by catpaw | 18 Apr, 2022 | Stamps
Croatia’s 2021 stamps presented a perfect chance to do a deep dive into Croatian culture and history. Believe it or not, this post originally started out as the 2022 program. In typical fashion, I kind of side tracked myself, got curious about a series, which in turn led me to Croatia’s 2021 list. Everything snowballed from there and … here we are, with 2021 completed. You’ll have to wait for 2022.
So what was it that captivated me? Although most of my readers will say “It was the cats!”, it wasn’t this time. I found my attention absorbed by the Famous Croats series. The series began in 1997 and has covered an impressive swath of Croatian history. I like the style designer Sabina Rešić used in the latest quartet. and ended up chasing stories about the four individuals celebrated in these stamps
Rešić also designed the Famous Croat sets for 2019, 2012 and 2008. I wish I could offer you more information on Rešić (and all the other Croatian designers and artists), but I’m afraid, my offerings are embarrassingly meager. As the year progresses, I’ll give my various translators a work out and then revisit this page and fill in some of the gaps.
I managed to round up some pretty good links and videos to explain the stories behind the 2021 Croatian stamps. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I’ll pop back occasionally with more details, but thought it was important to stop poking around and get the article up.
Enjoy.
January
Bridges and Viaducts
2 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
- Kuda Bridge Kuda’s Bridge – The Legend of Love | Visitteo
The 109-metre crossing bridges the Krupa River, a tributary of Zrmanja, and consists of 12 smaller vaulted bridges with openings approximately three to four meters in size, two failures and connecting embankments of stone-lined pages between the aforementioned objects. The width of the transition is approximately 1.5 meters. The crossing was built of travertine – limestone stone relatively easy to process, which usually arises at the base of the waterfalls, so the material for construction was located right next to the location of the building. Croatian Post – New Commemorative Post Block in the series “Bridges and Viaducts” (posta.hr)
- Zece Draga Viaduct
Zečeve Drage Viaduct is located between the Bosiljevo 2 and Vrbovsko interchanges of the A6 motorway in Gorski Kotar, Croatia, just to the west of the Veliki Gložac Tunnel. It is 939.2 metres (3,081 ft) long. The viaduct consists of two parallel structures: the first one was completed in 2004, and the second one in 2008. Zečeve Drage Viaduct | Spectroom
Designer: Zvonimir-Zdenko Šimunjak B.Sc
Šimunjak is a lecturer at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture, School of Design
Release date: January 22, 2021
150th anniversary of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 20
Formed in 1871
Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (zgf.hr)
Designer: Alenka Lalić
Release date: January 28, 2021
February
Exotic Cats
Series: 3rd in Children’s World – Pets
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheet of 8
- Bengal
- Bombay
- Egyptian mau
- Norwegian forest cat
Designer: Katarina Loncar
Release date: February 22, 2021
March
Easter 2021
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 20
Designer: Alenka Lalić using art from Sanja Rešček Ramljak
Release date: March 18, 2021
90 years of the Association “Post-mortem Assistance”
1 stamp with label, sheet of 10
Designer: Tomislav Tomic
Release date: March 19, 2021
Croatian Fauna
3 stamps, FDC, cancel, 3 sheets of 20
Designer: Nataša Odak
Release date: March 22, 2021
April
Famous Croats
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 sheets of 20
Designer: Sabina Rešić
Release date: April 19, 2021
Sisak Museum
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Home – Sisak City Museum (muzej-sisak.hr)
Release date: April 21, 2021
Sergej Forenbacher (1921-2010)
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Forenbacher was a veterinarian and professor with a substantial body of research that included over 200 research papers. Forenbacher, Sergei | Croatian Encyclopedia (enciklopedija.hr)
Designer: Ariana Noršić
Release date: April 21, 2021
50th anniversary of the University Computing Center
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 12
Designer: Dubravka Zglavnik Horvat
Release date: April 29, 2021
350th anniversary of the deaths of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan
2 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
Zrinski & Frankopani | Zrinski Frankopan
Designer: Sabina Rešić
Artist: Oton Iveković Farewell of Zrinski from Katarina
Release date: April 30, 2022
May
EUROPA 2021 – Endangered National Species
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheets of 20
Eurasian Lynx | Western Capercaillie
Designer: Nataša Odak
Release date: May 7, 2021
765 Years of the First Croatian Mint in Pakrac
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Tomislav Tomic Tomislav Tomic – Arena Illustration and Digital Portfolio
Release date: May 12, 2021
Rotary 2021
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Saša Prižmić
Release date: May 17, 2021
Four Croatian Castles
Series: castles
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheet of 8, 4 sheets of 9
- Castle Brezovica – baroque castle of counts Draskovic Trakoscan
- Erdödy Castle – the Renaissance Castle of the Counts Erdödy in Jastrebarsko
- Laduč Castle – historicist castle of Baron Vranyczany-Dobrinović
- New courts – the castle of the Croatian Ban Josip Baron Jelačić in Zaprešić
Designer: Dean Roksandić
Release date: May 20, 2021
June
Croatian Marian shrines
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 sheets of
- Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Shrine of the Mother of God of Trsat
- miraculous painting
- miraculous statue
Designer: Dean Roksandić
Photographers: Mario Romulić and Drazen Stojčić (Trsat – interior and exterior, Remete – interior) and Elvir Tabaković (Remete – exterior)
Release date: June 7, 2021
NIN – First capital of Croats
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
Nin’s history sprawls across 3 thousand years of history, beginning with the Ilyrian tribe of Liburnians.
