Pacific stamp box

A five-day philatelic management semi nar sponsored by the Canadian Gov ernment was recently held in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa with several island countries represented.

The main item of discussion was on ways to halt the decline in sales. Since most of the islands have stamp sales high on their lists of export earners, any fall in sales is of major concern.

New Zealand will issue two bird stamps on May 1 to cater for an increase in postage rates. The value of the new stamps will be 30 cents and 40 cents, the basic postage rate rising from 25 to 30 cents.

It is also thought that Australian rates will rise in July, from 33 to 36 cents.

The next major stamp theme for 1986 is the 60th birthday of Queen Elizabeth 11. Already, during April, 25 Commonwealth countries have issued stamps to commemorate the event.

The omnibus issue is being organised by the Crown Agent’s Stamp Com pany, CASCO. Each stamp will be in uniform format, sheet layout and perforation, printed on CA spiral watermarked paper with the exception of Jamaica and Malawi who will use their own watermarked paper.

This will be an important event in countries such as Papua New Guinea who stopped using watermarked paper many years ago.

The first value will feature a compo site black and white photograph of the queen from her birth in 1926 to her accession in 1952. The second will feature an event in her life, from her accession to the present day.

The third will feature either a royal visit to the country of issue or a photograph of the queen fulfilling her duties as head of state. The final value will feature a photograph of the queen visiting the Crown Agent’s headquar ters in 1983.

The gutter panels will also feature designs. The first panel will feature an

order of chivalry, the second a royal residence, the third the insignia of an army unit and the fourth a coat of arms of the issuing country.

Pacific island countries involved in the omnibus issue are Fiji, Kiribati, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea (its first time to join a Crown Agent’s omnibus), Pitcairn Island, Samoa, Solo mon Islands and Vanuatu. The stamp was due for simultaneous release on April 21.

Last year 1 published a stamp survey for the Pacific area by courtesy of the West German philatelic monthly Michel Rundshau. This magazine has recently released details of the 1984 stamp issues.

The bad news for 1984 is that, worldwide, the number of stamp issuing countries increased by almost 10 per cent to 253. This is due to the names of various “new” territories appearing as stamp-issuing authorities, such as one Pacific country in particular that I have mentioned in this column on numerous occasions.

The other bad news is that through out the world 9,254 stamps and 908 miniature sheets were issued, increases of 10 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. This represents about A 521,716 catalogue value.

Hands up all those who still collect

every stamp being issued by every country. I might add that increasing stamp numbers does not indicate a boom in stamp sales. Let’s hope that Tonga conference looked good and hard at cutting down the number of stamps and stamp-issuing authorities in an effort to halt the sales decline.

Meanwhile, let’s look more closely at the offenders.

Tuvalu topped the league with no fewer than 302 stamps with a value of As47o, well ahead of Tonga with 50 (A$ 160), Niue 46 and 11 miniature sheets (A 5226) and Penrhyn, 32 stamps and seven miniature sheets (AslsB).

I am sure it comes as no surprise to find Tuvalku again infamous by being fifth highest country by face value listed and second highest after St Vincent and Grenadines in the number of stamps issued in 1984.

Congratulations are due to those Pacific countries that have maintained a sensible number of stamp issues with a moderate face value.

Countries flooding the stamp market are not making any money, I believe, but just chasing the ever elusive collec tor who cannot afford, or is not prepared, to spend more money on the deluge of new issues. They give stamp collecting a bad name.