Malta Post 2013 - Treasures of Malta Series - Fountains

Are you familiar with the country of Malta? I am not, at least not until recently. This country to the south of the European continent may be minuscule compared to most of its bigger sisters, but it held honors which cast no doubt on its significance in history. It is the first and one of only two collective holder of the George Cross Award, the famous residence site of Knights Hospitaller, otherwise known as Knights of Malta, and the summit host for the meeting which signified the end of Cold War. 

SingPost 2013 - Definitives - Pond Life 2013

SingPost (Singapore Post) had launched the 2013 definitives with pond life as its title. Both stamps employed plants on their image, and with natural ponds so rare in Singapore, this may become the way for younger generation to get to know the habitat that is shrinking in size and popularity. 

The Geli-geli (lasia spinosa) and Water Gentian (nymphoides indica) are both aquatic plants. The former is quite familiar to me – maybe this is one of the plants which I usually noticed when I linger near ponds in my childhood. The latter resembles a snowflake on a pond, which is sometimes how it is called, Water Snowflake. Unfortunate for me, I had never come across this before, but I believe that it may be very beautiful to see a colony of these floating on a pond. 

Water Gentian, otherwise known as and resembles Water Snowflake, as seen in this photograph by Truls Cronberg in Botswana.

Interested readers and philatelists are invited to have a good look at the available stamps inn SingPost’s website.

Date of Issue:       20 March 2013 

Denominations:      1st and 2nd local
Stamp Size:          20mm x 27mm

Perforation:          14  

Paper:                 Unwatermarked  

Printing Process:   Rotogravure
Designer:             Eric Kong (Design Vizio)

Philately and Numismatics

With a renewed interest in philately and numismatic, I found that I can be writing about such stuff in a blog dedicated to my traveling adventures. I am used to studying the cultural and religious differences of the people, be it a foreign or familiar land, while marveling at the wonders Mother Nature gave breath to as well as that which Man built in defiance of nature, sometimes even destroying it in the process. 

And philately and numismatics are undeniably an inseparable part of the development of a human civilization. Being the branch of study of stamps and postal history, as well as the collection of such items, philately tells the story of how mankind despises loneliness and thirsts for communication. 

Penny Black, the world's first postage stamp (taken from Wikipedia).