For the love of cats

Comment

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on October 5, 2010 at 4:51pm

Hello! There used to be very strict rules about what stamps were supposed to llook like, and there's even something called the IPU (International Postal Union -- an IGO made up of national postal authorities) that tries to enforce what can be agreed by all the partners. BUT in the last 40 or so years, too many countries have issued too many stamps (that really have nothing to do with them) that the rules are effectively meaningless. However, all stamps seem to have the name of the issuing country and their value on them -- but after that, anything and everything fors from stamps that smell of perfume to stamps that taste of choloate, etc. Brirish stamps remain more or less 'classica' and 'pure. The best ever Brirtish stamp is the classic Machin head, it's been on over 200 billion stamps. You might want to take a look at my web site, www.val-herman-art.eu, under the section Stamp Art and then Silly Stamps, to see some really strange stamps.Regards, Val

Comment by Maria Fedorchuk on October 5, 2010 at 1:34pm

no it isnt boring =))) i like the idea of it - to recognise the country by its signs. uk stamps are much too recognisable with this head of the Queen to have UK sign for more identity, dont you think? why did they have to add uk id to it? is there any international rules for stamps?

*sent by address to you - yeah im a cat person if you can call it so - love the nature in every bit of it*

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on October 5, 2010 at 11:28am

Dear Maria F,
Yes these are the British stamps*, and yes they are all real stamps, and yes the 'p' is for pence. Full marks, Maria F!.
The back of this Envelope is quite special, because it features more stamps -- plus pictures of my own cats Bianca and Trouble. (Somehow, i didn't manage to load the photo)
If you would like to receive a version of this Envelope, then send me your mail address, and Bianca, Trouble and I will post you one in the next couple of days.
Are you a cat person, too?
Regards, Val

* PS Here's a boring stamp fact. Britain was the first country to introduce postage stamps -- on May 6, 1840. Because it was the only country then using stamps, there was no need to put (Great) Britain on them. However, when other countries started issuing stamps then they had to put their names on them to distinguish them from British, and other stamps. British stamps have NEVER had the name of the country on them 'til this day. And they have always had the head of the monarch on them in one form or another. (I told you it was boring!)

Comment by Maria Fedorchuk on October 5, 2010 at 11:08am

oh i love these! are the pen b/w ones are real stamps? must be uk stamp, right? has the Queen profile on it and "p" as pence.