The country is united (1948) and issues stamps (1957) under the name of (federation of) MALAYA, but occasionally and for local use only, each state issues serveral sets of stamps (joint issues with same design, different state names).

After 1963

Saba (North Borneo), Sarawak, Singapore (for two years only) join in and the country changes its name to Malaysia. Also here, serveral joint issues with different state names are issued now and then.

Joint issue for all Malaysian states

to be continued...

Malaysian stamp history - 01 a How it started

Malaysian stamps are great to collect.
Collectors of various topics, will find a wide range of stamps at reasonable prices.
Going from fauna and flora, over buildings, to oddly shaped stamps like circles, diamonds, triangles, trapezoids, pentagonal and even L-shaped stamps were issued.

Catalogue of Malaysia

Starting with the 'creation' of Malaysia on Sept. 16, 1963, all issues baring the name of Malaysia, were valid throughout the country - with one exception for a set issued in 1979, for Kuala Lumpur only (7 values).
But when you make up a chronological collection, before the formation of Malaysia, it becomes a labyrinth.

When the Federation of Malaysia was formed in 1963, it consisted of the Malayan Federation, Sabah (aka North Borneo), Sarawak and Singapore. This last one, left the Federation in 1965, and is independent since.

Map of Malaysia with Singapore

This Malayan Federation was formed in 1948, but only started issuing it's own stamps from 1957 on.
The second World War was mainly the reason for this Federation, as many territories were under occupation for some time in 1942 by Japanese forces, and some by Thai forces. And later in 1945-1948 under British Military Administration (BMA - overprints).

For a short time, (1936-1965), all states used the same Postage Due stamps. This was called the Malayan Postal Union.

Similar to the Federation of Malaysia, some Malayan territories were joined with former British (crown) colonies. All stamps in this era bare the name of (Federation of) MALAYA. Within this federation, Malacca and Penang (British), 4 already federated states and 5, until then unfederated states, were joined.

The 'federated states' were (Perak, Negri Sembilan (+Singei Ujong), Pahang and Selangor), the 'unferderated states'  (Kedah, Kelatan, Johor(e), Perlis and Trengganu).
These federated states issued stamps from 1900 on, under the name of 'Federated Malay States', till 1935, then they issued their own stamps again till the second World War.

The unfederated states, kept issuing stamps under their own name all the time, also till the second World War.

Finally the Malayan federation also had 4 British territories : Malacca, Penang.
These two territories, formed, with Signapore and Labuan (now part of Borneo), the so-called 'Straits Settlements'. They issued stamps under the name 'Straits Settlements' from 1867 till 1941.

Now to make it all even more complicated, each of the states (whether federated or unfederated) and the formerly British territories Malacca and Penang (later called Pulau Pinang) kept issuing their own stamps.
Mostly for lower denomination, to be used within the state itself (local post).

to be continued ...

0-euro notes : 1 g. Dinant : Adolphe Sax

Where in my previous post, I talked about the most famous building in Dinant (Belgium), today I present its most famous inhabitant, Adolphe Sax (1814-1894).
Sax already appeared on a 200 belgian franc note in 1994 :
http://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/2021/01/belgian-notes-pre-euro-01b-series-1994.html

Adolphe Sax and the saxophone (2019)

 

To honour Adolphe Sax, a 0-euro note with his image, and of course a saxophone, was issued in 2019.
Entering the city from train station, will lead to the Charles de Gaulle bridge.
The bridge was destroyed on 12 May 1940, to prevent field marshal Rommel taking the city.
The city was eventually liberated by the American forces on September 7, 1944.
Now, you can find several saxophones along both sides of the bridge.

Ch. de Gaulle bridge with saxophones

Each saxophone is representing an allied country . Some saxophones are not on the bridge but can be found in the city.

My dog overlooking Dinant city

0-euro notes with Adolphe Sax, can be bought in the souvenir shop nex to the main church.
There you also find the longest stairways of Belgium, 408 steps bring you to the citadel, 150 m higher.
You can take the cable car next to it too, or another option is to walk through the woods, starting at the open air theater in Dinant.

Open air theater, Dinant

0-euro notes : 1 f. Belgium : Dinant Citadelle

For the next 0-euro note, I take you to the south of Belgium.

Along the Meuse (Maas) river  serveral cities have fortified sites overlooking the city.
These fortifications are called 'citadels'. The word is derived from the diminutive of the italian word for city : 'citta'. This 'cittadella' is a smal city in the city, strongly fortified to protect the city often from a higher point.

Dinant in Belgium (French speaking part)

Along the Meuse river alone, Huy, Namur, Liège and Dinant have similar citadels.

Citadel of Dinant, seen from the river bank

The first time the citadel is mentioned, is in 1051, when Dinant is ruled by the prince-bishop of Liège, within the Holy Roman Empire.

Later on, when the region came under French and later Dutch influence, the citadel was modernised and its current structure dates from 1815.

In 2016, a 0-euro note was issued, depicting the citadel together with the church in front.
Also a soldier refers to the role Dinant has played in both first as second world war.
 

Charles de Gaulle, lieutenant in the French army in 1914, attempts to liberate the city of Dinant on August 15. He gets injured while crossing the bridge with his troops.
One week later, on August 23, 1914, German troups execute 674 people in various places in the city, and by the end of the day, fire was set to the buildings in the city, destroying 1100 houses and buildings

0-euro note 'Citadelle de Dinant'

The bridge connecting both sides of the city is named after Charles de Gaulle.