1880 King Alfonso XII Stamp

1880 King Alfonso XII stamp issued
in the Philippines during Spanish era.
Stanley Gibbons No. 83.

The first post office in the Philippines was established in 1767. It was then organized as a new postal district of Spain in 1779, encompassing Manila and the entire Philippine archipelago.

From April 19, 1880 to January 1, 1886, the Spanish administration has issued several King Alfonso XII stamps in the Philippines mostly with an imprint of 'FILIPINAS'.

This King Alfonso XII stamp on the left is part of my collection which I acquired from a Belgian philatelist and stamp dealer. This was issued on April 19, 1880 with a face value of 2-1/2 centimos. Engraved by Eugenio Julia Jover and typographed by the Fabrica Nacional de Sello in Madrid, Spain. Printed in sheets of 100 (10 x 10), on unwatermarked paper. However, the quantity issued is unknown.

This stamp's originality and antiquity makes it one of my most valued stamps in my collection.

 *All stamp images are owned by Christian Martin Siclot. 

How I got into stamp collecting? Check here: Hobby: Stamp Collecting and view some of my insect stamps in my collection here: Insect stamps.

Reference(s):
http://www.philippinephilatelist.net/Collections/Spanish/chi/alfonso1/1alfonso3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamps_and_postal_history_of_the_Philippines

Stamps in Postcards

So yeah there's definitely no doubt about it, stamp and postcard collectors always get along well. I collect stamps and at the same time postcards too. And most of my postcards came from other collectors who also find interest in stamps. Maybe because you cant have a good card without good stamps on it?

I find it quite fascinating to see those nice stamps at the back of the card. The message, handwriting, and postmark makes it look so real and unique.  Just like a used stamp, there's so much story and history behind a postcard which adds more value to it. This is the reason why I dont remove the stamps from the cards. I'm even planning to put the cards in a wall frame. Or perhaps in a double-sided picture frame so I can display the stamps behind it too? Is there even such thing as a double-sided frame? (LOL me)

So okey I have here some of my favorite cards in my collection. They are my favorite because the stamps are amazing and everything that comes with it. The first 2 are from my Estonian friend Karin. We've met you know (in facebook). Hello Karin!

This Belguim postcard has 5 stamps on it though most cards have only at most 3 to give more space for the message. The upper right stamp is a dragon costume used by Chinese for their dragon dance. I bet its a joint issue.

This is my one and only postcard from Korea. Anybody here from Korea? Coz I want more. :P The stamp at the center is a 1999 FIFA World Cup stamp.

This one is a very neat Slovenija / Slovenia postcard. I also got it from a facebook friend. These 4 stamps were designed by Julija Zornik and was issued on Jan. 1, 2007.

I thought this blog is going to be all about stamps only so I didn't include the front covers! (LOL me again). Let me know if you want to see them so I can post them. :) Well, these are all for now. I'm looking forward of posting more fun reads about stamps next time. Please feel free to leave a comment below. Happy Stamping!

 *All stamp images are owned by Christian Martin Siclot. 

These are good reads too: Hobby: Stamp Collecting and Insect Stamps.

Hobby: Stamp Collecting

I was just a kid when I started collecting stamps. I was in our house’s stockroom when I found a bunch of old mails piled in a divider. Most were from 1980’s addressed to my aunt from our relatives living in the US.  The very first thing I noticed was those stickers on the back of the mails. There were animals, plants, flowers, planes, valentines, insects,some faces of people I don’t know, and many more. I thought they were very nice so I took all the mail envelopes and left all the letters (my bad). And so I gathered all the envelopes and cut all the stamps and pasted them in a notebook (shame on me).  Yes I never told anyone about it because I knew I was being weird.

But of course I was just 13 back then and I have never thought such a hobby exists. Now that I’m 23, I have about 2,600 postage stamps in my collection (yes I counted them piece by piece), 20 first day covers, and at least 50 assorted postcards from different countries. These numbers might be very few for big time stamp collectors and I know I still have a long way to go. 

For those who wanted to get into stamp collecting and those who have just got started, I have 2 tips for you:

•  Know what you want. There are too many stamps out there and you just can’t have them all. Trying to collect every single postage stamp in this planet might just upset you. Instead, try to focus on themes that you like most; plants, animals, cartoons, movies, presidents, kings and queens, vintage stamps, butterflies, etc. You’ll find your album packed with interesting stamps in no time.

• Make connections.  You can’t enjoy a hobby without sharing it with those who have same interest with yours. Visit your local post office and ask for philatelic groups or clubs present in your community. You may also find stamp collectors in social networking sites like Facebook and Yahoo Groups. It is easier to collect, exchange, and purchase stamps when you know you’re flying with those of the same feathers.

These were the 2 things I did when I started with my hobby and I know it will work fine on you too. I hope you find my story interesting and my tips helpful. You can also add me in facebook if you want. See you there! Adios amigos!

 *All stamp images are owned by Christian Martin Siclot. 

