Theme : Zodiac signs 11d

4/12 Year of the Dragon (2000)

In the year 2000, we started the year of the Dragon.
It's the fifth sign in the cycle, but the fourth sheet that was issued by Canada.

The sign of the Dragon, can be compared to the wester sign Aries.
The Dragon personality The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. A symbol of good fortune and sign of intense power, the Oriental Dragon is regarded as a divine beast - the reverse of the malicious monster that Westerners felt necessary to find and slay. In Eastern philosophy, the Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune and a master of authority. Therefore, those people born in Dragon years are to be honored and respected.

Canada - Year of the Dragon - 2000

If we take a closer look to the stamp on the sheet, we'll see 2 dragons, facing eachother.

stamp out of the sheet
only the left part is a stamp, the right side isn't

the dragons look like embroided

When we turn the sheet, we see clearly that both dragons are emobossed, this gives us even more the impression that both dragons are embroided.

back side, embossed dragon

The sheet itself is special too, in this way that the borders of the sheet are round.

left upper corner of the sheet

Truly a beautiful sheet, and of of the better from the set of 12 zodiac sheets that were issued by Canada.

Famous Dragons are : Joan of Arc, Susan B. Anthony, Florence Nightingale, Sigmund Freud, Mae West, John Lennon, Bruce Lee, Keanu Reeves, Orlando Bloom, Colin Farrell, and Sandra Bullock.


Years of the Dragon : 1904 - 1916 - 1928 - 1940 - 1952 - 1964 - 1976 - 1988 - 2000 - 2012 - 2024

Next : Snake

Microstates : 19 Principality of Thomond (bogus)

A new set of cinderellas, and this time we have to go to Ireland.

Europe was once devided in hundreds of small 'independent' kingdoms.
From roughly 1118 till 1543 the Kingdom of Thomond (Irish: Tuadhmhumhain, meaning North Munster, now spelled Tuamhain); was a kingdom in the south western part of Ireland.

Kingdom of Munster

norther part of Munster : Kindom of Thomond

The first king of Thomond (Conchobar MacDiarmada Ó Briain) was a nephew of the King of Munster.
He was also related to the Brian Boru; high king of Ireland, founder of the O'Brien dynasty.

The kingdom of Munster was abolished around 1138.
The whole area was split up into the kingdoms of Thomond (north), Desmond (south), and Ormond (east), all of which were eventually subsumed by surrender and regrant as Earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland.

The rules of Thomond came mainly from the O'brien clan, but throughout history, the list of successors was often interrupted by murders, family spit ups and reinstalling the blood line of the first O'brien.
After the kindom was abolished, the rulers came under English jurisdiction and as a favour to their loyalty, the were taken into their nobility. The last king of Thomond, became 1st Baron Inchiquin, Earl of Thomond.
On july 15. 1943, Conor Myles John O'brien, (18th Baron Inchiquin, Prince of Thomond) was born. He's still part of Irish nobility now.

The "stamps" however are bogus.
They are not so common, and I haven't seen many in complete sets.

full ? set of Thomond cinderellas (early 60's)

The same set of 12 stamps were also overprinted with 'Europa 1961' ; probably an attempt to get European attention or to be picked up by collectors.

One of the stamps seems to have a print on the back side, but it's more likely that the ink of one of the overprints was transferred to the other stamps' back when putting them together.

I'll continue searching for more ...

Microstates : 11 State of Oman - bogus

The Sultanate of Oman

Area: About 309,500 sq. km. (approximately the size of the State of New Mexico). It is bordered on the north by the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), on the northwest by Saudi Arabia, and on the southwest by the Republic of Yemen. The Omani coastline stretches 3,165 km.

The real "Sultanate of Oman" issues stamps that are real, and recognised by UPU.

The 'State of Oman',
also known as Dhufar (sometimes transliterated as Dhofar or Zufar) is one of the main regions of the Sultanate of Oman. Although Dhufar is historically, geographically and culturally distinct from Oman, there was always a close relationship between Oman and this region due to geographic proximity. The region was brought under closer control of Muscat's Al Bu Sa'idi sultans towards the end of the 19th century in an effort to thwart Ottoman designs upon Dhufar. Since then, Dhufar has always been an integral part of the Sultanate of Oman (officially known as Sultanate of Muscat and Oman before 8 August 1970).