.. it was the first political, religious and cultural centre of medieval Croatia. It was the place where the Croatian state was born. Nin is also the oldest Croatian royal town, a permanent or occasional seat of national rulers: dukes Višelav, Trpimir and Branimir, Kings Tomislav, Petar Krešimir IV. and Zvonimir, dukes Šubić from Bribir etc…
Tourist Board of Nin – Nin Dalmacija Croatia
Designer: Dean Roksandić
Release date: June 10, 2021
120 Years Railway in Dubrovnik
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Franka Maras
Release date: June 16, 2021
July
Croatia’s intangible cultural heritage
4 stamps, FDC, cancel
Designer: Orsat Franković
Release date: July 1, 2021
EUROMED 2021 – Konavle Earrings
1 stamp, sheet of 20, FDC, cancel
Designer: Alenka Lalić (Zagreb)
Photographer: Marko Ercegovi
Konavle’s earrings | Dubrovnik Private Excursions (dubrovnik-private-excursions.com)
Welcome • Dubrovnik Museums (dumus.hr)
Release date: July 12, 2021
Tokyo Olympics 2021
1 stamp, sheet of 9, FDC, cancel
Croatia’s Olympic team did well at the 2021 games
Gold:
- Taekwondo Women’s −67 kg
Matea Jelić
- Rowing Men’s coxless pair
Martin Sinković
Valent Sinković
- Tennis Men’s doubles
Mate Pavić
Nikola Mektić
Silver
- Tennis Men’s doubles
Marin Čilić
Ivan Dodig
- Sailing Men’s Laser
Tonči Stipanović
- Gymnastics Men’s horizontal bar
Tin Srbić
Bronze
- Taekwondo Men’s – 80 kg
Toni Kanaet
- Rowing Men’s single sculls
Damir Martin
Designer: Dean Roksandić ::: BEMBELEMBE : HOME :::
Bembelembe Design also designed Croatia’s Rio, London and Vancouver Olympic stamps
Emblem Designer: Živko Skuhala
Release date: July 23, 2021
August
500th Anniversary of the Release of Marko Marulić’s Judith
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 15
Marko Marulić is Croatia’s national poet. His works, from 15th c, is hailed as the start of Croatian language literature. Among his body of work was Istoria sfete udovice Judit u versih harvacchi slozena |The History of the Holy Widow Judith Composed in Croatian Verses (composed in 1521). You can see scans of the original pages here Marko Marulic 1450-1524 Croatian Renaissance writer published “Judith” in 1521.
The image used in the stamp is from a statue in Split, Croatia. The bronze statue was created by sculpture Ivan Meštrović
Designer: Duje Šegvić
Photographer: Srećko Listeš
Release date: August 2, 2021
100th anniversary of the Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
EFHOH CONFERENCE&AGM 2019 – Croatian Federation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing / HSGN
Designer: Alenka Lalić
Release date: August 26, 2021
September
Crypto 2.0 – RIMAC NEVERA – all-electric hypercar
Multi-colored offset
Designers: Ivana Vucic and Tomislav-Jurica Kacunić
Photographer: Danijel Palčić
30,000 copies
Release date: September 21, 2021
Protected woodpeckers – Joint issue with Kyrgyzstan
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
Designer: Sabina Rešić, a designer from Zagreb, and Daria Maier, a designer from Moldova
Release date: September 22, 2021
100 years of the Clinic for Diseases of the Ear, Nose, Throat and Head and Neck Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designers: Jana Žiljak-Gršić
Release date: September 24, 2021
October
For every child a smile!
