Europa 1992 - Poland - 500th Anniv. of discovery of America

Date of Issue: May 05, 1992
Scott #: 3085a

Designer: J. Wysocki

Polish Post issued a se-tenant pair of stamps to commemorate 500th Anniversary of discovery of Americas by Christopher Columbus.

The pair of stamps show Christopher Columbus and his flagship 'Santa Maria' and the chart showing Atlantic ocean, Africa, and America.

Click here to see other stamps of Europa 1992.

Europa 1992 - Jersey

Date of Issue: April 14, 1992
Scott #: 593 - 595

22p - John Bertram (1796-1882)
28p - Sir George Carteret (1610-1680)
39p - Sir Walter Ralegh (1554-1618)

This FDC with set of three stamps are issued by Jersey Post to commemorate 500 years of Discovery of Americas by Columbus.

Click here to see other stamps of Europa 1992.

Death of Lord Nelson - October 21, 1805

Date of Issue: October 21, 2005
Scott #: 1028, for Isle of Man #: 1127

On this very same day, October 21, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, a British flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars who won several victories, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, during which he was killed.

The battle of Trafalgar was the most decisive British naval victory of the war. Twenty-seven British ships of the line led by Admiral Lord Nelson aboard HMS Victory defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships of the line under French Admiral Pierre Villeneuve off the south-west coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost.
Extracts from the log book of Manxman Captain John Quilliam on board "Victory" 21st October, 1805 "At 4.15pm the Spanish Rear Admiral to windward struck to some of our ships which had tacked after them, observed one of the enemy's ships blow up and 14 sail standing towards Cadiz and 3 standing to the southward, partial firing occurred until 3.40 when a victory having been reported to Admiral Right Honble Lord Visc't Nelson KB, Commander in Chief died of his wounds."

Nelson was mortally wounded during the battle, becoming Britain's greatest war hero.

A number of monuments and memorials were constructed across the country to honor his memory and achievements, with Dublin being the first city to create its own monument to Nelson, with work beginning on Nelson's Pillar in 1808. Others followed across the country, with London's Trafalgar Square being created in his memory in 1835 and the centrepiece, Nelson's Column, finished in 1843.

Source: wikipedia, gibraltar-stamps.com

USS Constellation - 150th Anniv

Date of Issue: June 30, 2004
Scott #: 3869

Designer: Howard E. Paine
Engraver: Christopher Broadbridge

Many thanks to Mr. E. Alexander Gerster, friend through MyPhilately.com, for the mint stamp, stamps on cover, and providing information on the stamp and USS Constellation.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) issued a stamp on USS Constellation to commemorate its 150th anniversary.

USS Constellation constructed in 1854 is a sloop-of-war, and the second United States Navy ship to carry this famous name. For decades, naval authorities disagreed on whether Constellation was a new ship built in 1854 of a modification of the 1797 frigate of the same name. In 1991, scientific examination of the ship and a recently discovered half-hull model confirmed that the ship berthed in Baltimore and known as the USS Constellation was indeed a new ship built in 1854.

USS Constellation is the last sail-only warship designed and built by the United States Navy.

The stamp art is a hand engraving based on a photograph, believed to date to 1893, in the collection of the U.S. Naval Historical Center.

Click here to know more about USS Constellation.

Source: wikipedia, USPS.com

INS Vikrant

Date of Issue: February 16, 1986
Scott #: 1115

India Post issued this stamp of INS Vikrant to commemorate her Silver Jubilee on February 16, 1986.

INS Vikrant, (R11) formerly HMS Hercules, was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. The name Vikrant was taken from Sanskrit vikrānta meaning "stepped beyond", i.e. "courageous", "victorious".

The HMS Hercules was purchased by the Govt. of India on 1957 and the ship was commissioned as INS Vikrant on February 16, 1961. Her service to the country, particularly during Indo-Pak war on 1971 showed her real prowess and shall always be remembered. As the flagship of the Eastern Fleet, commencing on December 04, 1971, she launched strikes on Cox Bazar, Chittagong airfield and ships in harbor of Chalna, Khulna, and Mongla. The part played by Vikrant in the 1971 operations undoubtedly helped hasten the surrender of Pakistani troops.

The stamp is based on the art work prepared by Alka Sharma and designed by India Security Press, Nashik. The First Day Cover shows a Sea Harrier Aircraft ready for take off and Seaking Aircraft started upon either side of the deck ready for launch and the crest of INS Vikrant superimposed on it. The cancellation designed by Alka Sharma.

Vikrant was India's only carrier for over twenty years, but by the early 1990s she was effectively out of service because of her poor condition. Even following major overhauls she was rarely put to sea. She was formally decommissioned on January 31, 1997 and is preserved as a museum at Mumbai. She is the only World War II-era British-built aircraft carrier to be preserved as a museum.

Source: Wikipedia, India Post information brochure.

ORP Piorun (G65) and ORP Piorun (422)

Date of Issue: January 04, 1999
Scott #: 3434a

This set of stamps were issued to commemorate 80 years of Polish Navy. 1918 - 1998

The ship in the first stamp is ORP Piorun (G65), an N class destroyer used by the Polish Navy during the Second World War. The name is Polish for "Thunderbolt". Initially commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Nerissa, she was later transferred to the Polish Navy in 1942 as a replacement for the destroyer ORP Grom. She was returned to the Royal Navy in 1946, as HMS Noble and scrapped in 1955.

