Stamps as Witnesses of History is not a book about the history of stamps as such. It is a book about how stamp issues since Rowland Hill invented the first adhesive postage stamp in 1840 have “witnessed” the seismic global political developments over the years. It is a guide to political philately, which aims to show how stamp issues have reflected and have related to key political events.
Thus stamps of the North German Confederation marked a major stepping stone to German unification, a truly momentous political event, whilst selected African stamps of the 1960s celebrated the independence of many emerging African states from European colonial empires. The book is arranged geographically, covering the whole world. For each country entry, the major political developments are listed chronologically on the left hand side with contemporaneous stamps, supported in some instances by relevant commemoratives, on the right hand side.
The 634-page book (hardcover edition, 2024, ISBN: 9781915465191) was written by Ruth Lea and published by Filament Publishing Ltd. It is available online.
[photo credit: https://www.hhsales.co.uk]
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https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/stamps_withesses-800.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2025-06-08 15:52:542025-06-11 14:59:24Stamps as Witnesses of History
Following the success of last year’s 19th UPU Competition Class, this year’s 20th edition is already making its mark. It has been showcased at URUGUAY 2025, and BERNABA 2025 in Bern, Switzerland, and is scheduled to appear at GASS 2025 in Chicago, and PHILAKOREA 2025 in Seoul.
Twenty-eight postal operators are taking part, each presenting contemporary postage stamps in a one-frame, 16-page exhibit, evaluated under FIP regulations by FIP-accredited jurors.
Only a few weeks to go until the opening of the 7th Altmärkische stamp exhibition. It’s well worth a visit, because the exhibition has a lot to offer.
500 years of the erection of the Stendal Roland, one of the most important symbols of North German city rights. The Roland figures symbolise the independence and right of self-government of towns in the Middle Ages, and Stendal’s Roland is one of the oldest and largest in Germany.
What awaits you at ABRIA 2025:
– Regional competition exhibition with renowned exhibitors
– Special post office and special postmark (only on 14 June 2025)
– Team management by the association chairman, Helge Schinkel
– Jury chairmanship by the Vice President of the BDPh, Frank Blechschmidt
– A variety of study groups, clubs and traders
Stamps as Witnesses of History
Stamps as Witnesses of History is not a book about the history of stamps as such. It is a book about how stamp issues since Rowland Hill invented the first adhesive postage stamp in 1840 have “witnessed” the seismic global political developments over the years. It is a guide to political philately, which aims to show how stamp issues have reflected and have related to key political events.
Thus stamps of the North German Confederation marked a major stepping stone to German unification, a truly momentous political event, whilst selected African stamps of the 1960s celebrated the independence of many emerging African states from European colonial empires. The book is arranged geographically, covering the whole world. For each country entry, the major political developments are listed chronologically on the left hand side with contemporaneous stamps, supported in some instances by relevant commemoratives, on the right hand side.
The 634-page book (hardcover edition, 2024, ISBN: 9781915465191) was written by Ruth Lea and published by Filament Publishing Ltd. It is available online.
[photo credit: https://www.hhsales.co.uk]
…
20th UPU Competition Class 2025
Following the success of last year’s 19th UPU Competition Class, this year’s 20th edition is already making its mark. It has been showcased at URUGUAY 2025, and BERNABA 2025 in Bern, Switzerland, and is scheduled to appear at GASS 2025 in Chicago, and PHILAKOREA 2025 in Seoul.
Twenty-eight postal operators are taking part, each presenting contemporary postage stamps in a one-frame, 16-page exhibit, evaluated under FIP regulations by FIP-accredited jurors.
Explore the 2025 exhibits here:
https://www.upu.int/en/universal-postal-union/activities/philately-ircs/upu-competition-class-2025
Read here what the UPU Competition Class is all about:
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/UPU-International-Competition-Class.pdf
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ABRIA 2025: Newsletter #7
Received yesterday from Norbert Sehler:
The ABRIA on the home straight
Only a few weeks to go until the opening of the 7th Altmärkische stamp exhibition. It’s well worth a visit, because the exhibition has a lot to offer.
500 years of the erection of the Stendal Roland, one of the most important symbols of North German city rights. The Roland figures symbolise the independence and right of self-government of towns in the Middle Ages, and Stendal’s Roland is one of the oldest and largest in Germany.
What awaits you at ABRIA 2025:
– Regional competition exhibition with renowned exhibitors
– Special post office and special postmark (only on 14 June 2025)
– Team management by the association chairman, Helge Schinkel
– Jury chairmanship by the Vice President of the BDPh, Frank Blechschmidt
– A variety of study groups, clubs and traders
More details in Newsletter #7: https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/abria2025_nsl7.pdf
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