Stamp Issuing Entrity # 257 and a Few Others

It's time for another update. With this one , I will knock off another one from the list over on the left. And that will be quite the trick, since it's not even on the list. That's right, I missed one, left one off the list - call it what you want, but the fact remains that I have now corrected that fact.

My new country or stamp issuing entity is none other than South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands , and is in fact # 257 of my collection. I don't know how come I left South Georgia off my list. I have often checked the list and just never thought about South Georgia. That's all behind me now, I welcome South Georgia to the fold.

South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, located about 1300 km East-South-East of the Falkland Islands, is a British overseas territory. With no native population, the present inhabitants include a British Government Officer , a Deputy Postmaster , scientists and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey. Bases are maintained at the capital- King Edward Point, Bird Island and Grytviken.

Here is how this postcard came to be. I wanted the card posted from South Georgia so this is the routine. I handed in this card at the Stanley, Falkland Islands Philatelic Office back on 15 March of this year. The clerk said that it would be forwarded to South Georgia for cancellation. It was postmarked at King Edward Point on 19 April and then sent back to Stanley where it got dropped in the mail stream. It arrived in Airdrie , Alberta, Canada yesterday , 3 months after I set it up.
On the card is a group of Rockhopper Penguins hanging around on a rocky cove. The stamp shows a Macaroni Penguin and was issued in 2010. It is rated for Airmail Postcards.

Just another of those really out of the way places that when I started this collection, I never dreamed I would ever receive a stamped postcard from, but I guess my little foray to the Falklands made it a lot easier.

Not to take away from South Georgia of course, but here is another really great card and it come from Canada no less. Another addition to my Aircraft on Postcards collection. This one is a CC-129 Dakota, a military version of the DC-3. This card is issued by the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario. This particular Dakota ( Tail 3 12963 ) is actually located at the museum. It served in India from 1944-1946. It was one of many DC3s used to transport supplies and troops to the British Army in Burma.

I received this card from Pam in Kingston, Ontario through a private swap. She used a couple of aviation related stamps to add to the theme of the card. On the left is a stamp from a 2006 set of 2 featuring The Snowbirds, Canada's military air demonstration team. The stamp on the right is a 1984 issue featuring pilots of The Royal Canadian Air Force.

Incidentally, my first aircraft flight was on a DC-3. I think it was around 1967 and I flew from CYQX ( Gander ) to CYWK ( Wabush ) with a stop in CYAY ( St. Anthony ) and return. That might just be why I ended up working with airlines for 28 years.

Folsom Prison is next on the agenda. Folsom State Prison is located in the city of Folsom, California, just 32 km northeast of Sacramento. It was opened in 1880. Over a 42 year period, from 1895 to 1937 , 93 condemned prisoners were executed , all by hanging. As of march 2012, the prison population was 2,912 - 443 over its design capacity. 443 prisoners over may seem too many and I'm sure it was, but in 2009 overcrowding was really an issue with 4,427 inmates. The card gives us a look at the main gate of the prison. This is another card from my brother Mel's recent trip to California. Once again we see the 2008 Tiffany Lamp definitive, the 2011 George Washington and 2 Aloha Shirts from 2012.Let's stick with a card from another of my brothers. This one is from Dale, traveling in Brazil. On his card we see Iguacu Falls, Brazil. The falls is part of Iguacu national Park , a UNESCO WHS since 1986. Iguacu Falls forms a 2,700 m wide semicircle while the water plunges over the falls from a height of 72 m. Here's the stamps , I showed them in my last update so have a look if you want.

Here's a card from Sri Lanka. Ravindra sent this one along and it is a view of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri lanka. The temple is in the royal palace complex which houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. It is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Ravindra again used a number of new stamps as he usually does on his cards. The top 2 stamps celebrate Vesak 2012, observed on May 5th this year and often referred to as Buddha's birthday. The other 2 stamps were also issued this year with the larger one on the left celebrating Sustainable Energy For All. The lower stamp on the right marks 2600 years since the Lord Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment.

My next card celebrates THAI Airways International . THAI , smooth as silk, with its Royal Orchid Service. I often heard it said that THAI has the most beautiful flight attendants and after looking at this card, that could be true. Nina sent this card and used a large 2010 stamp featuring a THAI DC-10 , celebrating the 50th anniversary of the airline. Another stamp for my Airlines on Stamps collection. The 2 stamps on the left are from a sent of 7 issued in 2009 featuring Orchids. It's interesting that Nina used 2 Orchid stamps on a card showcasing THAI's Orchid Service. The small stamp at the center is from a set of 10 definitives issued in 2010 featuring Thailand's King.


I think that should do it for today. Thanks to Ravindra, Dale, Mel, Nina, Pam for their cards and to the clerk in the Stanley , Falkland Islands Philatelic Office for her great assistance with the South Georgia card. Thanks for dropping by and I'll be looking for a comment from you all. Come on , fill the comment box.