ARMENIA – Armenian Cartoons

A scene from the animated film “Vin the Penguin” is shown on a stamp issued July 29 by the Armenian postal service. The 200-dram stamp shows a scene from the Stepan Andranikyan short released in 1972. The cartoon tells the story of a small penguin named Vin as he sets off for the first time, completely alone, on a journey where he learns to tell friends from enemies. Andranikyan (1927-2017) was the art director and director of animated films for StudioHayfilm (Armenfilm) Studio for more than 50 years. In 2010, Andranikyan was awarded the Armenian Culture Ministry gold medal for significant contribution to Armenian animation. The stamp is available online from here. 

BRAZIL – Bicentennial of Brazilian Independence

Since 2017, a partnership between the Brazilian Post Office and the Chamber of Deputies has worked to release a series of stamps commemorating the 200 years of Brazil’s independence. The series concluded on June 29 with the stamp shown. Under the country name and title is a painting by Georgina Moura Andrade de Albuquerque titled “Session of the Council of Ministers,” which is part of the Collection of the National Historical Museum. A second painting, a portrait of Emperor Dom Pedro I by Simplício Rodrigues de Sá, from the collection of the Imperial Museum is shown below that. Purchase information is available here.

CANADA – Vintage Carousels

Canada Post used a round carousel-inspired design to compliment the set of four vintage carousel horses and one lion issued on July 21. Drawn from carousels at five locations across Canada, the images include animals from Lakeside Park Carousel (St. Catharines, Ontario), Bowness Carousel (Calgary), C.W. Parker Carousel No. 119 (Burnaby, British Columbia), Roseneath Carousel (Roseneath, Ontario) and Le Galopant (Montreal). The figures feature the notable technological advances and high artistry of their era. Originally developed for military training games in the 12th century, the carousel became a fairgrounds attraction during the mid-1800s. The stamps are available in several formats from here.

FRANCE – Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb

La Poste commemorated the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s (King Tut) tomb with a single stamp on a souvenir sheet. The find by British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter (1874-1939) is considered one of Egypt’s most important discoveries. The tomb was found intact and containing thousands of artifacts. King Tut’s reign lasted only 10 years but he was responsible for a revolution in art and the rise of the cult of Amun, the wind god. Shown on the priority letter international rate stamp is the gold mask of Tutankhamun, now residing in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The death mask bears the image of Osiris, god of the afterlife. Issued June 27, the stamp and souvenir sheet are available from here.

GREAT BRITAIN – XXII Commonwealth Games

Since the first British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (1930) this sporting event has grown to become the second largest such after the Olympic Games. On July 28, Royal Mail issued a set of four First Class and four £1.85 stamps to showcase the games held in this year in Birmingham, England. Now known as the Commonwealth Games, the event was the first “global multi-sport event to feature an equal number of men’s and women’s medal events” and today is the “first global multi-sport event to have more events for women than men” as well as athletes with a disability as full members of their national teams. The stamps depict diving, boxing, para table tennis, powerlifting, gymnastics, cycling, athletics and para wheelchair basketball. The stamps in several formats are available from here.

GUERNSEY – SEPAC – Seagull Mischief

James Colmer was commissioned by Guernsey Post to create a set of scavenging herring gulls to complement the latest Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation (SEPAC) issue. According to the website, “They are very clever creatures when it comes to mealtimes … but they have developed a taste for human food, swooping in for any tasty tidbits they can find in their hunt for an easy meal.” The 52p stamp shows two gulls about to share a slice of gache (traditional fruit loaf); the 79p features a gull with a mackerel in its beak; on the £1.10 stamp has a gull about to sample an award-winning Breda beer; and the £1.35 stamp depicts an ice cream thief. The stamps are available in several formats from here.

LIECHTENSTEIN – Cryptocurrency

In January 2020 the Blockchain Act came into effect making Liechtenstein the first country to have a comprehensive regulation of the token economy based on the Token and Trusted Technology Service Provider Act. The country’s first crypto stamp was issued in 2021 with a second stamp released September 9, showing the crypto logo. Designed by Isabella Gassner, Diepoldsau the CHF 9.00 stamp contains an SQR code that connects the analog with the digital world. Collectors can scan the SQR code that leads to a website where they will find the serial number to a personal stamp and learn more about the stamp and the history it contains.” This also verifies the authenticity of the stamp. In addition the user learns more about Liechtenstein history and can have fun solving digital puzzles. The stamp is available from here.

MALTA – EUROMED 

EUROMED (Europe – Mediterranean) is similar to the EUROPA series of stamps with an annual common theme. For 2022, the stamp theme is Maritime Archaeology and Historical Cities of the Mediterranean. The two stamps produced by MaltaPost are related to the island of Gozo. The image on the €0.20 stamp is of a Phoenician shipwreck off Xlendi Bay. The image on the €5.50 stamp is Gozo’s main landmark, the bell tower of the baroque cathedral and adjacent buildings against a dusky sky. Issued on July 11, the two stamps are available online from here.

NEW ZEALAND – IHC Art Awards

IHC Art Awards was introduced in 2004 as “a platform to showcase the artistic talents of New Zealanders with intellectual disabilities.” Entries are welcomed in a range of media and open to New Zealanders older than 13 who have “intellectual disabilities or intellectual disabilities and autism,” thereby encouraging them to live satisfying lives within their community. The souvenir sheet issued on July 6 features the artwork of the four winners of a People’s Choice Award: Matthew Tonkin, Katie McMillan, Malachi Oldridge and Charlize Wilson. The stamps are available in sheets of 20, first day covers and a souvenir sheet from here.

SPAIN – Difficult to See

Spain’s post office issued a pack of five stamps to bring attention to the serious problem of animals in danger of extinction. Issued under the title Difficult to See, this is the latest in a series of three different packs of stamps. Correos Spain collaborates with associations such as WWF Spain that deal with causes such as the reforestation of forests and the protection of animal species. Shown in a blue and yellow stylized form are the bluefin tuna, bearded vulture, polar bear, white rhinoceros and a Malvasia white-headed duck. The stamps are available from here.