Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Mahatma Gandhi and Indipex 2011.

Hello Gandhi Collectors,

Some of you might be attending Indipex 2011 in New Delhi, India and you will be amazed how much interest is going on in Mahatma Gandhi Khadi stamp valued 100 rupees(US $2.20) which is approximately 2 dollar and 20 cents. Also Presentation Pack cost 250 (US $5.50) Rupees which is approximately 5 dollar and 50 cents.

President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil inaugurated the World Philatelic Exhibition, INDIPEX 2011, by releasing a special limited edition Khadi stamp on Mahatma Gandhi."
India has never issued any stamp on any material other than on paper. In other countries, materials like silk, gold and diamonds have been used to make stamps.


First of all Thanks to Indian Post for excellent work of making this Khadi stamp instead of paper. The 39X39 milimetre, diamond-shaped stamp is made of the usual unwatermarked gravure coated stamp paper, on which is stuck a square of khadi cloth . A charkha appears in the foreground of the cloth, with the thread spinning out to form a line drawing of the Mahatma spinning.



Indian Post has printed 100,000(one hundred thousand) stamp and now they are printing more because of demand.

Currently this stamp sheet is selling on ebay from $20 to $50.!! What a easy way to make money.!!

You can buy directly from Indian Post website for somewhere around $3. Check it out.

India Post Indipex 2011 Mahatma Gandhi Presentation folder

Following is the Mahatma Gandhi stamp on Khadi(cloth) which Gandhiji used to wear during his Indian Indepedence revolution against British. I think this is the only official stamp/stampsheet from postal department issued for Indipex 2011.





I also verified on Royal Mail website (UK) is another country to issue official stamp for this event, but WHY personalised stamp (Smiler in UK). Following is the half stampsheet(10 stamp) from UK.




You can buy directly from www.royalmail.com for 8.50 UK pounds for 20 firstclass stamp.

Royal Mail Indipex 2011 Personalised stamp(Smiler) with Mahatma Gandhi

Now let's talk about which other countries stamps available on name of Mahatma Gandhi for Indipex 2011 event.


Currently 3-4 Personalised stamp of Mahatma Gandhi from countries such as Bangladesh , Micronesia, Tuvalu etc. with Indipex 2011 logo are available on ebay/delcampe.

My main concern is Why Indipex 2011 logo on all stamp?



Following is First Day Cover from Bangladesh. Here no INDIPEX Logo is used on stamp or FDC but Indipex 2011 is printed on FDC. Bangladesh Post was participant in the event so they can officially use Indipex logo on the stamp & FDC!! So now I am more curious about this stamp and FDC also.

Not sure whether this is offical or Personalised stamp?

Also pictorial Mahatma Gandhi cancel is official or just rubber stamp?

I emailed Bangladesh Postmaster of 5 postoffice to verify this and waiting for reply from them as I Can't find more info on Bangaldesh Postal Service website. You can check yourself on Bangladesh Post website and you will be surprised that it is not even mentioned there.!!Click this link to see it on Bangladesh Postal Service. Bangladesh Postal Service



If Bangladesh stamp is not offical than I am wondering this is personalised or FAKE stamp(printed at home because now a days printers are very advance.!!) because I don't think Bangladesh is offering personalised/custom stamp. Indian Post is not offering that service till recently so how Bangladesh can offer this kind of personalised stamp.




Following is stamp sheet from Micronesia with Indipex 2011 logo.



I have not heard about Tuvalu before this.!!!!! Because of Gandhi stamp from Tuvalu today I learned one more new country. It is Polynesian Island Nation near Australia with 10,000 people in 10 sq miles. It's GDP & Poplulation is somewhere around 225th in the world.!!I think this is good for small countries like this as they make money as this stamp are not going to use and also keep them in business.!!(if they are printed offically from them.)



Also I am not sure what more is coming with Gandhi for Indipex 2011.?

I am not sure what Gandhi collectors want to do with kind of personalised stamps.

Do we want to spend money on this kind of personalised stamp and increase our collection or we just keep distance from this personalised stamp. I leave this upto individual collector.

If anyone has more information about this custom stamp issued for Indipex 2011 than please write in the comment section so other collectors can get more information.


Thanks



Update on 3/26/2011: -

Now you can buy Great Britian (England) Indipex 2011 sheet on ebay at face vaule which is 8.50 pounds and nominal shipping.

Ebay link is

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200574366682

Sunday, February 6, 2011

USSR Gandhi 1969 FDC - Russia Gandhi FDC


Hello Gandhi collectors,

Recently I was researching about Gandhi FDC from Russia. To me it looks like this is not offical FDC from USSR postal service.

Reason for my assumption is

1) It is a regular rubber stamp instead of fancy pictorial cancel.
2) Also FDC cover is also very simple compare to the theme of the stamp.

Look at other 1968, 1969, 1970 FDC and you can see the difference. Following are some of the example of 1968/69/70. I also search for USSR FDC for 1982,1984 and it looks like it all has fancy cancel with appropriate theme or logo on it.

After looking to all this FDC it is private FDC or ?








If anyone of you have more information than please comment on this blog so we all can know more about this FDC.

Click to see 50th Anniversary
Special Cancellation