Stamps & Mail
Stamps & Mail
I have grouped by countries and areas the stamps and stamp-related items like First Day Covers and Special Post Cards. Here are the countries and areas I have found so far:
Albania
I have found Albanian fable stamps in two waves: 1995 One FDC from Albania featuring "Zhan de la Fonten." Postmarked August 20, 1995. The three full-color stamps used for posting the letter display each a variety of fable characters. Even the postmark is peculiar to La Fontaine. $20.50 John Rydzewski at JR Stamps through Ebay, Feb., '02.
Now here is a surprise! I would not have thought of Albania as a country that would celebrate Jean de la Fontaine. The spiffy design on the envelope, rendered in brown, blue, and violet, slenderizes and stylizes La Fontaine as he almost dances up to a book with pen in hand. The first of the stamps, worth 2 leke, includes TT, BC, WC, and LM. The second stamp, worth 3 leke, features FG, FC, FS, and DS. On the third, worth 25 leke, I think I can make out AD, OR, and perhaps OF. The characters seem to be rendered in pastels of some sort.
To allow closer viewing of the envelope and especially of the stamps, I present each enlarged: click on each to see its enlarged version.
1995 Set of four uncancelled stamps from Albania featuring "Zhan de la Fonten." The three conventional full-color stamps display each a variety of fable characters. The fourth, larger item worth 60 leke presents La Fontaine himself with several fable scenes. $3.35 from John Ortz, Montreal, through eBay, Oct., '02. Extra copy of the 60 leke stamp for $1.75 from Mr. Y. Fuks, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, through eBay, Oct., '06.
Earlier I had found the FDC with the three cancelled stamps. Now I have a set of the stamps uncancelled and the fourth piece that goes with them. This larger piece is not perforated. It presents La Fontaine, LM, FC, OF, "The Eagle and the Tortoise," and a final scene which I cannot specify. This scene involves a man and a snake, but I cannot understand their relationship. It bears the name "A. Matsoukis, S.A." It is numbered 0032252. To allow closer viewing of the stamps, I present each enlarged: click on the stamp to see the enlarged version.
Australia
1994 One FDC envelope from Australia celebrating the World Masters Games in Brisbane during September and October, '94. The postmark from Sydney confirms the first day of issue as August 11, '94. The left half of the envelope presents TH in three different forms. $3.25 from Lawrence and Rose Bove, St. Ives, New South Wales, Australia, through Ebay, July, '00.
The hare leads the tortoise in swimming and cycling, but the tortoise seems to have arrived first at the goal in running. The 45c stamp, which is part of the envelope's own material, lists events from archery through weightlifting.
And now I have found the same envelope but cancelled instead in Brisbane with an FDC cancellation.
Botswana
1979 Four stamps celebrating the international year of the child, 1979. Botswana appears as Bophuthatswana. Stamps have textual material in English or Dutch. Value of each stamp ranges: 4c, 15c, 20c, and 25c. The 25c stamp features two humans walking with a donkey or mule, which appears to have significant burdens. Unknown source.
Might the story behind this stamp be MSA? It would only be a sign that Aesopic stories get around!
Burundi
1987 Set of eight "Republique du Burundi" postage stamps . Mint. Issued Sept. 14, 1977. Scott Numbers 524a-d and 526a-d. Purchased for $4.00 from Bulldog Stamps, Bethesda, Feb., '92. In a series with four each of Grimm (5F: 523a-d), Anderson (14F: 525a-d), and Les Contes des Anglais (26F: 527a-d). Extra copy, cancelled, with Grimm and Anderson (but without Les Contes des Anglais) for $4 from J.R. Stamps, Chelsea Antiques Building, NY, April, '96. Click on any individual stamp below to see it giant-sized.
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Esope (11F) with colored illustrations from Griset:
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La Fontaine (17F) with colored illustrations from Doré:
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Cape Verde
1995 Four GA stamps celebrating the 300th anniversary of the death of Jean de La Fontaine. FDC from December 15, '95. On an FDC envelope celebrating "Contos Infantis" with an image of the grasshopper and ant, including a cameo of Jean de La Fontaine. From an unknown source. The denominations of the stamps are 10, 25, 38, and 45. "Courvoisier."
