On July 22, 2010 the Iceland Post issued three incredible postage stamps that featured three different views of the erupting Eyjafjallajökull Volcano.  Each stamp was printed in a sheet of 10.  The stamps are inscribed “Local Letter”, Letters to Europe”, and Letters to Other Countries.  Two of the postage stamps feature incredible nighttime images of the great volcano erupting.  Both postage stamps feature red molten lava, one pouring down the side of the glacier and one spewing the ash and rock high into the nighttime sky.  The daytime postage stamp shows the beautiful blanket of white snow that Iceland is known for, with the volcano shooting steam and ash high into Iceland’s crystal blue sky.  Certainly, these postage stamps showcase nature fury at it’s finest.

If you are hoping to get a chance to actually “feel” the volcanic ash, it’s unlikely that you will get to do so on these stamps though.  The information that I have regarding these particular postage stamps reports that the ash is extremely fine, so you will need to trust that it is actually embedded within the ink!

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.

The fantastic show did not appear to last for long however and the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano returned to its normal calm state until April 14, 2010 when a huge explosion occurred.  The volcano explosion sent clouds of ash soaring high into the sky, as high as 11,000 meters!  Because of the ash, smoke, and steam that the volcano spewed, air quality was severely disrupted.  Traveling across Europe was complete chaos because all airspace and airports were closed as the plume of volcanic ash spread far into the atmosphere.  With airplanes grounded people were stranded and the ripple effect reached far beyond just Europe.  This was the highest level of air travel disruption since World War II.  By May 21, 2010, the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano was considered to be dormant once again.

Please check back on Friday for part 2.

Ian Fleming spent his childhood living with his mother after his father was killed during WWI.  By the time WWII came about, Fleming was recruited into naval intelligence in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve where he eventually was promoted to Commander.  His time as commander is what he would later attribute his signature character, James Bond, to be based upon.

In 2008, to celebrate Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first Bond novel (“Dr No”) that was filmed, the Royal Mail issued a set of special postage stamps.  The stamps featured covers from six of the fourteen James Bond books.  Casino Royale and Dr. No were issued as first class stamps, and Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, For You Eyes Only, and From Russia, With Love, were airmail stamps.  One of the bonuses to owning this particular set of stamps is that the stamps showcase the six books, and feature four different cover editions of each particular one. Very cool indeed!

If you would like to own your own set of the Ian Fleming James Bond postage stamps, stop by Stamp Center today.  We offer free shipping to US customers and $4.50 flat rate shipping to international customers.

Final Version of the Four Chaplains Postage Stamp

Continuing from Wednesday…

The Four Chaplains postage stamp was designed by Louis Schwimmer, who was the head of the Art Department of the New York City branch of the U.S. Post Office Department, which is now called the USPS.  According to Schwimmer’s son, Louis Schwimmer was a practicing Orthodox Jew.  This postage stamp was the first US postage stamp that was designed by a person of Jewish descent; that commemorates a person who is Jewish.

Because of the bravery of these four men, many other honors have been bestowed upon them in an attempt to keep their memories alive.  All four men were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross for their efforts in 1944.  In 1948, Congress declared February 3rd to be Four Chaplains Day as well.  In 1960, Congress authorized a one time only Chaplain’s Medal for Heroism award which was presented to the families of the four gentlemen. President Truman dedicated a chapel in Philadelphia to the four chaplains in 1951.  The chapel was later sold and moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 2004 where it has since been restored and renamed the Four Chaplains.

One of the goals of the United Nations disarmament program is to end the cycle of violence so that children can grow up receiving an education without the treat of violence. 

The UN recognizes that children who are growing up in areas where light weapons are used during conflict are at risk when the weapons remain in that society.  Those children are often cheated out of the chance to attend schools, play outdoors freely, and cannot be raised in a safe and secure environment.

