London 2012 Olympic Games - 2012 ISLE OF MAN

Icelandic Visual Arts II – The Pioneers - 2011 ICELAND

The pioneers of modern Icelandic art, painters Þórarinn B. Þorláksson (1867-1924), Ásgrímur Jónsson (1876-1958), Jóhannes Kjarval (1885-1972) and Jón Stefánsson (1881- 1962) were very different artistic personalities. Yet most of their early work can be seen as an extension of the romantic nationalism that characterized Icelandic cultural life. Þorláksson and Jónsson captured the characteristics of the Icelandic light and the stillness of the bright summer nights, Stefánsson came to grips with the barren and monumental aspect of the highlands and Kjarval infused the landscapes that he painted with a rich and turbulent inner life

The Saga of Burnt Niall - 2011 ICELAND

One thousand years have elapsed since the historic events recounted in „The Saga of Burnt Niall“ took place at Bergthorshvoll in the south of Iceland. The saga deals with the process of blood feuds in the Icelandic Free State where minor insults to one‘s honor could lead to destructive and prolonged bloodshed. In the saga 100 armed men attack the farm as a part of a cycle of killing and vengeance. Niall, widely esteemed as a lawyer and a sage, his wife Bergthora, their three sons and servants were all burned alive. Niall‘s son-in-law, Kári Sölmundarson, managed to escape undetected from the fire and take his revenge on the arsonists. In spite of extensive archeological research at Bergthorshvoll no signs have been found of the burning. Njáls saga is the longest and most highly developed of the sagas of Icelanders. It is often considered the peak of the saga tradition. The souvenir sheet depicts some of the events that took place at the burning.

Snæfellsnes National Park - 2011 ICELAND

The theme of the joint issue of 11 small nations in Europe (SEPAC) is landscape. The motif of the Icelandic stamps in this third and last issue is Snæfellsjökull (Snæfell Glacier) National Park. Former motifs for the Icelandic SEPAC stamps were Jökulsárgljúfur and Skaftafell. SEPAC stands for Small European Postal Administration Cooperation. This cooperation is primarily concerned with issuing postage stamps but also includes sales and marketing. Snæfellsjökull National Park was founded by a legislation on nature conservation in June 2001 and is the fourth national park in Iceland. The area is characterized by its extremely diverse geology. Formerly it was the site of hectic activity with up to 60 fishing boats and 300-400 seamen during the fishing season. Among the the books that have carried the name of Snæfellsjökull around the world is the novel by French author Jules Verne „Journey to the Centre of the World“.

Christmas - 2011 ICELAND

The motifs of the Christmas stamps 2011 are based on goldwork embroidery, a rich national heritage involving techniques used for Icelandic national costumes. Goldwork is the art of embroidery using silver and gold threads. Reference is also made to skattering, an old Icelandic method of embroidering, often used for colourful flower patterns. By her emphasis on this old handicraft the artist, Guðbjörg Ringsted who designed the Christmas stamp, wants to attract attention to this remarkable national tradition. Goldwork embroidery is an old form of embroidery used widely in the world. In Iceland, this technique has been used almost exclusively in making Icelandic costumes and in liturgical embroidery. It can be seen on different styles of costumes, on jacket panels, collars and on 19th and 20th century bodices. Belts were oftern adorned with goldwork embroidery. Although metal threads are usually used, some 19th century examples also use silk.

Colonial Heritage - Emerging Identity - 2011 AUSTRALIA

This stamp issue is the second in a four-year series titled Colonial Heritage, developed to commemorate Australia's philatelic history. It focuses on emerging colonial identity, representing the shift in colonial thinking, reflecting a greater sense of belonging in the "new" homeland.

While once colonists had defined thenselves by their cultural proximity to Britain, the maturity of Australian-born generations, temporal distance, economic griwth and political development all helped shape a sense of distinctiveness from Britain. The colonies growing self-confidence was expressed through their readiness to grasp and mirror local symbols, such as flora and fauna. Queen Victoria would continue to feature in stamp designs throughout the 19th century, but increasingly she shared this small visual space with a constellation of local images. This stamp issue represents that shift in colonial thinking, reflecting a greater sense of belonging in the "new" homeland.

Kangaroo and Lyrebird
The kangaroo and the lyrebird originally featured in stamps marking the 1888 centenary of New South Wales, the first adhesive commemorative stamp issue to be released worldwide. The kangaroo, flanked by the Sydney flannel flower, was in a one shilling (1/-) brown design; the lyrebird, bordered with waratahs and honeysuckle, was in an eight pence (8d) magenta design. The other Australian colony to feature a kangaroo was South Australia, using it in a blue two-and-a-half (2½d) stamp design released in 1894.

Black Swan and Southern Cross
The Black Swan has a strong place in Western Australia's philatelic heritage. It remained the central motif of the colony's stamps from its first issue, in 1854, until stamp production was transferred to the Commonwealth in 1902. The Southern Cross featured on many Australian colonial stamps, the first of which was the five shilling (5s) New South Wales medallion stamp of 1861. This resonant symbol of the south also appeared in the designs of one Western Australian stamp, six Victorian stamps and four New South Wales designs, including stamp duty and charity designs.

