Wednesday 25 April 2012

Australia, Canada and Cook Islands Diamond Jubilee Issues...And Tuvalu Fish!

Australia issued its Diamond Jubilee stamps on 3 April 2012, just two valued at 60c and $2.35. They are gummed and printed in lithography by McKellar Renown , the usual printer for modern Australian stamps. The stamps were designed by Jo Muir. Unfortunately Australia also produced a number of accompanying expensive, gimicky collectibles including two covers, one of which has a "silver" version of the 60c stamp attached to it (price $29.95) and the other with a gold "stamp" attached to it (price - keep calm - $199.95!). These "stamps" are not available in a mint state and are therefore not true postage stamps available for use on mail, merely collectibles and therefore stamp collectors need not worry about having to get them unless they want to have an expensive souvenir of the Diamond Jubilee with not much prospect of any investment potential.
Below I illustrate the dignified Canadian stamp issued on 16 January 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee which I have previously mentioned but not shown on this site. I also include an illustration of Canada's third Jubilee miniature sheet and a close up of one of the stamps from it.
Below is one of the six stamps and the sheetlet of six issued by The Cook Islands on 6 February 2012 to commemorate the Jubilee in the same style as the omnibus issue produced by some of the CASCO territories. A single stamp miniature sheet accompanies these items.
Finally, just for a change of subject, I illustrate the sheetlet and miniature sheet (and a couple of stamps from the miniature sheet) which were issued probably towards the end of 2011 by Tuvalu which depict local fish and marine mammals. I think that they are quite interesting if only because for once they depict a subject of strict national relevance and therefore are worth adding to one's collection. Whether or not they actually get sold at a Tuvaluan post office for use on ordinary mail is another question altogether.

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