The style of the images is that of graphic novels: lively, colorful. In the first image, the grasshopper is making music with the help of maracas. The second presents rain and the warm light of the ants' home. The third, perhaps out of order, shows the ant working hard. The fourth has the grasshopper standing at the door, crying, and being rejected. "Dance!" Each stamp has a bit of the narrative in block letters.
China PRC
1981 Set of five PRC China postage stamps. "Marking the Gunwale" Series Presentation Folder. Mint. Issued March 10, 1981. £7.19 from Simon Andrews Stamps/The Cecil Court Stamp Shop, London, through eBay, Nov., '02.
This is a favorite fable of mine. It has the right leap from one category to another that sometimes makes a fable take our breath away. I will let the presentation folder tell the fable itself. The other side of the folder identifies the five scenes in the series:
- Marking the Gunwale to Find the Sword
- Crossing the River
- The Sword Dropping into the Water
- Marking a Mark on the Gunwale
- Jumping into the Water to Find the Sword
China ROC
1998 Set of four "Chinese Fables Postage Stamps" on an envelope devoted to the series and marked with "First Day of Issue" postmarks: "Taiwan, ROC, 25.9.98." The verso of the envelope gives the title of the stamps' four scenes. FDC Designer: Rolland Chang. Directorate General of Posts, Republic of China. $4 from Don Alexander, Norman, OK, through eBay, Dec., '03.
What a beautiful envelope! A fisherman seems to run into a snipe, a clam, and a tortoise. This overall picture thus represents two of the fables well. The four fables in the stamps (and their worth) are:
And now I have found a brochure signed by the artist explaining his sense of fable, in sometimes imperfect English. Directorate General of Posts, Republic of China. Unknown source, July, '18.
The brochure comes in an envelope dedicated to this stamp, with features of its artistry on both front and back. "Through the issuance of postage stamps, the magnificent fables may plunge into the thick of life of the modern people.
Ciskei
1989 Set of four full-color Ciskei stamps illustrating "Little Jackal and the Lion." Johan van Niekerk. $3.50 from Carolyn and Dan Lequerica at the CarDan Company, Fairfield, CA, through Ebay, Sept., '01.
Ciskei is a former black homeland and nominal republic in southeastern South Africa, one of the "Bantustans" created by the former South Africa. I do not know the story presented on these stamps. It may be a trickster tale that involves getting the lion to climb a vine that will not support his weight. They are pretty stamps! Each is numbered and has a different denomination:
Cyprus
Cyprus Post has recently brought out two sets of Aesop's fables in rather dramatic fashion: TH and GA:
Cyprus TH 2011
2011 TH has an explanatory folder including texts of the fable in English, French, and German as well as Cyprus' own Greek. The five stamps are pictured in the folder, as well as the "strip" from which they are taken and the obverse of the slip. Credit is given to the various creators of the stamp. On the cover of this post office brochure/wrapper is a rather unfortunate photo of a turtle crossing a finish line ahead of a rabbit. Date of issue for the stamp series is 5.10.11, which I take to be October 5, 2011. We have two of these folders.
Then there are the strips mentioned above, containing the framework for the five specific stamps. This framework is divided into three sections. I do not understand the division.
The obverse announces the title, tells the story, and gives the price of the overall strip of 5 34 cent stamps, €1.70. Each strip has a unique number. In all, I have four of these strips.
Cyprus Post apparently also created an FDC envelope using all five stamps and cancelling them with a TH impression. Each of the two envelops I have also adds a 2 cent stamp. Might their own stamp set not have come up to the required postage for an envelope? These materials came from Cyprus Stamps, Limassol, Cyprus, August, '15 and Charis Menelaou, Nicosia, Cyprus, Jan., '16.
