Glasnost is not just a cooperative overture by the Soviet Union toward the United States; it also means friendly efforts extended to other nations.
This is evident in a special pair of stamps issued jointly by Australia and the Soviet Union on the subject of "scientific cooperation in the Antarctic." The stamps have the same design and differ only in denomination and language.Antarctica is almost entirely covered by ice. Efforts to preserve the area for non-military, scientific purposes resulted in the Antarctica Treaty, signed in 1959 by 12 nations, including Australia, the Soviet Union and the United States.
The theme of the 41-cent stamp is glaciology, which focuses on the study of environmental and climatic changes on the frigid continent. Featured on the stamp is a scene showing a team of scientists studying Antarctica's sprawling mountains of ice.
The $1.10 stamp features marine biology. Particular attention is devoted to the biology of krill, crustaceans that serve as the prime food source for whales in the area. The stamp depicts krill beneath the ocean's surface, with the underside of Antarctica in the background.
Artists Yuri Artsimenev of the Soviet Union and Janet Boschen of Australia jointly created both designs.Belgium has issued a special horizontal stamp to hail the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, at which an army led by the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon. The site, located in central Belgium south of Brussels, is now a military park.
On June 18, 1815, Wellington's British forces combined with a Belgian-Dutch division under the command of Prince William of Orange and a Prussian army led by Marshal Blucher. Napoleon's troops were aided by Marshal Michel Ney's French soldiers. Wellington's triumph cost over 50,000 lives.
The stamp depicts a panoramic view of the battle in progress and shows Wellington and Napoleon directing their troops.A September release by the Channel Island of Jersey consists of a set of five stamps dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Each stamp illustrates a different aircraft of the RAF engaged in the aerial combat that saved Britain from an expected Nazi invasion.
The denominations and featured aircraft are: 14-pence, Hawk fighter; 18-pence, "workhorse hero" Spitfire; 24-pence, Hurricane fighter; 34-pence, the twin-engine Wellington bomber; and 37-pence, the four-engine, long-distance Lancaster bomber.Collectors of first-day covers will welcome the new edition of the Artcraft First Day Cover Price List recently released by the Washington Press.
The comprehensive 52-page book lists all U.S. first-day covers since 1939, including postal stationery and other specialty items. Retail prices are quoted for first-day covers bearing single stamps, blocks and plate blocks.
The list is in handy, pocket-size format. It usually sells for $3, but, for a limited time, is available by mail for $1.50. Send a check or money order, plus a self-addressed business-size envelope with 45 cents postage attached, to: Washington Stamp Exchange, 2 Vreeland Rd., Florham Park, NJ 07932.One specialty of collectors of U.S. covers - not necessarily first-days - is "military mail." These are envelopes received from men and women in the service, many during wartime. U.S. military covers date as far back as the Civil War.
However, the covers - even in very fine condition - are not high-priced items and are valued as memorabilia or "show" pieces.Topical collectors - those who specialize in subjects rather than in countries - can now discover whether their specialty is among the most popular.
According to the American Topical Association, the top 10 topicals, in descending order of popularity, are: trains, birds, space, cats, butterflies, Christmas, flowers, music, maps and animals.
Topical collectors can choose from literally hundreds of categories, including such specialties as dogs, sports, the circus, the opera, Santa Claus, Shakespeare, and even the mysterious world of bats.
Have fun adding your specialty to the long, long list.