Fishes on Stamps Part 1

Hi! Just summer this year, I got the chance to visit Manila Ocean Park's Oceanarium. The park houses an array of 5000 marine creatures from around 300 species native in Asia. Seeing these creatures in real life was just so incredible. It was an amazing experience for an animal lover like me.

Of course I got some fishes on my stamp collections too. These Australian stamps below pictures lively sea creatures that have decorated the world's largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef.

These fishes below arent sea fishes. These are fresh water fishes primitive in China and probably in some parts of Asia. One on the left is a Chinese Paddle fish, also known as Chinese swordfish. On the center is the Kaluga, claimed to be the largest fresh water fish in the world. Acipenser sinensis is known as the Chinese Sturgeon dominant in Yangtze and the Pearl rivers.

Chanos chanos is more know as Milkfish and is Philippines' national fish. Milkfish is infamous for being much bonier than other fishes and most of the time deboned when served.Both stamps issued in the Philippines on 1985 and 1995 respectively. They're not quite in good condition but I think it's just fine since it tells more story than a mint one.

This stamp from Hungary depicts a Colisa fasciata know in so many names:
Banded Gourami, Indian Giant Gourami, Rainbow Gourami, Striped Gourami.

This colorful fish in a Tanzanian stamp has few common names: Red Lyretail, Two-banded Killi, Twostripe Lyretail. This fresh water fish is mostly dominant in Ndian River in southwestern Cameroon, and appears restricted to the coastal plains either side of the border between Cameroon and Nigeria, including the Korup and Cross River National Parks.

I think this will be all for now. Im looking forward of posting more fish stamps on my blog. Ciao!

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaluga_%28fish%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_paddlefish
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/236/0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkfish
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/261629/

*All stamp images are owned by Christian Martin Siclot.

Birds on Stamps Part 1

Hey there! Thanks for dropping by. I really had a hard time today looking for my scanned stamp collection. Just to let you know, today is the first time I have opened my stamps archive folder on my pc after more than a year. I have been away from stamp collecting for quite awhile and I just want to be back again. And it’s nice to be back again blogging, sorting and counting my stamps that I have been collecting for 5 years already.

These two stamps below are from Republic of Guinea-Bissau. These were issued on 1989 with 7 stamps in a set, unfortunately I got only 2 (Maroon-chested Ground Dove and Seychelles Blue Pigeon). If you have a complete set that you wanted to trade with please let me know. :)

This bird stamp below is from Haiti. I don’t have much info about this one.

Some of my favorite bird stamps from Jersey (short-toed treecreeper), Namibia (laughing dove), and Cuba (gorion amarillo).

Please let me know if you have any additional info or comments of these stamps by dropping a comment below. I would be very glad to hear from you.

 

*All stamp images are owned by Christian Martin Siclot.

Insects on Stamps Part1

Canada Beneficial InsectsInsects really looked disgusting and scary except for the butterflies of course. But one major fact is that some of these insects are rather useful and responsible for pollination, a nature's way of multiplying plants. This stamp sheet from Canada pictures beautiful insects that are beneficial to our nature. I got this sheet from Bibi Ali, a nice Canadian friend of mine.
 Czechoslovakia Insects

 











The Forest Caterpillar Hunter (Calosoma sycophanta), 3rd row 2nd stamp, is a large, bright green, metallic ground beetle that is native to Europe. In 1905 it was imported to New England for control of the Gypsy Moth.

Australian Insects
Coccinellidae is a family of beetles known for many names such as Ladybugs(North American English), ladybirds ((British English, Australian English, South African English)). Other lesser-used named includes ladyclock, lady cow, and lady fly.

The Fiddler Beetle (Eupoecila australasiae) also known as rose chafer is a member of the scarab beetle family from eastern Australia. Its common name is derived from its patterned body, reminiscent of a violin.


Romania Stamps of Insects







The Great Capricorn Beetle (Cerambyx cerdo), 1st stamp from left, is a species of beetle in family Cerambycidae.


Sweden
The Hermit Beetle (Osmoderma eremita) is a species of beetle in family Scarabaeidae. All over distribution range of these species has decreased due to habitat loss and fragmentation. European countries have given highest priority according to EU's Habitat Directive to protect these species.


*All stamp images are owned by Christian Martin Siclot.

Stamps and Kisses

New Zealand Frog Kiss

Kid: I hope this frog will turn into a pretty princess!
Frog: I hope this kid will turn into a handsome prince charming frog...

Just for laughs...hehehe...




 
Finnish Kiss
What's worse than kissing a pig? But if it is love then who cares...




Malta Kisses

Did you know that the practice of a man kissing his wife at the end of the day started with the ancient Romans? Those gladiators wanted to taste their ladies lips to make sure they hadn’t been drinking that homemade wine all day!





Swiss Kiss
Never hesitate to give a hug to someone. It is free and it gives comfort specially on rainy days....





*All stamp images are owned by Christian Martin Siclot.