2024-02-14 11:44
There were so many great stamps issued by France last year I find it difficult to make a small selection for this article!
Above and below: could these be the first postage stamps depict… Read More
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2024-02-02 13:18
This year, 2024, is the Year of the Wood Dragon and the Chinese New Year, which begins on February 10th, will be celebrated in dozens of countries across the World. The dragon is considered… Read More
2024-01-25 12:04
Great Britain 2023In 2023 Great Britain’s Royal Mail issued various philatelic items to commemorate the remarkable 70-year career of the Welsh-born singer Dame Shirley Bassey. Shown ab… Read More
2023-10-19 14:22
PostBeeld has, in the last few weeks, acquired an enormous amount of stamps from private collections and is in the process of adding the items to its already incredibly vast and varied stock… Read More
2023-09-05 10:14
Universalmuseum Joanneum Austria 2011The two Austrian stamps in this article feature the Universalmuseum Joanneum in Graz, Austria, considered the biggest of its kind in Central Europe… Read More
2023-08-29 09:01
In 2018 the United Nations Postal Administration issued a beautifully-illustrated set of stamps to celebrate 25 years of its Endangered Species series featuring 12 threatened flora and fauna… Read More
2023-08-24 10:24
This article was originally published in December 2013:
The United States Postal Service (USPS, which is heavily in debt) is destroying an entire run of stamps because the activities ill… Read More
2023-08-02 11:06
Netherlands 2023Netherlands 2023This stamp set was issued by the Dutch postal service postnl in 2023 and entitled ‘Typically Dutch’. The images seen on the sheet show: a vase wit… Read More
2023-07-24 13:47
Togo 2019Daniel Defoe’s book “Robinson Crusoe” is regarded as the first true English novel. It is also the first novel with a first-person narrator. Crusoe ends up on an un… Read More
2023-07-17 20:00
In the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries, travelling via the railway was the most comfortable and practical way of covering the often great distances between towns and citie… Read More
2023-07-03 13:03
At the end of June PostBeeld owners Rob Smit and Caroline Groenhof and current staff celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of the company and the opening of the first PostBeeld sho… Read More
2023-06-28 12:10
On 15 April 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean and sank within three hours, with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. Recent events, with the tragic loss o… Read More
2023-06-20 12:01
Portugal 2022The Spaniard Juan Sebastián de Elcano and the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan were navigators and explorers who jointly sailed under the flag of both Portugal and Spain. M… Read More
2023-06-16 12:46
Here we have a very small selection of stamps recently added to PostBeeld’s vast stock. Please visit PostBeeld’s website for a more comprehensive view of newly-added items.
Ma… Read More
2023-05-30 14:11
Isle of Man 2023This set of four stamps feature the Isle of Man’s renowned ‘three legs’ triskelion, one of the oldest continually-used national symbols in the world. The &l&hell…Read More
2023-05-23 09:37
Alderney 2023Around the World in Eighty Days is a travel adventure novel by French author Jules Verne (1828-1905), that was published in book form in 1873. Jules Verne is often ref… Read More
2023-05-16 10:39
Barbados 1980Barbados produced two fine and quite unique stamp minisheets for the 1980 International Stamp Exhibition held in London. As seen above, the 50 cent stamps show the uniforms that… Read More
2023-05-09 09:53
USA 2020Our last Black Heritage series article brought us up to the year 2019. Now we’ve reached 2023 and the 46th stamp in the series issued by America’s United States Postal Se… Read More
2023-03-28 09:32
Finland 2020Today we highlight Finnish innovations depicted on stamps over the last 30 years. This “Made in Finland” stamp sheet contains six domestic no-value indicato… Read More
2023-03-14 10:32
Great Britain 2023The last set of new stamps showing the late Queen Elizabeth II’s silhouette has been issued by Great Britain’s Royal Mail. This particular feature has appe… Read More
2023-03-07 11:26
Since we last featured the topic of lighthouses in 2019 there have been many great issues for the collector. Here we’ve made a selection from those produced in the three years up to an… Read More
2023-02-28 10:12
Lithuania 2004The oldest known funicular is in Hohensalzburg Castle, Austria and it’s known as the Reisszug. It is used to transport people and cargo from the Nonnberg nunnery to the c… Read More
2023-02-22 11:00
In 2023 Great Britain’s Royal Mail issued yet another in its series of stamps celebrating the careers of famous British rock bands and musicians, this time featuring the “Heavy M… Read More
2023-01-24 19:30
Australia 2002There are many postage stamps featuring imaginary characters from children’s stories and in 2002 Australia issued a stamp set showing figures from a book written for kids… Read More
2023-01-11 12:28
India 1997The set of four stamps issued by India in 1997 commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and sho… Read More
2022-12-27 14:38