Oman proper was ruled by Ibadite imams who exercised spiritual and often temporal authority over the region. There were often tensions between these imams and the sultans of Muscat and in 1913, the election of Salim ibn Rashid al-Kharusi as imam led to the proclamation of the Imamate of Oman with its capital at Nizwa.
In 1954, a new imam, Ghalib bin Ali, attempted to gain further Omani independence from Muscat, an effort that took Sultan Said Bin Taimur of Muscat and his British suzerains five years to suppress. In 1957, Nizwa was taken, the imam was overthrown and exiled, and his position was abolished. In 1959, the last forces of the Imamate were defeated. The name of the whole of Muscat and Oman was changed to the Sultanate of Oman.

The gouvernment in exile in Dhufar tried to establish an independent area in the north, and used also postage stamps to underline this 'independency'.
However, more than a year passed between his original plans for Dhufar stamps and their first issue. In the meantime, the situation for Oman Imamate State stamps became increasingly difficult: the imamate organization in exile gradually eroded in 1971 / 1972 as more and more Omani exiles and former followers of the Imam returned to Oman where Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id had taken over from his father Sa'id bin Taimur on 23 July 1970. Friendly ties were soon established between the new Sultanate government and other Arab countries, including those which had hitherto supported the Imam.

The Sultanate of Oman acceded to the Arab Postal Union (with effect from 1 July 1971), to the Universal Postal Union (17 August 1971), the League of Arab States (29 September 1971) and to the United Nations (7 October 1971). After the Sultanate of Oman's accession to the APU, the Jordanian postal administration ceased to accept letters with Oman Imamate State stamps, thus depriving Tadros of the facility of producing postally used covers. Ultimately, the Syrian postal administration helped out: letters with Oman Imamate State stamps were accepted in Damascus in March and June 1972, which enabled Tadros to stay in business with his "State of Oman" and the new "Dhufar" stamps for a few more months. 

The definitive issue of 15 April 1972 thus was the first and last Dhufar issue for which postally used covers exist.
From 1972 to 1986, stamps were produced without further legimity, both mint and CTO, as well as "First Day Covers", none of which, however, could be used postally.

source : http://www.oman.org/phil85.htm

Following stamps are from "the state of Oman" and are bogus.

the name of the capital city Nizwa is spelled Nazwa!

On these cinderellas, the name 'state of Oman' changed into 'Dhufar'

... Any similarity to the labels of 'Staffa' ?
Popular themes on these labels are : scouting, domestic animals, wildlife, sports, music, paintings and historic personalities... in order to please all theme collectors.

Theme : Zodiac signs 11c

3/12 Year of the Rabbit (1999)

The third sheet in the Zodiac set, was issued in 1999, this is the year of the rabbit.

The rabbit is one of the most delicate animals among all 12 animals. Rabbits are usually kind and sweet and of course, popular people. Nobody ignores them, for they are good company and know how to make the best of themselves.

1999 Canada : year of the Rabbit, round sheet

A rabbit's home is always a beautiful one cause Rabbit people are famous for their artistic sense and good taste. They are also usually well-dressed. Go check out your Rabbit friend's closet, I bet you will find many expensive and beautiful clothing there.
But even though they are popular and loved by their friends and family, rabbit people are also pessimistic. They are conservative and insecure, and that explains why most of the them don't like changes.

rabbit stamp out of the sheet

Some Famous Rabbits: Harry Belafonte, Ingrid Bergman, Lewis Carroll, John Cleese, Peter Falk, Peter Fonda, James Fox, David Frost, Cary Grant, Oliver Hardy, Bob Hope, Whitney Houston, John Hurt, Michael Keaton, John Keats, Julian Lennon, Arthur Miller, Roger Moore, Tatum O'Neal, George Orwell, Neil Simon, Jane Seymour, Dusty Springfield, Sting, Orson Welles, Norman Wisdom.

Years of the Rabbit : 1903 - 1915 - 1927 - 1939 - 1951 - 1963 - 1975 - 1987 - 1999 - 2011 - 2023

Next : Dragon

Theme : Zodiac signs 11b

2/12 Year of the Tiger (1998)

The second sheet in the Zodiac set, was issued in 1998 and shows us the year of the Tiger.

