History

A small selection of stamps added to PostBeeld’s stock recently can be seen below. Please note: for each country featured in the article, there will have been many more stamps added to PostBeeld’s freestampcatalogue.com website. We begin with stamps from…

Japan’s first European trading partners were the Portuguese, who reached Japan in 1543. However, the Dutch became Japan’s sole European trading partner for nearly 250 years, starting in 1609 and continuing until Japan reopened its doors to the West. From 1633,…

In 1948, Chile issued a series of postage stamps celebrating the centenary of French botanist, naturalist, and explorer Claude Gay’s book – “Flora and Fauna of Chile” – which featured various native animals and plants illustrated by the author.  Three 25-stamp…

PostBeeld’s owner, Rob Smit, has a great collection of all sorts of things related to philately and its history. This article doesn’t feature actual stamps but focuses on something that has previously appeared in Rob’s series of stories “The History…

A small selection of stamps added to PostBeeld’s stock recently can be seen below. Please note: for each country featured in the article, there will have been many more stamps added to PostBeeld’s freestampcatalogue.com website. In 1950, Venezuela issued this airmail…

A small selection of stamps added to PostBeeld’s stock recently can be seen below. Please note: for each country featured in the article, there will have been many more stamps added to PostBeeld’s freestampcatalogue.com website. This souvenir sheet from the…

If one of your favourite topics is parachuting here we have a small selection of stamps which might be of interest. The items in the article do not include stamps featuring paragliding, of which there are also many. The 5th…

In 1938 Poland issued a stamp to commemorate what turned out to be a failed attempt to break the record for reaching Earth’s stratosphere in a manned balloon flight. The balloon “Gwiazda Polski” (Star of Poland) was going to attempt to…

A fine collection of Vatican City stamps has been added to PostBeeld’s stock, a selection of which is seen here, along with many other interesting items. Check the Freestampcatalogue.com website often for the latest stock updates. Pope Pius XI (31…

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on the 6th of December 1922 to end the Irish War of Independence and declare Ireland as an autonomous state, free from English rule. The south of Ireland would now embrace twenty-six counties, then known…

Jakub Obrovský was a Czechoslovak artist, sculptor, stamp designer and writer. The stamp at the top of the story was issued by Czechoslovakia in 1987, his 105th birth anniversary. He designed the above 1919 stamps commemorating one year of independence…

We see all over the world that postal services are pouring all their creativity into issuing stamps in all kinds of shapes and, literally, flavours. This is primarily to encourage collectors to include these special issues in their collection. We…

Dear readers/PostBeeld clients, in case you are not aware PostBeeld holds an online auction that takes place on the first day of each month. Bidding is always possible from the 16th day of the previous month. In the auctions PostBeeld…

The year 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of an organisation – the Royal British Legion – founded in England to support members and ex-members of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Many postage stamps have been issued…

Isle of Man Post Office issued a set of six stamps in 2021 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Mensa, the world’s oldest and largest high IQ society. The organisation was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a…

Collecting street art stamps is not only a fascinating hobby for philatelists, but also for art lovers. They offer a unique insight into the culture and social issues of the time in which they were made. Street art, once considered…