The second stamp shows ORP Piorun (422), commissioned on March 11, 1994, a small missile ship, one of the three vessels of the "Orkan" type used by the Polish navy.

Source: Wikipedia, marynarkawojenna.pl

Ship postcards from Wales

Here are some ships on postcards printed at National Museum of Wales. Thanks to postcrossing.com member Chrisy for the cards.
Card #1: Glanhafren, bought by John Mathias & Sons, Aberystwyth and Cardiff in 1890.

Card #2: Hannah and Jane, Schooner, built at Pwllheli in 1867.
Card #3: S.S. Northfield, one of the ships operated by the Cardiff-based Field Line.
Card #4: S.S. Bernard, belonged to the Turnbull Bros., Cardiff
Card #5: Hirose, a trawler owned by Neale & West of Cardiff.
Card #6: S.S. Anne Thomas, built to the order of Evan Thomas, Radcliffe & Co. in 1882.

Admiral Zheng-He's voyages - 600th Anniv.

Date of Issue: June 28, 2005
Scott #: Stamps - 3438 a - c
Souvenir sheet - 3439

600 years ago the first long voyage of the Chinese admiral Zheng He began.

Between 1405 and 1431, he conducted seven voyages to the Pacific, to the Indian ocean and to the Persian Gulf. It is supposed that he also reached America. Celebrating these voyages a lot of different stamps regarding Zheng He and his armada were issued by China, Singapore, Macau, Indonesia, and Marshall Islands.

Before the start of his last voyage. Zheng He had a premonition and ordered to build a pillar with the following inscription: "We sailed more than 100,000 Li (approx. 50,000 kilometers) over enormous waters and saw enormous waves, which piled up like mountains touching the sky and we discovered barbarian lands far away, hidden in fine, blue-shimmering fogs, while our sails filled up like clouds day and night".

Click here to see 580th anniv. stamps of Zheng-He by China.

Thanks to Ms. Jia Caixu, China for this stamp set.

Source: shipsonstamps.org

Europa 1992 - Ireland

Date of Issue: May 14, 1992
Scott #: 864, 865

Ireland issued two stamps on Europa 1992 to commemorate 500th anniversary of discovery of America by Columbus.

The first stamp shows all the three ships on his voyage, Santa Maria, Nina, and Pinta. Second stamp shows Columbus landing in the New World.

Columbus 500th Anniv - Sri Lanka FDC

Date of Issue: December 01, 1992
Scott # for stamps: 1059 - 1062

Sri Lanka issued this set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet with these four stamps to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' first voyage and discovery of America.

The cachet shows portrait of Columbus and his flagship Santa Maria. Each of the stamps depict events in chronological order.

1.00 - Aug 1492 - The voyage begins
11.00 - Oct 1492 - First landing in the Americas
13.00 - Dec 1492 - Santa Maria is wrecked
15.00 - Apr 1493 - Return to Spain

The Navigators - 1992 Commemorative Issue New Zealand

Date of Issue: March 12, 1992
Scott #: 1089 - 1092

This set of four stamps are issued to commemorate 500th anniversary of discovery of America by Columbus as well as 350th anniversary of sighting of New Zealand by Abel Tasman.

Details given on the back of the FDC - The Navigators - In small, wooden sailing boats, European navigators explored the world's oceans using only the stars as a guide. During the long months at sea, food shortages, illness, mutinies, and battles took their toll on officers and crew alike. Despite such handicaps, seafaring explorers charted the oceans, discovering new lands, and opening up valuable trade routes.

The navigators stamp issue commemorates the sighting of New Zealand by Abel Tasman in 1642 and the sighting of the America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The stamps depict Tasman's two ships, the flagship Heemskerck and the Zeehaen, and Columbus' three ships - the Santa Maria, captained by Columbus, the pinta, and the Nina.

The stamps and first day cover were designed by Geoff Fuller of Havelock North.

Australian Bicentennial - SYDPEX 88

Date of Issue: July 30, 1988
Scott #: 621a

Click image to see larger picture.

This souvenir sheet was issued to commemorate Sydpex 88, Bicentennial National Stamp Exhibition held at Sydney during July 30 to August 07, 1988.

The sheet shows the relationship of Australia with Solomon Islands; the above half shows the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge, and two container ships; and the below half shows scenic view of Solomon Islands and two steamships at port.

M.V. Papuan Chief - A container ship built in 1977 for the China Navigation Co at HongKong. It was chartered by the New Guinea Australia Line (NGAL) for the service between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

M.V. Nimos - A container ship built in 1977 for the China Navigation Co at HongKong.

S.S. Malaita - A cargo vessel built in 1893 originally named Antilia, renamed in 1905 as Malaita, one of the main islands of the Solomon Islands.

S.S. Makambo - Named after an island in the Solomon Islands group, a cargo-passenger vessel built in 1907 for for Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd., Sydney NSW. She was built for the service from Sydney to New Hebrides. During World War II, on June 12, 1944 torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine HMS STOIC, off Phuket, Siam (now Thailand).

Source: shipstamps.co.uk