The United Nations Disarmament postage stamp was dedicated in New York City by actor and producer Michael Douglas.  He was appointed the “Messenger of Peace” by the previous UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, for his support of the disarmament program, and for his support of abolishing nuclear weapons around the world.

The United Nations Disarmament 37 cent postage stamp would be a great addition to any stamp collection, and you can find it at Stamp Center.  We offer free shipping to our US customers and $4.50 flat rate shipping to our international customers.  We hope to see you soon!

The stamp set issued is appropriately called “Classic Album Covers” and features some of the most popular bands and album covers of all times.  It is reported that choosing just ten albums out of the thousands of albums that were scrutinized, was a very difficult task.  The album covers were chosen based on the albums artwork instead of the music that the band represented.  The albums considered were those only from British artists and spanned the decades from the 1960’s forward.  Music fans and graphic artists are sure to love these cool postage stamps!  Albums represented are from the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Mike Oldfield, The Clash, New Order, Primal Scream, Pink Floyd, Blur and Cold Play.

All postage stamps have a historical value because they reflect the history, politics, art, economics and such of the government from which they are issued from.  The best thing about postage stamps is that no matter the country of issue, they all tell a story of sorts.

Some people choose to collect just one type of stamp.  Maybe you prefer a postage stamp with a picture of a cucumber or a perhaps Lucille Ball.  Maybe you like stamps that feature musicians, foreign stamps, politicians, folk art, sporting events, social issues, cartoon characters or even toys.  In the world of postage stamps, the possibilities are absolutely endless!

At Stamp Center you will find a huge selection of postage stamps representing countries all around the world.  We have many different varieties of stamps to delight all stamp collectors.  Stop by our store to see our selection of stamps, first day covers and entire stamp collections that we have in stock.  Stamp Center also purchases collections, so if you are looking for a new home for yours, we would love to hear from you!

Bhutan’s history of issuing unusual postage stamps dates back to the 1960s. The first country to issue 3-D postage stamps, steel stamps, silk stamps and scented stamps, Bhutan’s philatelic bravura is made possible by its partnership with Creative Products, the U.S. firm that developed the specially formatted CD-ROM stamps. The firm’s history with Bhutan goes back to 1951 when Burt Todd, father of the company’s founder, Frances Stewart, was the first American to visit Bhutan.

The U.S.-Bhutan partnership has produced more than 60 unusual postage stamps including a working phonograph record. Set into ornately detailed and exotically colored backgrounds, the CD-ROMs on the Bhutan Nature Monarchy CD postage stamps contain documentaries about tiny monarchy and its people.

Over the years, hunters are not the only ones who choose to purchase the Duck Stamps.  Philatelists and conservationists alike also realize the value of these cool stamps.  Each year a new Duck Stamp is issued.  Since 1949, the Duck Stamp designs have been chosen via the only art competition that is sponsored by the US government.  Each year, the US Fish and Wildlife Service choose five species for competitors to paint their submissions of.  Those submissions are then judged and a winner is chosen in both a junior and adult category.

Stamp Center has two Bird Hunting & Conservation Stamps to add to your collection.  Stop by to see the Duck Stamps for the years of 2000 and 2001.  They feature the Mottled Duck and Northern Pintail Duck respectively.  You will also find the US Duck Stamp Plate Block RW32 available at Stamp Center.  If you would like to add any of these Duck Stamp products to your collection, contact Stamp Center today.  We also offer a huge selection of postage stamps from around the world, and we have incredible collections to choose from.

The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, otherwise known as the Duck Stamp, was established when Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act into law.  This law was one of the first, and is still considered the most successful, of all conservation programs in United States history.  The law requires that any waterfowl hunter that is over 16 years old purchase a stamp in order to hunt waterfowl.  The proceeds of the stamp, minus the cost of the stamps production, are used to purchase wetlands and habitats for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System. To date, the proceeds have allowed the federal government to purchase over 5.3 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the US.  These spaces allow many species that were or are endangered, a safe haven of food and shelter.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.