50th Anniversary of Amnesty International - 2011 AUSTRALIA

Founded in London in 1961, Amnesty International is the largest member-based human rights organisation in the world, made up of more than three million ordinary people in over 150 countries. The primary objective of Amnesty International is to campaign for the international recognition, respect and protection of human rights.

A charity funded largely by its members and public donations, Amnesty International is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. This means it is free to criticise any government's human rights record without fear or favour and is able to retain a reputation of impartiality and transparency.

In 1977 Amnesty International was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for having "contributed to securing the ground for freedom, for justice, and thereby also for peace in the world".

Australian Bush Babies - 2011 AUSTRALIA

Some of Australia's most popular native baby animals are featured in this delightfully illustrated stamp issue. The animals featured on the stamps are a bilby, dingo, kangaroo, koala and sugar glider.

The Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is a nocturnal marsupial with distinctive rabbit-like ears, greyish fur and a beautiful bushy black tail with a white tip. It survives on a diet of seeds, grubs, bulbs, fruit and insects. Bilby babies stay in the pouch for about 80 days. Despite a decline in numbers, the Bilby is becoming an increasingly popular Australian icon at Easter.

The Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) is Australia's native dog. It is typically ginger in colour although some dingos are black and tan. While the young pups stay with their mother while learning the art of hunting, they usually live in packs which help rear them. Their deadliest predator is the wedge-tailed eagle. The dingo has a series of distinctive howls each conveying a different meaning. Unlike other dogs it does not bark.

The Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a shy, small gliding possum found in the forests and woodlands of eastern and southern Australia. It has a membrane extending from its fifth finger to its ankle enabling it to glide between trees using its long bushy tail for stability and steering. Sugar gliders are very sociable creatures forming groups of up to seven whose young may share a nest.

The Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is probably the most recognisable of all Australian marsupials and the red kangaroo is found on the Australian coat of arms. There are over 60 different species of kangaroo and they live in all areas of Australia. Essentially nocturnal herbivores, kangaroos eat grasses, leaves, fungi and the shoots of small trees and need very little water to survive.

The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is one of Australia's best known and most loved animals. A mammal not a bear, the koala is found from northern Queensland to southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, although habitat destruction through residential development and farming has significantly reduced its distribution. Koalas spend most of their time in eucalypt trees sleeping and feeding. The eucalypt leaves are high both in fibre and moisture content and a koala may eat up to half a kilogram of leaves each day

ANZUS - 2011 AUSTRALIA

This stamp issue commemorated the State Visit to Australia of the Honourable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, on 16-17 November 2011. President Obama visited Canberra, where he addressed Parliament, and became the first sitting US President to visit Darwin.

The stamp shows the military representatives of the ANZUS countries gathered in Honolulu for the first meeting in 1952: Lieutenant General SF (Sydney) Rowell (left), Australian Chief of General Staff, is greeted on his arrival at the airfield by Admiral Arthur Radford, US Commander in Chief Pacific (right), and Major-General Gentry, New Zealand Chief of General Staff.  

Australia and the United States enjoy a strong partnership in many areas including trade and investment, science and technology collaboration and security cooperation. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Australia-United States Alliance under the ANZUS Treaty which was signed by Australia, New Zealand and the United States in San Francisco in 1951 and entered into force in 1952. This is a time of great strength and growth in the Alliance, which rests on a broad and enduring community of interests and values.  

The stamp shows the military representatives of the ANZUS countries gathered in Honolulu for the first meeting in 1952: Lieutenant - General SF (Sydney) Rowell (left), Australian Chief of General Staff, is greeted on his arrival at the airfield by Admiral Radford, US Commander in Chief Pacific (right), and Major - General Gentry, New Zealand Chief of General Staff.

2012 YEAR OF THE DRAGON - AUSTRALIA

The 2012 Lunar New Year - Year of the Dragon stamp issue features the revered Dragon from Chinese legend. The Year of the Dragon is considered the luckiest and those born in that year are likely to be brave, tempestuous, powerful, wise and perfectionists.

The stamps show the development of the Chinese character for the Dragon, shown fully in the $1.80 stamp, and the way it is derived from its pictorial representation, shown in the 60c stamp. Paper cut motifs are used to represent the Dragon in the 60c stamp. Paper cuts are one of the most popular forms of Chinese art and are commonly used to decorate windows, lanterns, mirrors, gates and walls during the Chinese New Year celebrations. The Dragon occupies a special place in the Chinese zodiac, being the only mythical creature among them. 

The miniature sheet tells the story (in Chinese and English) about the helpful, soft-hearted Dragon who, although expected to win the race because he could fly, only came fifth because he stopped during the race to create rain to break a severe drought and then aided the rabbit, a fellow competitor, by gently blowing him across the river on a raft. There is a special gold foil overprinting on the stamps, minisheet and zodiac sheetlet.