Cyprus GA 2012
2012 GA follows the same pattern as TH a year earlier. Again, there is a pleasing folder showing the stamps, telling the GA story in Greek, English, French, and German, and giving credit to its creators. This time the cover cartoon is more in keeping with the delightful stamp series, as we see the two characters in their summer encounter. We have four copies of this folder. The date of issue is 3-10-2012, which I take to be October 3, 2012. Extra copy of the strip from Charis Menelaou through Ebay: unknown cost and date,
We have only two copies of the strip itself, which shows three phases of the interaction: summer, fall, and winter.
The obverse has an encounter similar to that on the cover of the folder, the full text in Greek, and the total price of the five 34 cent stamps, €1.70.
We have two copies of the FDC envelope, which this time includes a bust of Aesop as well as the five stamps and the unique FDC cancellation featuring the two main characters. It seems to mention the Cypriotic Stamp Lovers Association: "kypriake philotelike etairia." These materials came from Cyprus Stamps, Limassol, Cyprus, August, '15; Charis Menelaou, Nicosia, Cyprus, Jan., '16; and Marlen Stamp and Coins, Ltd., Great Neck NY, Oct., '12.
Dahomey
I have been fortunate enough to find both stamps and First Day of Publication envelopes from Dahomey featuring the fables of La Fontaine.
Dahomey Stamps
1990? Three Dahomey Fable Stamps showing TH (10F), FS (35F), and "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" (40F). Republique du Dahomey. Each is signed both "(P.) Lambert" and "(C.) Haley." $4.12 from Jan Nackaerts, Bornem, Belgium, through eBay, August, '03.
Each stamp uses three colors effectively together. A main scene, like the tortoise standing triumphant while the hare scurries, is complemented by side figures, like the tortoise dawdling and eating. Just a few evenings ago, I mentioned a propos of the imperforate version I had found of FS that I thought there was a series to which it belonged. Here is the series!
1990? One imperforate stamp showing FS. Maroon and blue. 35F. Republique du Dahomey. Signed "Haley." $8.49 from Westminster Stamp Gallery, Ltd., Foxboro, MA, through eBay, August, '05.
This stamp comes out of nowhere for me. I did not know of its existence. I suspect that it has several companions in a series of either La Fontaine fables or FS. It presents the climactic moment in which the stork can get food out of the vase but the fox cannot.
Dahomey Envelopes
1972 Two Dahomey FDC envelopes featuring FS (35F) and "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" (40F). August 28, 1972. Cotonou. République du Dahomey. $9.70 from Gilles Descary, St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, through eBay, May, '04.
Each envelope works well with the design of its stamp, selecting and transforming slightly. Each gives the title of its fable and the name and dates of La Fontaine.
Eastern Europe
1990? One page of stamps titled "Fiabe e favole," apparently album folio 92 from Meraviglie dei Francobolli. Twelve stamps from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. "Album e Taschine Brevettati Bolaffi Torino." Fratelli Fabbri Editori. $5 at the Porta Portese flea market, July, '98.
The page includes the Hungarian stamp of MSA and the Polish FC stamp featured elsewhere here. Go to the Porta Portese flea market, and you never know what you will find!
India
2001 Full Setanant Set of Four Fable Stamp Pairs from India. Mint. Never hinged. Both stamps in each pair are marked "400." $8.50 from Vasanthi Balson, Columbus, OH, through eBay, Oct., '02.One extra set from the same source at the same price at the same time.
The four stories are from Kalila and Dimna. Each is really two stamps that make up a single picture with two scenes. The art is somewhat Disneyesque, particularly in the scene of the lion looking down the well and seeing his own reflection. The artist has worked to integrate the two parts of each scene, e.g., with the sun that joins the two parts of TT and the tree that forms the edge of both scenes in "The Monkey and the Crocodile." These stamps are attractive!
