Thursday, October 16, 2008
ON PHILIPPINE POSTAGE STAMPS
Philately is the study of postage stamps. It comes from the Greek words Philos (friends) and Atelei (to be exempt from charge). It is also a term often used to refer to the art and science of stamp collecting. Interestingly, one can learn about a country’s history, culture, passions, nature, and industries through the study and collection of postage stamps.
A year or so ago, Clare Amador of YouthTrip invited me to join the Postal History Walking Tour, which she dubbed as "an afternoon of big words and old stories; a small trip in history guided by black and white images and anecdotes." Regrettably, due to a prior commitment, I was unable to attend. However, the other day at Manila City Hall, I met Lawrence D. Chan, the man who conducts the free Postal History Walking Tour held every third Sunday of the month.
If you're looking for something to do this Sunday, October 19, there is one walking tour being held. And for its highlight, there will be an auction of collectible items -- from vintage postage stamps to pastcards, and from Filipiniana books to old coins and currencies -- to be conducted right after the tour.
Incidentally, until Friday, October 17, at the lobby of the Post Office is the "One Frame Exhibit" sponsored by the Philippine Philatelic Federation National Exhibition.
Here's a couple of trivia on Philippine stamps:
* The first stamp in Asia was issued on February 1, 1854. One carried the word corros instead of correos, a genuine error highly valued nowadays by stamp collectors.
* General Emilio Aguinaldo issued his own set of postage stamps in 1898 under the new republic.
* The Philippines under the American rule issued a set of seven pictorial stamps on May 3, 1932. The vignette for the 18c was intended to show Pagsanjan Falls and is so labeled, but it was erroneously printed with the image of the Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park instead.
For additional information on the free guided tour, contact Lawrence D. Chan atL_rence_2003@yahoo.com
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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
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I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
Labels: auction, Manila Post Office, Philippine history, postage stamps
posted by Señor Enrique at 7:43 AM
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