Dogs on stamps - not Cyprus

Hey!

Look what I got today..... One of my friends came to give me a stamp they had produced of their own dog "Peach" the Chihuahua on a Finnish personal stamp.

She's a cutie pie of a dog and full of character.

Have you got any photos of dogs on stamps you would like to share with me?

This is a self-adhesive postage stamp from Finland.

The last stamp issues of 2012 for Cyprus

Well it's hard to believe that winter seems to have arrived quite quickly in Cyprus since Friday and those balmy afternoons on the beach with a dip in the sea to cool off will soon be long lost memories.

Only last Sunday 4th November 2012 we were sitting down at Curium Beach having lunch (a takeaway from Sigma Bakery in Zakaki, Limassol) and swimming in the sea. Wednesday turned overcast and it's gone steadily downhill from there...

Looks like these 2 photos from that weekend will be my lasting summer memories of 2012 then!

So, with the end of summer zipped by that can only mean we're getting ready for the last Cyprus stamp issues of 2012....

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Wednesday 14 November 2012 will see two new issues. One is of course fully expected, after all it wouldn't be the end of the stamp year without a Christmas stamp or two now would it?

These are they:

This year's series dedicated to Christmas comprises of a commemorative sheet (feuilee) and two stamps with the same number of icons depicting the Virgin and Child. These icons are from the occupied areas of Cyprus and are currently being exhibited at the Byzantine Museum of the of Archbishop Makarios III Foundation.

The set will comprise of 2 single stamps in denominations of €0,22 and €0,51 plus a Souvenir Sheet of €0,68 - also on official post office first day covers. Maximum cards are usually issued for the Christmas stamp issues only.

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Now if you are familiar with Cyprus and also a follower of all things "sporty" you may be aware that the recent 2012 London Olympic Games bestowed one of our Cypriot brethren with a silver medal.

With this in mind, the Cyprus post office have issued an additional stamp to be released on the same date as the Christmas stamps to honour Pavlos Kontides (a Limassol boy) for his achievement in the Laser sailing category.

There will be a single stamp of €0,34 denomination and it can be purchased as is or in sheets of 8 stamps and also on first day cover.

The "cancel mark" for this issue is depicted below.

The above stamps are now available on our website for advance purchase and subject to your online order and payment being received by midnight on Monday 12 November 2012, they can be dispatched to you on the very first day of issue (Wednesday 14 November).

To purchase or to find out more about this final issue of Cyprus stamps for 2012, please follow this link to the NEW Stamp Issue category or feel free to browse our many different categories on Cyprus Stamps website.

Please note: the above images are currently taken from the post office information leaflet. All images used on our website are actual scans of the stamps and covers we have for sale and the same will apply for the 14 November 2012 Cyprus stamp issues on or after the first day of their release.

Cyprus Stamps SG 231 1963 Boy scouts 150 mils with Povey error V1

An unusual block of 16 Mint stamps from this issue of the Cyprus 1963 Boy Scouts 150 mils stamps.

Not only is it unusual to find a block of this size but this block also includes the recorded Povey error / variation V1.

That's the small black dot to the right and above the Scout emblem - but only on the 2nd stamp on the top row of the sheet. (You can see it here on the image below).

 There is some black card residue on the gum side - see image here below.

This item is currently listed on eBay auctions with a start price of £9.99 and will end on 04 Nov, 2012 20:30:29 GMT

Enjoy!

Kolossi village church

Kolossi village church, a photo by CyprusPictures on Flickr.

Featured item - Boy Scout Movement in Cyprus leaflet

Something to interest Boy Scouts and Scouting thematic collectors perhaps?

We came across this little gem a few weeks ago...

Cyprus Stamps Leaflet 1963 50th Anniversary of the Boy Scout movement in Cyprus

£25.00            1 in stock.

Cyprus Stamps Leaflet 1963

50th Anniversary of the Boy Scout movement in Cyprus

VERY RARE

We have only seen one other of this kind and that was in the postal museum in Nicosia Cyprus.

The above leaflet is available to purchase on Cyprus Stamps website.
Payment is made using our secure checkout process, PayPal for your added security. We never see your credit/debit card details.

Religious or Catholic Icons and Artwork

Religious icons have always created an interest for stamp collectors and for those who are Thematic lovers or collectors.

With this in mind, I'm re-posting a website I came across earlier this year with some fantastic work on religious statues and paintings.

Perhaps there are some countries out there who are looking for icon paintings or an artist who can produce such work for a forthcoming stamp issue?

In this particular icon gallery you can find images from:

Our Lady of Czestechowa 
Our Lady of Walsingham 
Our Lady of Fernyhalgh
Divine Mercy
Mandylion - icon of the Holy Face

Please take a look at the Catholic shop on the J Lewis Statues & Religious Artworks website.

J Lewis Statues & Religious Artworks plus statue refurbishment.

 

Post Boxes and Offices in Cyprus - Kolossi Village, Limassol

Today's featured Post Office and post box is Kolossi Village in the Limassol district of Cyprus.

Kolossi Village can be found to the West side of Limassol, close to Akrotiri RAF base and Kolossi Castle on the Limassol to Paphos old road.

Turn left between the Co-Op Bank and Kolossi school after you pass over the red brick raised part of the road near the Angel Bar.

The Post Office is at the top of the hill where the road splits after you have passed the 2 coffee shops...

Is eBay making it difficult for stamp sellers?

An interesting article below, brought to my attention today by another Twitter follower to my account @CyprusStamps...