Colombia 1944Some examples here of savings on stamp purchases in PostBeeld’s Year End sale. 75th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Charitable Society of Cundinamarca, Colombia. Mint… Read More
2022-12-20 13:00
The fourth monthly PostBeeld auction is underway and bidding is currently (see website) possible. It is the largest to date with over 900 lots. In this New Year auction there are once again… Read More
2022-12-16 15:15
Aland 2022Today we feature a small selection of festive season stamps, starting with Åland’s two beautiful 2022 Christmas stamps that show a modern version of the classic gnomes… Read More
2022-12-13 10:46
USA 2017The person featured on the 2017 Black Heritage stamp was Dorothy Height (1912-2010). She fought long and hard for the rights of women, especially women of colour. Height helped to fo… Read More
2022-12-09 11:57
Austria 2022The year 2022 is the 90th anniversary of the founding of a company that produces one of the most popular toys enjoyed by children and adults alike. Austria saluted the anniversar… Read More
2022-11-01 09:06
Switzerland 2022Chimney sweeping! Who would have thought it could be the subject on a postage stamp? Part of the attraction for many collectors is the incredibly varied amount of topics to b… Read More
2022-10-27 09:06
Mali 1965This article focuses on a man who achieved great things in his life – Albert Schweitzer. He was born 14 January 1875 in the small town of Kaysersberg in Alsace, a town th… Read More
2022-09-27 11:40
It is still possible to place bids for items in the very first PostBeeld philatelic auction. The auction, with almost 800 lots, ends on October 1. After that, a new auction will follow every… Read More
2022-09-16 14:56
Mayotte 2004It is commonly thought that the game of Dominoes originated in China in the 13th Century. There is a theory that a form of the game reached Europe in the 18th century via Italian… Read More
2022-08-30 09:21
Switzerland 2022A specialised world stamp exhibition, with FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie) Patronage and FEPA (Federation of European Philat… Read More
2022-08-25 07:48
India 1997August 20th marks the day in 1897 when the British physician Ronald Ross confirmed that the female anopheles mosquito transmitted malaria to humans. Each year that day August… Read More
2022-08-03 10:44
Soviet Union 1968Excuse my ignorance but I’d never heard of Underwater Orienteering before I came across the stamps featured here! Organised in bodies of open water over courses of var… Read More
2022-07-25 13:58
Malta 2021The origin of the Maltese bus service dates back to 1905. The buses were often owner-driven, thereby fostering a friendly rivalry leading to the heavily-customised buses endearing… Read More
2022-07-12 12:43
Serbia 2008For railway enthusiasts 12 December 2009 was a sad day, as EuroNight sleeper train 469 Orient Express left Strasbourg on its final overnight run to Vienna. And so the na… Read More
2022-07-01 12:30
The hammer will soon be going down for specialised and passionate collectors as PostBeeld intends to introduce an Auction section on its website in a few months’ time! The Auction sect… Read More
2022-06-22 15:27
The Gambia 1990It began with an announcement in the English leisure magazine The Field on 9 June 1877 that “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon, propose to hold a l… Read More
2022-06-14 13:38
USA 2014We begin with the year 2014 in Part 14 of the Black Heritage stamp series with Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005). Known for her ability to break down long-standing barriers, she was never… Read More
2022-06-07 12:02
Great Britain 2022The 2022 Royal Mail stamp miniature sheet seen here is a compilation of various stamp issues designed by a very special man – David Gentleman, the most prolific and i… Read More
2022-05-17 12:16
USA 1948The iconic stamp shown here, issued by the United States of America in 1948, features Palomar Observatory, located atop Palomar Mountain in north San Diego County, California. Concei… Read More
2022-05-03 11:37
India 2003India has made many interesting collaborations with other countries regarding joint issues. In 2003 a joint issue with South Korea featured the Cheomseongdae Observatory, built dur… Read More
2022-04-07 09:13
Malawi 2018In 2018, Malawi produced a miniature stamp sheet with a major error, resulting in the withdrawal of the sheet from sale. Featuring a Vulture, and part of an issue entitled ‘… Read More
2022-03-29 13:09
Bulgaria 2021100 years of Bulgaria’s Rhodope narrow-gauge railway was commemorated with this stamp sheet. The railway has been under threat for many years due to lack of investment but… Read More
2022-03-08 18:27
U.S.A. 2010The USPS Black Heritage stamp series issue for 2010 featured Oscar Micheaux. He was an author, film director, screenwriter, and producer who between 1919 and 1948 wrote, produced… Read More
2022-03-01 11:45
The Principality of Andorra is the only country in the world with two foreign postal organisations in the same country – the French and Spanish postal services. Andorra is a tiny indep… Read More
2022-02-22 12:34
Switzerland 1912The charitable foundation Pro Juventute was set up in Switzerland in 1912. It is dedicated to supporting the rights and needs of Swiss children and youth. Since 191… Read More
2022-02-15 11:57
Jersey 2022This commemorative miniature sheet features an illustration by Chinese artist Wang Huming.