2001 2 postcards using the stamps of Panchatantra as part of the card itself, one with a photo of a swan and the other with a cartoon of a lion. $10 from Arun Agarwal, Kanpur, India, on eBay, Feb., '
These two postcards are surprising in several ways. First, they are so different from each other. One uses a standard photograph of a swan gliding through placed waters – supposedly to illustrate the efforts of two geese to save a talkative turtle. The other places a cartoon of a lion in a similar photograph of a jungle setting, to set up the stamps' story of a the rabbit who lured a lion into jumping into a well to attack his competitor. The second surprise is that the stamps are not paste onto the card but rather integrated into its picture. Both list the India Post on the obverse and list "Postmas ter General Pune 411 001."
2001 FDC Envelope with the four pairs of cancelled stamps and a design on the front of the envelope. The verso of the envelope reads " The First Day Cover carries an artist's impression of Vishnu Sarman, the author of Panchatantra telling the stories to his pupils. Department of Posts, India. Accompanied by an extra pair of the TT stamps. Unknown source.
This envelope seems larger than many and thus offers room for all eight stamps and the design. Every phrase on these stamps is done in Hindi and English. I do not know what the "Hafnia 01 Danmark" symbol in the lower right corner means. Is it a Danish stamp collecting outfit?
India
2017 "Arama" card of three stamps (2 of each) with a cover "Parables of the Sages." ID 026724. "The Fox in the Vineyard," "The Reed and the Cedar," and "The Lion and the Heron." $21 from Joshua Jacobovits, Shiloh, Israel, through eBay, July, '17.
The card is a booklet, perhaps meant for stamp collectors. The three stamps – FG, OR, and WS, with some slightly different names and animals – are worth 4.10 each. A curious feature is that the script on the stamps is 90 degrees different from the orientation of the image.
It turns out that the issuing of these stamps was more complex. I found that there are alternative versions of each of the three stamps as well as a background sheet giving perhaps a larger sense of each narrative. $38.90 from csts-trade on eBay, July, '18.
I also learned that there is a "Postal Service Bulletin" presenting this series of stamps. It was offered together with an FDC envelope of the three stamps by csts-trade on eBay, July, '18. It puts the parable teller underneath a tree with a book and offers both versions of each stamp.
Japan
Macau China
2018 Macau China set of four by four stamps of "Fables and Classic Stories," including BW and "The Emperor's New Clothes." $14.99 from starlightcity99 through Ebay, Oct., '18 Combination stamp picturing all four individual stories for €3.99 from W4 Stamps and Collectables, Falmouth, UK, May, '20. Extra of one strip and of the combination stamp from Chan Yue Kong, Hong Kong, perhaps in March, '19.
The additional two tales are "The Happy Prince" and "Red Riding Hood." I recognized "The Emperor's New Clothes" readily but was surprised by the creative presentation of BW. A little research online showed that there is a combined sheet with just one usable stamp in the middle, which I have just ordered. As so often in stamps, so here: the detail of the artistry is excellent! I offer here close-up views of the two fable stamps -- and now of the combined sheet I ordered earlier..
Maldives
1990 Set of ten "Maldives" postage stamps . Mint. Issued Dec. 11, 1990. Scott Numbers 1466-73 and 1474-5. The art is clearly that of Walt Disney Studios. Purchased for $6.87 and $7.50 for the respective sets from Bulldog Stamps, Bethesda, March, '92. Two extra sets (and one further extra of MSA) for $36.49 from Bulldog, March, '92. And an FDC envelope featuring Minnie Mouse for £1.75 from John O'Brien through eBay, March, '04.
First, there is a set of two stamps embedded in larger sheets about 4" x 5". These sheets take a playful Disneyesque approach to the fables. Huey, Duey, and Luey can make fun of Mickey and his partner as they carry an ass across the bridge. Goofy can criticize the Scrooge miser who has lost his buried gold. The stamp portion of this sheet centers well on the miser's misery. I gather that some stamps and some formats of stamps are made mostly for collectors. These two pieces seem to fall into that category. Click on either sheet to see it enlarged.