1997 Canada : year of the Ox

The Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese zodiac signs.
In western zodiac, the Tiger can be compared with the Aquarius sign

1998 stamp : year of the Tiger

People born in the year of the tiger are often sensitive and emotional. They are capable of great love, but they may also become too intense about it. Sometimes they are territorial and possessive. If your friend or beloved is a tiger type and he/she wants you to take his/her side against the bad guys, you most likely will do it. As lovers, tiger people are passionate and romantic, but the real challenge for them is to grasp the true meaning of moderation.

Tiger type of people are often attracted by people with an independent character, but it is important to remember that even if that people are stimulated by the tiger's company and admire tiger's energy, they can still manage without them. Tiger person is usually not afraid to express his/her emotions and feelings, but it is natural for him/her to change his/her preferences. Tiger person needs a partner who remains steady and constant, and quietly pursues their own plans.

Some Famous Tigers: Sir David Attenborough, Natalie Wood, Tom Berenger, Agatha Christie, H.G. Wells, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Dickinson, Isadora Duncan, Roberta Flack, Frederick Forsyth, Jodie Foster, Stevie Wonder Sir Alec Guiness, Hugh Hefner, William Hurt, Dylan Thomas, Marilyn Monroe, Demi Moore, Beatrix Potter, Diana Rigg, Lionel Ritchie, Kenny Rogers.

Years of the Tiger : 1902 - 1914 - 1926 - 1938 - 1950 - 1962 - 1974 - 1986 - 1998 - 2010 - 2022

Next : Rabbit

Theme : Zodiac signs 11a

The sheets I'm going to present you in the next series, is about the Chinese zodiac signs.
It's a set of 12 sheets, that were issued by Canadian post between 1997 and 2008.
The sheets and stamps could as well have been listed under 'odd shaped stamps', 'odd shaped sheets', or even 'embossed stamps' (a set of articles that will be posted in the future.

But, as the main topic of these sheets is the zodiac signs, I have listed them here.

I can tell you now that the first set (Ox and Tiger) are already spectacular, and it will only get better ...

1/12 Year of the Ox (1997)

The first sheet was issued in 1997.
2009 was also a year of the Ox, but the stamps issued in 2009 are not part of this special series.

1997 Canada : year of the Ox

The sheet is shaped as a fan, but the 2 stamps are regular stamps.

1997 stamp : year of the Ox

The Ox is second of twelve Chinese astrological signs.
(This set started with the Ox)
Chinese astrological signs follow the same twelve year cycle, and thus the Year of the Ox occurs every dozen years.

The sign, when compared with Western astrology, is roughly equivolent to Capricorn.
People born under this sign are hardworking, caring and, like their animal counterpart, obstinate and sturdy.
Security is key for Ox-born people, and they make great efforts to ensure their environments are safe and stable.
They aren't massive risk-takers, and prefer working through an issue rather than making quick decisions.
When that is translated to the yearly cycle, Ox years tend to be ones in which people seek stability above all else.

Financial security is important in Ox years, as is hard work and tenacity. 2009 is the year to sow the seeds for future success and prosperity.
The year is likely to end far more volatile than it began, as the Chinese horoscope cycle prepares to move into Tiger.

Several famous people are born in the year of the Ox, US President Barack Obama. George Clooney, Richard Gere, Merryl Streep, Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana are also born under this sign.
Though Ox aren't known for their skills in the arts, some of the most famous names in the art work, including Vincent Van Gogh and Picasso are born under this sign.
Oxen are known to be stubborn and bull-headed, and many notorious people are born in these years. Most notably, Napolean Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein.

Years of the Ox : 1901 - 1913 - 1925 - 1937 - 1949 - 1961 - 1973 - 1985 - 1997 - 2009 - 2021

Next : Tiger

Odd stamps : 08 Stamps with special cuts - 05 b

It's been a while since I started my topic on odd shaped stamps.
I didn't realise that I only had one article on pentagonal stamps so far.
So, time for a small update...