The miniature sheet seen here, issued by Jersey Post, shows two tiger cubs playing wi… Read More
2022-02-08 10:55
USA 1993First issued by the US postal Service in December 1993, the Legends of the West stamps shown here promised to be a very popular set. But one incorrect image made it one of the most i… Read More
2022-02-01 11:03
1st ClassLetter1st ClassLarge Letter2nd ClassLetter2nd ClassLarge LetterGreat Britain 2022Following a successful national trial Great Britain’s Royal Mail will now be adding unique bar… Read More
2022-01-20 12:07
“Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of… Read More
2022-01-04 11:57
USA 2006The 2006 stamp in the United States Black Heritage series featured Hattie McDaniel (1893-1952). She was an actress, often playing housemaids and other stereotypical roles. She appear… Read More
2021-12-22 16:29
It’s that time of year again and on behalf of all the staff at PostBeeld here in The Netherlands I would like to sincerely thank you for visiting these pages and to all clients of Post… Read More
2021-12-14 16:00
Angola 2019There are approximately 30 to 40 recognised cat breeds and the cat is one of the most popular household pets. This article features some cat breeds portrayed on stamps over the th… Read More
2021-11-16 11:58
Isle of Man 2021The front cover of this recently issued Isle of Man presentation pack shows singer, songwriter and producer Sir Barry Gibb at the Glastonbury Festival, England (June 25… Read More
2021-11-10 11:45
In the period beweeen the two World Wars, particularly during the reign of King Albert I, Belgium produced many stamp pairs that included an advertisement (“Timbres-Publicitie”)… Read More
2021-10-26 12:44
Korea 1951
A series of 42 stamps featuring flags of 21 countries was issued in 1951 by Korea. They were produced to recognise assistance provided by those 21 countries during the three-y… Read More
2021-10-20 09:39
USA 2002
Part 11 in this series of Black Heritage stamp articles begins in the year 2002 with poet, journalist and author Langston Hughes (1902-1967). He was just eighteen years old… Read More
2021-10-11 15:36
Mongolia 1965The fish depicted on the stamp shown, issued in 1965 by Mongolia, is the Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser Baeri). Sturgeons are among the largest fish on Earth, can grow up to e… Read More
2021-09-28 11:10
Gibraltar 2005
In June 1803 Admiral Horatio Nelson embarked on HMS Victory as Commander in Chief in the Mediterranean. This was the first year of the Napoleonic Wars and in the period lea… Read More
2021-09-14 15:43
Malawi 1973
One of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century Victorian period was the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873). On one of his expediti… Read More
2021-08-21 14:58
Estonia 2020
Estonia became independent from Russia in 1918 and first competed as a nation at the VII Olympiad, the 1920 Summer Olympic Games held in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2020 E… Read More
2021-08-16 12:33
Part 10 in this series of articles begins in the year 1998 with a stamp commemorating Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919). Madam C.J. Walker created hair-care and cosmetic products, particular… Read More
2021-08-03 10:47
Aden 1968
A stamp issue from the South Arabian postal administration of Aden in 1968 was dedicated to the old and, what might have been considered by its designers in 1968, new wonders of… Read More
2021-07-26 13:43
Madagascar 1903
The set of definitives shown here was issued in 1903 by Madagascar, a French colony from 1897 to 1958. The stamps’ artwork features a Zebu (a cattle breed) a small t… Read More
2021-07-20 09:10
Switzerland 1936
Pro Patria, in Latin, means ‘for one’s country’. The Pro Patria Association is a Swiss patriotic and charitable association wh… Read More
2021-07-16 12:11
USA 2011
Unfriendly dogs can often be hindrance to postmen when delivering mail and although this story doesn’t have a particularly happy ending, one medium-size mongrel’s mem… Read More
2021-07-06 09:46
At the end of May Royal Mail issued a set of 12 special stamps to celebrate one of the UK’s most successful songwriters and greatest music icons, Paul McCartney.
The main stamp… Read More
2021-06-07 13:07
Mongolia 1981
In 1981 Mongolia issued a set of stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the German LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin airship polar flight. The special feature of the set is Arctic… Read More
2021-05-31 14:08
Continuing with our series of articles regarding the U.S. Post “Black Heritage” series of stamps we have reached the year 1994 when Allison Davis (1902-1983) was featured on the… Read More
2021-05-25 12:19
Namibia 2019
Cuckoos are just one of around 127 species of birds that make up the family Cuculidae. These birds are mostly tropical in distribution, but some species also breed in the tem… Read More
2021-05-17 07:58
Isle of Man 2016
In 2016, to celebrate the festive season, Isle of Man Post Office issued an extremely colourful set of six Christmas stamps.
