NEWS Supplementary Special
Issue Number 139a
Winter 2013
In this special supplementary issue of Manx Stamp & Coin News… The Year of the Snake Miniature Sheet and Souvenir Sheetlet • St Patrick & the Snake Crown News of London Stampex and more…
WELCOME
Dot’s Message
Chaghteraght Dot
t is not often we have to ‘stop press’ as our plans are usually mapped out well in advance. However, we have been given a chance to attend a stamp exhibition in Beijing later this year which is a great honour and too good an opportunity to miss. This latest issue we will feature at this year’s exhibition is the Year of the Snake miniature sheet. As many of you will remember we were fortunate in having a stand at the Olympic Expo in Beijing in 2008 which was a marvellous experience. Our Olympic stamps were very popular with the Chinese collectors and featured the Island’s cycling heroes Mark Cavendish and Johnny Bellis who competed for Great Britain that year. The exhibition was amazing and we were so grateful to the China National Post Office for making us so welcome. Celebrating the Chinese Year of the Snake, our miniature sheet and small souvenir sheet will hopefully bring fortune, emolument (salary), longevity and happiness to us all.
I
Dot, Charles Cao, and Maxine in Beijing
Framed and Signed Olympic Winners Sheet... less than half price offer. We were very lucky to have 100 London 2012 Olympic Games Gold medal Winners Sheets signed by all four Team Pursuit Cyclists (see page 10 in main newsletter 139 or web site). We were even more fortunate to find a company who would frame the sheets at a bargain price, without affecting quality, improving our original estimate for framing and transportation. We have therefore dropped the framed signed sheets to just £60 from £135! We will be contacting all previous purchasers of the framed item to refund the difference which leaves us with a ‘first come first served offer’ for these few remaining collectables which is an opportunity too good to miss. Best Wishes
London Stampex 20th to 23rd February 2013 Our colleague Sue will be happy to greet you at Stand 108 Opening times Wednesday, 20th 11.30 am – 7.00 pm Thursday, Friday 10.00 am – 6.00 pm Saturday 10.00 am – 5.00 pm
Year of the Snake Souvenir Sheetlet A special sheetlet comprising mint stamps and decorative auspicious symbolic images. Year of the Snake Souvenir Sheetlet Mint RA64 CTO RA65 £1.60 St Patrick and the Snake Crown The Isle of Man does not have a patron saint, but if we were to adopt one, St Patrick would be a strong contender, even if we had to share him with Ireland, as he is credited with bringing Christianity to our shores. The image on the coin shows St Patrick casting out serpents during his time on the Isle of Man with the obverse carrying a fine effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, Lord of Man by Ian RankBroadley FRBS. The coin is Cupro Nickel St Patrick and the Snake Crown in box AG66 £12.95
NEW RELEASE • Issue Date – 08.02.13
The Isle of Man Post Office is pleased to present a miniature sheet of stamps to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Snake which is issued to recognise our attendance at the China International Collection Expo to be held in Beijing later this year. Chinese New Year, also known as the spring festival, is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The spring festival celebrates the start of new life and the season of ploughing and sowing.
luck. On New Year’s Eve, all brooms, dustpan and brushes are put away so that good luck cannot be swept away. Houses are decorated with paper scrolls with good luck phrases such as ‘Happiness’ and ‘Wealth’.
2013 is the year of the black Snake and begins on February 10th, shortly after the new moon in Aquarius, the humanitarian of the zodiac. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal Signs. It is the most enigmatic, intuitive, introspective, refi ned and collected of the Animals Signs. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve.
On New Year’s Eve, families gather together and have a large, traditional meal. There are different types of food depending on which region of China people come from. In the north, people eat djiaozi - a steamed dumpling and in the south nian gao - a sticky, sweet rice pudding.
People born in the Year of the Snake are reputed to be thoughtful and wise and to approach problems rationally and logically, seldom instinctively. Such people are complex beings, they are clever and men of few words from their birth. Snakes are also very insightful and naturally intuitive. If anyone has a sixth sense, it’s those born in the Snake year. This is partly what makes them so mysterious and maybe that’s why people born in the Snake year love to appreciate beauty. People with the Chinese zodiac snake sign are very stylish, fashionable and have exceptional taste. New Year festivities start on the first day of the lunar month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. The first week is celebrated with visits to friends and family following special traditions designed to bring good luck. The second week ends with the lantern festival on the evening of the 15th day of the lunar month.
People will stay up until midnight setting off fireworks to frighten away evil spirits. Red symbolises fire which will scare away evil spirits, so people dress head to foot in new red clothing. On New Year’s Day children will wake up to find a red envelope filled with money and sweets under their pillows left by their parents and grandparents. Chinese New Year ends with the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the month. The lanterns are often hand painted with scenes from history or legend. People hang glowing lanterns at the windows of their houses and carry lanterns under the light of the full moon. A dragon dance often takes places with a dragon made of paper, silk and bamboo held aloft by young men dancing and guiding it around to collect money. In some countries, especially England, the festivities are shortened, so that the lantern festival takes place on Chinese New Year’s day and you can see parades with dragon dancing and brightly painted lanterns.
Chinese New Year is the oldest Chinese festival and has many traditions. Before the start of the festivities, Chinese people spring clean their houses to sweep away any bad
TECHNICAL DETAILS Design ........................Siobhan McDevitt and EJC Design Text ..................................................Isle of Man Post Office Stamp ..........................................................Size 30 x 30mm Colours ..................................................................................4 Process ..................................................Offset Lithography Perforations ......................................................14 per 2cms
Paper ..............................................108gms PVA Gummed Format ..................................Miniature sheet of 6 stamps Issue Date ..............................................8th February 2013 PRODUCTS AVAILABLE Miniature Sheet, Presentation Pack, First Day Cover, Souvenir Sheetlet
ORDER FORM • Special Supplementary Issue 139a
Miniature Sheet
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QTY QTY PRICE This orderCTO will be dispatched to you on£12.05.08P
The Year of the Snake
Issued 08.02.13
Miniature Sheet (6 stamps)
RA25
Presentation Pack
RA42
RA75
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First Day Cover Souvenir Sheetlet
RA64
St Patrick and the Snake Crown
AG66
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RA65
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