In 2000, US post emitted a sheet with 5 pentagonal stamps dedicated to the exporation of the solar system.
The sheet indeed shows us several planets, with Saturn and a/the Moon as background and 5 pentagonal stamps forming a bigger pentagon.

full sheet 'exploring the solar system' (USA - 2000)

3 of the 5 stamps are pictures of the Sun, it's centre and the eruptions on the sun's surface.
The other 2 stamps are depicting the Earth, seen from space and the sky, seen from Earth.

detail with 5 pentagonal stamps

When flipping the sheet, you can clearly see the 5 pentagons, placed in a way that shaped formed in the middle is an upside down pentagon.
The whole images of 5 stamps, forms another, bigger pentagon again.

detail of the back side of the sheet

Odd stamps : 08 Stamps with special cuts - 06 g

Hexagonals will always be my favourite kind of stamps.
My friend from Hong Kong surprised me with this nice set of 4 hexagonal stamps.

These stamps on 'civil education' were issued as single stamps, and came also in a sheet, containing 4 of each stamps.
The full sheet is not in my collection (yet) but the single stamps I can present to you today.

4 single hexagonal stamps of Hong Kong (2007)

The 4 stamps were issued in 2007 and have the following values and topics :

1 $ 40 : Human rights
2 $ 40 : Rule of Law
3 $ : Social Participation
5 $ : Corporate Citizenship

hexagonal 5$ stamp of Hong Kong (2007)

The individual stamps and the full sheet come in flashy pink - purple colours
I hope I can add the full sheet later on.

Odd stamps : 06 f Stamps on cotton / silk

Italy is the country of fashion and style, no doubt about that.
A famous name is Arnaldo Caprai, maybe not a name that will ring a bell with everyone, but surely a name to remember.

Arnaldo Caprai

Caprai was born in Turin in 1933. His father was a railroad worker and his mother a houswife, deeply involved in social acitivities.
At the age of 22, after having various jobs, he started selling household linnen in Central Italy.
Five decades later, he has build an enormous collection of over 24.000 pieces of textile, and this is considered as being the largest private textile collecion in the world!
http://www.museocaprai.it/en/index.php

wedding dress from Caprai's collection

In 2004 Poste Italiane (the Italian Postal service) together with Arnaldo Caprai produced a letter stamp to honour lace. It is aan auto adhesive stamp made with machine-embroidery.

Unused stamp on glossy paper background

Embroided stamp of Italy 2004

The stamp bares the initals of Caprai (A C) at the right bottom.
Postally used stamps are rare, and if anyone has such a cancelled stamp in double, let me know :-)

Odd stamps : 03d 3D stamps (moving)

3D stamps will always be spectacular. to look at...
Not to print, or to be put on a website like this one.

Thunderbirds' lenticular sheet (from UK's Royal Mail website)

The pic above was taken from the website of the UK's Royal Mail. As my picture is less fancy...

same sheet, my scan ...

The UK's royal mail created a set of lenticular stamps to honour the work of Supermarionation legend Gerry Anderson MBE and his team at Century 21 Productions. The lenticular stamps feature the countdown and launch sequence of all the legendary Thunderbirds craft from the iconic 1960's series' title sequence.

Some episodes have been on (British) television in the 90's as well, but I'm not sure if young readers will remember the Thunderbirds as the British science fiction television series.
It was first broadcasted during 1965 and 1966, devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by their company, AP Films, using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation". 
The series followed the adventures of International Rescue, a secretive organisation created to help those in grave danger using technically advanced equipment and machinery launched from its hidden Tracy Island base. The series focused on the head of the organisation, ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy, and his five sons who piloted the "Thunderbird" crafts. Its London agent, Lady Penelope, also makes frequent appearances. The series has benefited from periodic revivals since - as well as subsequently inspiring other television programmes and advertisements, theatrical productions, feature films and substantial merchandise.

Thunderbirds in action

It's not easy to make scans of 3D images, so I tried to scan the sheet in different ways, hoping to give an impression of the images that can be seen on the 4 lenticular stamps.

view on the lenticlar sheet

Another view on the lenticular sheet

The stamps have also been issued as non-lenticular images.

I found this video on the 3D sheetlet :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k05u3mIltG0#t=22s

more to follow ...