The attractive designs give clues to the f… Read More
2021-05-05 10:59
India 1977
The first stamp in this article has a portrait of Paramahansa Yogananda (born 1893–died 1952). He was an Indian Hindu monk, yogi and guru. He was sent by his lineage… Read More
2021-04-26 12:07
Albania 1937, ‘SHQIPNI’
The country name on Albanian stamps has changed many times over the years – in 1937 it was written SHQIPNI and in 1939 it was called SHQIPTARE. T… Read More
2021-04-14 13:59
USA 1988
Continuing with our series of articles regarding the U.S. Post “Black Heritage” series of stamps we begin with James W. Johnson (1871-1938) who was featured on the 19… Read More
2021-03-23 12:52
Lake Baikal (15K stamp above) is a rift lake in Russia, located in southern Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. Lake Baikal is the… Read More
2021-03-17 11:23
USA 2019The artist Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015) at one time actually worked nights sorting mail at the USPS. He filled notebooks with sketches of envelope shapes and folds, which served… Read More
2021-03-10 09:55
Germany (Berlin) 1983
On January 13, 1983, the Deutsche Bundespost issued a series of four values for Berlin under the title ‘Historic Berlin Street Pumps’. It w… Read More
2021-03-03 10:08
Russia 2020
The subject for the 2020 Europa postage stamps was Ancient Postal Routes, a very interesting issue for the collector. Russia produced the first example we show here. The oldes… Read More
2021-02-23 15:54
USA 1979
Continuing with our series of articles regarding the U.S. Post “Black Heritage” series of stamps we begin with the 1979 stamp featuring Martin Luther King (born 1929… Read More
2021-02-12 13:18
Isle of Man 20212021 is the Year of the Ox for the Chinese. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is probably the most important festival in China, similarly… Read More
2021-02-09 10:02
Portugal 2006
The year 2006 was declared the International Year of Deserts and Desertification by the United Nations General Assembly. Several countries issued stamps that… Read More
2021-02-01 12:08
Great Britain 2013In 2013 the enduringly-popular British BBC television series “Dr. Who” celebrated its 50th anniversary. And Great Britain’s Royal Mail issued many commem… Read More
2021-01-29 13:56
Take a close look at these USSR stamps, issued in December 1984 for the New Year celebrations, which depict Moscow’s Spasskaya Tower. The tower’s clock reads ‘5 before 12… Read More
2021-01-25 13:14
The six species of birds on the Garden Birds in the 2019 Netherlands stamp sheetlet are common in the Netherlands. But no matter how “normal” they seem, thanks to illust… Read More
2021-01-13 15:06
As the second highest value of a stamp series in honour of famous musicians/composers, this stamp from Paraguay appeared on July 1, 1980 with an edition of 35,000 copies. The stamp sho… Read More
2021-01-08 13:47
It was 03:30 on Christmas Day 1954 in driving rain when a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Boeing 377 Stratocruiser aircraft crashed on landing at Prestwick Airport, Sco… Read More
2020-12-30 09:55
Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was an African-American composer pianist and music teacher. Joplin achieved fame for his “ragtime” compositions and was known as the King of R… Read More
2020-12-23 14:44
Before we continue with this article featuring a selection of 2020 Christmas stamps, I would like to take the opportunity to offer seasonal greetings from all of the staff here at PostBeeld… Read More
2020-12-16 14:59
This Polish stamp sheet was issued in 1946 with education as its subject. The letters B, I and E in the bottom right corner of the stamps indicate that Poland was then a member of the Inter… Read More
2020-12-12 15:22
The opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel in December 2020 will mark the completion of the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA), turning the dream of a flat rail link through the Alps into rea… Read More
2020-12-07 13:03
The Soviet Union amazed the world on Nov. 3, 1957, with the launch of the small satellite Sputnik 2. On board was a small dog, Laika, the first animal to actually orbit Earth. Unfortunately… Read More
2020-11-23 15:00
From the Great Britain Royal Silver Wedding set of 1972 until the 1979 Christmas set, the printer Harrison & Sons Ltd. placed what have become known as “traffic lights” in t… Read More
2020-11-18 13:44
On May 13, 1970, two special stamps were issued in the German Democratic Republic (DDR) for the 25th anniversary of broadcasting in the GDR. The two stamps were printed as a pair. The 10 Pf… Read More
2020-11-02 12:23
Jack (Jackie) Roosevelt Robinson (b.1919 – d.1972) was a black American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in American Major Lea… Read More
2020-10-26 15:10
Is the collection of stamps with the theme ‘Shipwrecks’ popular? There have been many issues worldwide on the subject over the years and this article features a small selection… Read More
2020-10-21 11:15
Sharks have featured regularly on stamps of many countries and the first example shown here graphically illustrates why one would not want to be confronted with this particular species… Read More
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