AUSTRIA – Birdpex 9

Birds in Philately are presented in a special exhibition known as Birdpex. Beginning in 1990 in New Zealand, the exhibition has occurred periodically around the world.  In late August, Austria became the ninth country to host the event. In addition to stamps, postal history, postcards and maximaphily are included. An international exhibition, Birdpex 2022, was open to first-time exhibitors. Austria issued a single €2.30 stamp featuring a mute swan floating on a mirror-like lake. The stamp designed by Marion Fuller was issued August 27 and is available from here.

ESTONIA – Piano Making

Piano making in Estonia has been documented as early as 1779 and during the late 19th and early 20th centuries the craft flourished with almost 20 piano companies in the country. The handmade piano of Ernst Hiis-Ihse was one of the best known, with his 1893 version becoming the prototype of Estonian pianos. After World War II, the company produced two main types primarily for the Eastern market. Today. the company is owned by pianist Dr. Indrek Laul, who added three more models. The Estonia Post website states that “The newly warm, musical Estonia sound and the quality of craftsmanship has captured hearts around the world.” Issued on August 25, the €0.90 stamp is available online from here.

FRANCE – Council of Europe

Following World War II and the massive abuse of human rights therein, the Council of Europe was founded in 1949 with its 46-member states striving to ensure the safeguarding of human rights, defend democracy and preserve the rule of law. La Poste saluted the council with a single €1.65 stamp issued on September 9. The Igor Dukic-design stresses gender equality with the eyes symbolically rendered with male and female symbols. Dukic states, “For me, making art is a spiritual practice. I create from a place of no mind; from inner stillness.” The stamp is available in sheets of 15 from here.

GREAT BRITAIN – Transformers

Beginning in the 1980s, the American science fiction franchise Transformers started as a toy line before evolving into animated television shows, comic books and live action films. Royal Mail released a set of eight special stamps depicting scenes with fighting Autobots and Decepticons similar to the animated TV series. In keeping with the Transformers catch phrase “More than meets the eye,” the stamps are printed with a hidden ink, “which reveals each of the character’s faction logos and names in the Cybertronian alphabet when UV light is shone on it.” Images on the stamps include  Optimus Prime, Megatron,  Shockwave and Soundwave. The stamps issued September 1 are available in numerous formats from here.

GREENLAND – Europa Stories and Myths

The Europa 2022 Stories and Myths series continued with two stamps on August 31 from Greenland. Designed by renowned artist Aka Høegh, the two self-adhesive stamps are also available in a stamp booklet. The artist said of the stamps, “The first stamp symbolizes Inuit narratives . . .  I have drawn two mask-like faces to represent that our stories are told and passed on.” The second stamp “depicts a myth about the children between the willow twigs . . . an Inuit narrative of the genesis of man.” The stamps are available in sheets of 10 or self-adhesive booklets from here.

HUNGARY – Hungarian Rock Classics

Continuing a series of stamps featuring rock classics, Magyar Posta released a souvenir sheet marking the 50th anniversary of the band, Lord. The sheet was released September 2 in two varieties, one with a red control number, consisting of 4,000 imperforate copies; the other with a black number and a round perforated stamp numbering 50,000 copies. The band was formed in 1972 and its first album, “Big City Lights,” was released in 1985 with 14 to follow up until 2018. The band won a lifetime achievement award in 2004 and the European Golden Artist International Quality Award the following year. The band is still active and performing. Souvenir sheets are available from here.

MONACO – Prince’s Palace Frescoes

Prince Albert II of Monaco commissioned a restoration process of the inner and outer decor of his residence five years ago. One of the frescoes that was restored was on the ceiling of the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace and depicts a scene from Nekya, an episode from Homer’s Odyssey in which Odysseus goes to the gates of hell. The stamp shows a detail of the fresco “in which a shadow from the realm of the dead stands out against the darkened skies.” According to the palace Facebook page “the restoration team uses only natural to respect the environment and integrity of the building.” Issued on July 11, the €1.43 stamp was released in sheets of 10 and is available from here.

PORTUGAL – The Lord of the Rings

Correios de Portugal, in partnership with Peter Jackson’s big screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, issued a set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet depicting characters and scenes from the epic trilogy. The stamps, released on September 2, feature Sauron, the titular Lord of the Rings, (€0.57); Gollum, a Hobbit corrupted by the One Ring (€0.95); Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit entrusted to destroy the evil One Ring (€1.00); and Aragorn, heir to the throne of Gondor (€1.05). The One Ring connects the four stamps when placed together. A €4.00 souvenir sheet showing the One Ring and scenes from the films completes the set. Issued in sheets of 50 the stamps are available from here.

UNITED NATIONS – The Great Spa Towns of Europe

 The Great Spa Towns of Europe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of 11 famous historic spa towns and cities in seven countries. Called a transnational series they make up one “property,” representing a unique cultural phenomenon that helped to shape Europe. Six stamps designed by Rorie Katz were issued September 9 by U.N. Postal. The images include the spas at: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, the largest open-air salon of Europe (60c); Montecatini Terme, Italy, a center for balneological treatment ($1.40); Spa, Belgium, whose mineral waters brought the word “spa” into the English language (CHF 1,10); Vichy, France, the most prestigious French spa town (CHF 1,50); Baden-Baden, Germany, with a tradition of healing waters from antiquity (€ 1,00); and Baden bei Wien, Austria, a favorite summer resort of the once ruling Habsburgs (€ 1,80). The stamps are available in several formats from here.