Islands stamps issues

attract attention

The attention of international philatelists is once more being attracted by Pacific Island coun tries with a series of special issues from Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tuvalu.

Samoa’s contribution is a handsome trio of high-de nomination stamps featuring tropical fruits which were issued on April 11. They form Part 111 of the current definitive issue from Apia, and are in $2, $4 and $5 denominations.

Papua New Guinea has by far the most elaborate plans with three colorful com memorative pre-stamped en velopes noting the visit of Pope John Paul, the 10th anniversary of PNG rugby league football, and Ausipex, the Australian In ternational Philatelic Exhibition of 1984.

In addition the Philatelic Bureau is printing a special cover for the airmail com memoratives. The airmail and the Pope’s visit covers are avail

able now, the football one in August, and Ausipex in September.

During the time these issues are being made PNG will also introduce a series of six new stamp issues, with and con tinued with the 50th airmail anniversary in May. Stamps to commemorate the opening of the house and a definitive issue of bird of paradise designs, will come out in August and in September a series on ceremo nial tribal shields will be pub lished. The year’s issues will conclude in November with a series of four featuring PNG scenes.

All these stamps and en velopes are available from the Philatelic Bureau at Boroko, PNG, or from the mailing points set up in Australia and New Zealand.

Tuvalu appears to be making a major drive in the philatelic area and this year has produced two special series, both of them

with stamps in pairs. The first of these, already reported in PIM, featured some of the most famous locomotives in the world. The second issue, part of the overall series entitled “Leaders of the World”, shows

four famous motor cars: the TD series MG sports car, the 1935 supercharged Auburn, the 1928 Lea-Francis, and the 1930 Packard roadster.

The World Leaders stamps are being produced on the basis of one set for each of the eight main islands in the group. Nui won the locomotives and Vaitu pu the cars.

In promoting the current issues, with their perhaps some what exotic subject matter, Tuvalu’s Philatelic Bureau notes that some earlier stamps from the country have shown as much as 1700 per cent appreciation in catalogue value since their issue date. The most notable of these is the 1976 maps and local scenes issue which, with a face value of $9.81 is now shown in stamp catalogues at more than $l7O.

Tuvalu’s “World Leader” car series.

Western Samoa’s tropical fruits stamps series (left).

Alarm leaps from the face of this Solomon Islands child on UNICEF scales in Honiara, as part of a regular baby-weighing program. UNICEF photo by Watson.