One particular part of the blog post certainly strikes a chord:
Problem number 2: Stamp collectors... collect stamps. It would be possible for me to make shipping less expensive by using an online shipping service, through which the USPS offers reduced priced shipping and free (or very low cost) tracking. However, that would mean using a pre-printed and encoded paper label as postage, rather than stamps. Pretty boring, for a stamp collector-- especially given how many buyers write to me (with their payment) to say "please use current commemorative stamps on your mailing." Thus following the one avenue to savings would potentially hurt my reputation, as a seller.

What part of "stamp collecting" do eBay not get?
I too get asked on many an occasion (both on eBay and on sales through my personal Cyprus Stamps website) to add current issues or even particular stamp issues as postage on the envelope I'm sending their stuff in.
Very often when sending by Registered Mail, I choose to not just pay the additional cost for registering the envelope, I put the value in stamps on the envelope instead.

So, make yourself a coffee, get comfortable and read the entire article below - then be prepared to be riled up by what you see there and "share it"!

Scandinavian Stamps: Is eBay Making Itself Obsolete for Stamp Sellers?: Yesterday, I got a notice from eBay, explaining that my "seller performance" wasn't up to snuff. As as result-- I learned-- a number of rest...

Bouganvilla in my backyard.

Bouganvilla in my backyard., a photo by CyprusPictures on Flickr.

Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2012 stamp.

Did you manage to get your hands on the Cyprus 2012 EU Presidency stamp yet?

We know they are in extremely limited supply. Even the post offices didn't receive their usual stock quotas for the 1st July official issue.

It was a bad day for Cyprus stamp collectors and these stamps are at present like gold dust.

Cyprus Stamps SG 2012

Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU

Mini sheet

MINT condition

Date of issue 1st July 2012

10.00 Euro Limited issue

Highest face value issued by the Republic of Cyprus

More details including the single stamp and official post office First Day Covers can be found in our Latest Stamp Issue category on Cyprus Stamps website.

What our IT Dept do to us.

Last night I complained on my Facebook page that I was sick of the sight of EURO 2012 "stuff" as in my full time job me and another colleague have spent the last week putting together promotional mailers in readiness for the next few weeks. So my head was full of headers, images and country names...
This morning when we logged into the back office admin on our laptops in the office, this is what we found!
It turned out our IT Manager had been in and made a small "fix" to our systems. It only affected our two systems. He's a bad lad!

A day in Cyprus Philately

A day in Cyprus Philately, a set on Flickr.

So on 4th June 2012 which was Kataklysmos "Festival of the Flood" Greek Orthodox public holiday - we chose to go to the north of Nicosia as we needed to visit the philately department.

Due to the difference in religions in the segregated north we knew the office would be open...

We got to meet the new man in charge of the office. He took over in December 2011 so we just missed him on our last visit.

He kindly allowed us to take some photographs too so here you will find some photos of the first Turkish Cypriot stamps issued by north Cyprus and some fantastic photographs of the former Postmaster Generals of Cyprus.

These include: J A Bulmer (1878 - 1883), Edwin Edgintons (1920 - 1922), Ahmed Aziz (1950 - 1954), Polyvios Hadjiioannou (1961 - 1963) and Ismail Bozat (2004 - 2009).

We spent the rest of the day walking around some slightly different streets than we usually visit and found some wonderful places we haven't seen before.

I got some photos of some old Ottoman tombstones from a local museum as well as a photo of Fazil Kucuk's house (and museum).

I will be adding these soon to my Flickr account.

Cyprus Stamps - NEW Video Channel on YouTube

Cyprus Stamps website now has a YouTube video channel.

Yes, the art of stamp collecting is moving into the 21st Century.... Check out our CyprusStamps video channel on YouTube.

We've uploaded 2 videos so far so why not pop over, take a peep and subscribe to our channel?

Our first video upload contains a selection of Cyprus stamps issued in the 1960's so it covers the period 1960 up to 1969.

Our second video shows some of the rural village postmarks and cancellations found on Cyprus stamps.

For best viewing of this video and to be able to read the town or village names, it's recommended NOT to choose the full screen option if you decide to watch the video directly on YouTube.

If you would like to buy Cyprus stamps cancellations and postmarks you can find them in the Postal History category on our website.

An ancient ship’s SOS - Cyprus Mail

The Kyrenia Shipwreck

One day about 2,300 years ago, not long after the death of Alexander the Great, a small merchant ship stacked with wine and almond-filled amphoras sailed past the port of Kyrenia on Cyprus’ northern coast. On board were four sailors about whom we know little, except that they had lowered their sail, possibly in anticipation of an approaching storm. We do not know whether the boat intended to arrive at Kyrenia, or if it was leaving. Maybe it was simply passing by; but what we do know is that it sank 30 metres down to the bottom of the Mediterranean sea where it remained for 23 centuries until found by a modern-day Cypriot out diving for sponges. 

Since its excavation from the seabed between 1968 and 69, the Kyrenia Shipwreck, as it came to be known, and its cargo of over 400 amphoras, has resided in Kyrenia Castle. Despite its being one of the world’s finest and best-preserved examples of classical naval architecture and the cargo a unique source of information on trade in the classical era, the wreck and its associated relics today face permanent damage from neglect and decay.

 

Read more: An ancient ship’s SOS - Cyprus Mail

As Harpster points out, “The bulk of the exhibit is in storage. What you see is only a fraction of what the ship was carrying so people who visit don’t get a true picture of how much cargo the ship was carrying and how varied it was.” 

When asked who he thought should pay for the ship’s upkeep, Harpster says, “I think the people of Cyprus should be interested in preserving this ship. This ship represents the island. It’s on the money; it’s on the stamps. This is an emblem of the island to the world.”