Secondly, there is a set of eight more routinely sized stamps, about 1½" x 2". Again, these stamps play with the fables as traditional Disney characters take over the stories' roles. Thus the fox charming the crow has a guitar to help him accompany this singer. Donald and Mickey are the two travellers who encounter the bear. Pluto is the dog in the manger. A prize from me goes to the illustration of BC, which brilliantly frames the cat's eyes, claws, and mouth with the archway of the mouse hole.
Thirdly, there is an FDC envelope, marked "First Day of Issue" and "Aesop's Fables," featuring four of the stamps and a red-and-black illustration of Minnie Mouse reading to two little mice. All three mice are in nightgowns. © Disney. Does the existence of this FDC envelope using four of the stamps suggest that there is another or that there are others in a series of such FDC envelopes, perhaps using other of the eight stamps? Click on the envelope to see it enlarged.
Poland
1980? One "Polska" stamp displaying FC. Good copy uncancelled. Extra copy cancelled. In a series with Puss n' Boots, Red Riding Hood and two other popular tales. H. Matuszewska. 40 GR. $1.50 from J.R. Stamps, Chelsea Antiques Building, NY, April, '97. Extra copy for 1000 Lire at the Porta Portese flea market, July, '98.
The crow clearly holds something in his mouth, and the fox seems to offer flowers picked from the surrounding lawn. Bravo, Crow!
Portugal
1979 One page from "The World's Great Fairy Tales First Day of Issue Collection," specifically for Portugal. 8½" x 11". Printed in the USA. Unknown source.&nbs
The Portuguese stamp celebrates the year of the child and is postmarked January 6, 1979. The image and story include the Aesopic FG story but only as a phase that leads to the fox using the horse as a platform to get the grapes he wants. I am not sure if I have ever seen this spin on the FG story. As the verso shows, the story goes for two long paragraphs before we get to the FG story – and goes on from there through a story that has the fox leading the horse to "greener pastures," which just happen to be under the grapevine.
Romania
2009 Four envelopes featuring stamps of Jean de La Fontaine, his Paris home, a tortoise, and a hare. April 13, '09. Addressed to Constantin Popescu, Rm. Valcea, Romania. From Constantin Popescu, May, '09.
One notices the popularity of TH. There are three cancellation seals. They feature TH, FC, and GA, respectively. The seals, stamps, and envelopes are nicely correlated. I am surprised to see La Fontaine's Paris home featured rather than his home in Chateau-Thierry. "Luna Padurii" seems to mean "Forest Moon." Occurrences on the web seem to indicate that it lasts from March 15 to April 15. Offhand, it is hard for me to see the connection with La Fontaine.
Serbia
2014 Four Serbian stamps. Decia Marka. DS (23), FC (35), CJ (46), and "The Tortoise and the Eagle" (70). "Basne." Apparently the art work is done, two by J.J. Vlahovic and two by M. Pachovich. Scott 680-683. Multiple copies from several vendors, including 3x3 sets of all four from Prvoslav Jahkovic, Krusevac, Serbia for $35.96 in September, '14; individual stamps from Michael S. Kott, Schaumburg, IL, for $3.25, April, '16; and strips from 2430psmlj@gmail.com for $16.22, Sept., '15.
Four lovely images. Great color work, especially on FC and CJ! I had not known that a unit of stamps for collectors is the sort of 3 x 3 square that we find several times here. I remain amazed at how many countries have found their way to including fables in stamps. There is no indication here that these four basic stories came to Serbia through La Fontaine or through Krylov.
Spain
1958? Museo del Prado: Velazquez: "Esopo." Apparently with a "First Day of Emission" postmark from March 24, 1959 cancelling a 1.80 Ptas stamp picturing the upper section of this portrait in green. Printed in Spain. Ediciones Artisticas, Madrid. $5 from Laurentiu Cruceanu, Bacau, Romania, through eBay, August, '02.
I had not known that there is a Spanish stamp commemorating Aesop. If anything, the green stamp is clearer in its detail than is the colored reproduction of the painting. Click on the stamp to see a larger illustration of it. I will keep this card with the stamps and other post office materials.