'UOB' Cancellation on 1962 25cents definitive

Among the different stamps, I found this 1962 25 cents fish definitive with a cancellation of 'UOB Singapore' on it. Curiously I wonder what is this cancellation for. I understand some stamps have perforations within the bodies of the stamps, i.e. perfins with small holes in the stamps, because in the older days, stamps were a high value commodity and companies add perforations to prevent theft.

However, this 'UOB Singapore' cancellation on a 1962 definitive surely cannot be a perfins? UOB as a bank existed since the 1930s, while Singapore as a soverign country existed from August 1965. Moreover, the bank adopted the 'UOB' as its name only in 1965 (See article). So the 'UOB Singapore' cancellation on a 1962 may not make much sense, perhaps it is a 'cancellation' for other purposes? Anyone with any clue let me know ok?

Singapore's Submarine Cables & Stamps

Stamps and submarine cables are both tools of communications needed to transfer information around the world. So it is not surprising that Singapore has issued quite a number of stamps (three to be exact) to commemorate the installation of SEA-ME-WE (South East Asia - Middle East - West Europe) cables. Some of the stamps are shown below. These sets are attractive because they are the rare 'circular' stamps issued, compared to the traditional square / rectangular ones. The different sets are similar, but note the boldfaced white lines denoting the cables.

Due to the nature of such international communications tools, the installation of cables is celebrated not just by Singapore, but also by the other partners linked by the submarine cables. The last stamp in this picture below is by a middle-east country. So these are actually international events commemorated by different countries.

Other than the three sets of stamps, the events are captured when a set of 'Stamps in stamps' were issued for the BangKok International Stamp Exhibition 1983.

I'm not aware if there are other submarine cables events captured by stamps in Singapore. Going forward, I don't think there would be any more such events captured by stamps, since submarine cables installations are no longer special events in light of the wide networks of such cables around the world.

Year of the Ox - Stamps & Hongbao Packets

SingPost is welcoming the Year of the Ox with their set of OX-picious Zodiac Stamp (auspicious!) with 2 x free hongbao packets. Similar to the previous Rat stamp release, there is a 'double' image of the other two immediate Chinese Zodiac signs in the Ox stamps, one of the Rat (the animal before the Ox) and one of the Tiger (the animal after the Ox). Take a look at the news release from SingPost about this issue, which also contains other details like prices, denominations of the stamps ...etc.

Here's a picture of the stamps and the hongbaos. I think the hongbaos giveaway is a smart idea of promoting the stamps.

2008 Collection of Singapore Stamps

Recently I bought the 2008 Collection of Singapore Stamps for $59.90 from the post office. There are a number of interesting releases this year, including the Formula One Grand Prix, as well as the Peranakan collection, which made this purchase worthwhile. Here's a picture of the 2008 collection.

It is a dilemma at times, when a collector decides to buy the annual release and yet each individual presentation pack is also a separate worthwhile purchase, thus resulting in many copies of the same stamps. Nonetheless, I have to be selective in the stamps purchases due to my space constraints.

Interested in the album? If so, you better buy it before the price of the stamp album inflate next year, which typically happens when we cross over to the new year.

When Sci-Fi meets Stamps Collectors

I was around Funan a few days ago and decided to pop by the Philatelic Museum.

That was when I saw this R2D2 Mail Box. Guess this would please those who are both stamp collectors as well as Sci-Fi fans.

By the way, the Singapore 2008 Stamps Collection 2008 is out for sale.

Stamps - Postal Services Through The Years

I was at the SingPost Paya Lebar centre and saw this display of one of the latest stamp issues - Singapore Postal Services Through The Years. It is interesting to see the development of these postal services thru depiction on postal objects (i.e. stamps); there is an added reinforcing element of history progression somehow.

The monotone with oval frame design gives the whole set a nostalgic feel linking back to stamps of the straits settlement era. It is also quite encouraging to see postmen being the centre objects (together with postboxes) of these stamps. Afterall, these postmen had put in hard work to deliver our letters everyday, and some recognition is due.

If you want to purchase this set, you could do so via the SingPost online portal.

WSC 2004, Hans C. Andersen & NUS Stamps Sheets

Personally I prefer to collect used stamps instead of unused stamps, for the simple reason that the postmarks and cancellations on the used stamps add to the fun of stamp collecting.

There are times when I do collect unused stamps, and that includes presentation packs as well as stamp sheets. Presentation packs, like used stamps, also add to the fun of stamp collecting because there are more information presented in the package. For the same reason, miniature sheets are also interesting. For large stamp sheets, the interesting information is the details of the printer..etc etc.

To illustrate the point, here's three pictures of NUS stamp sheet, World Stamp Competition 2004 sheet, and the Hans C Andersen miniature. For the NUS sheet, the details of the printer, the 5 colour proof dots..etc could be found by the side of the sheet.

For the WSC 2004 sheet, the background of the sheet featured the stamps from the mid-60s, superimposed with a merlion picture at the upper right.

For Hans C Andersen, the background has the same theme as the 4 stamps, with wordings that describe the occasion (i.e. 200th Anniversary Celebration), and that adds to the fun when one looks at these stamps.

All in all, stamps collecting is fun, not just because we are hoarding little piles of tiny papers, but because of the history and culture embedded in these papers that describe the world we lived in, often times stretching our imagination to times before our birth. Isn't that fun enough?