Series: UNICEF
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Katarina Loncar
Artist: Ivana Viljevac, a student of the 7th grade of the Center for Education and Rehabilitation from Virovitica
Release date: October 4, 2021
November
25th anniversary of the receipt of the Republic of Croatia to the Council of Europe
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Marko Jovanovac
Release date: November 5, 2021
Dopisnica21 3.30 Zrinska Garda
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Ariana Noršić
Noršić has collaborated with both the Croatian and Slovenian post offices for approx. 8 years. In that time, she has created over 30 stamps, two of which won the “Most Beautiful Stamp” award.
Release date: November 19, 2021
Good Day Red and Grounded Sun
Series: Croatian Fine Art
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
- Edo Murtić (1922-2005), Good Day Red, 1980, oil painting
- Ivan Kožarić (1921-2020), Grounded Sun, 1971 (gold-plated bronze, prom. 200 cm)
Designers: Ivana Vucic and Tomislav-Jurica Kacunic
Release date: November 26,2021
Christmas 2021
1 stamp, mini sheet of 10, sheet of 20, FDC, cancel
Designer: Ariana Noršić
Release date: November 22, 2021
December
Solana “Ston” and Polish salt mine Bochnia – Joint edition of Croatia and Poland
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheet of 8
Solana Ston salt flats and Bochnia Salt Mine
Saltworks Ston – Home (solanaston.hr)
Bochnia Salt Mine (bochnia-mine.eu)
Bochnia Salt Mine » UNESCO launches new travel website (bochnia-mine.eu)
Designer: Marzanna Dąbrowska, Poland, and Alenka Lalić, Zagreb
Release date: December 2, 2021
Pick a new article to read Stamps by country 2021 | Bitter Grounds Magazine
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by catpaw | 11 Mar, 2022 | Espresso fueled mumblings
I was lucky this week. I attended the in-theatre premier of Pixar’s Turning Red – an animated movie that takes place here in Toronto. It’s a wonderful story about a young Chinese-Canadian girl with an embarrassing problem. She turns into a large Red Panda when she becomes upset. While we were waiting for the movie to start, my friend asked “are there any Red Panda stamps?” My answer was “OF COURSE!”. And then I did a quick check to make sure. Phew, yes, 97 Red Panda stamps are available. Giant Pandas rate a whopping 600+ stamps, creating a significant panda imbalance in my opinion.
Still, 97 is nothing to sneer at. Most of the stamps are photographs, and honestly, it’s hard to go wrong with such a floofy animal. So I decided to showcase Taiwanese artist 柯鴻圖 Hung-tu Ko’s beautiful work instead of photographs. 柯鴻圖 Hung-tu Ko began working for Taiwan’s Chunghwa Post in 1997 and has illustrated some of Taiwan’s most striking nature stamps. His philosophy on stamp design is simple, “Stamps are like the country’s calling cards, so they have to express Taiwan’s beauty.” This is an idea I often promote here on the site and fell in love with his thinking. I will be doing more articles on 柯鴻圖 Hung-tu Ko in the near future so, keep an eye open for it.
Taiwan’s 2007 Cute Animal Series — Lesser Panda | 特501 可愛動物郵票—小貓熊 is made up of 4 single stamps and one stamp on a souvenir sheet. I know there is a First Day Cover out there, but couldn’t find a scan I could use. Lesser panda is another name for our lovely floof machine. When you translate 小貓熊 (with Google Translate), it pops up as “little bear” or “kitten bear”, which are perfect names for Red Pandas. But, as usual, I digress.
To the Red Panda stamps!
There are fewer than 10,000 Red Pandas left. Their numbers have been devastated from human encroachment on their territory and climate change.
Almost 50% of the red panda’s habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas. The loss of nesting trees and bamboo is causing a decline in red panda populations across much of their range because their forest home is being cleared. Red Panda | Species | WWF (worldwildlife.org)
Red Panda foraging in a tree
Red Pandas are omnivorous, that means they eat wide variety of foods including bamboo, various grasses, fruits, insects and birds when they catch them.
NAP TIME!
Our little friends are nocturnal, preferring early morning or dusk to go about their activities. This helps them avoid the heat of the day. They will climb up into trees where it’s safe and sleep on branches, shaded from the sun. And yes, they sleep on their stomachs.
Rooting around looking for some fun
Red Pandas are known for their gentle, playful nature. BUT … they are wild animals. That means they aren’t pets nor are they suitable as a pet. They live in temperate forests in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China at altitudes of 7,000 to 12,000 feet.
Time for a quick scratch
“Fate has given me this skill, so I have to live up to it!” Taiwanese artist 柯鴻圖 Hung-tu Ko
柯鴻圖 Hung-tu Ko’s love of nature comes through in this series, as it does in all his artwork. If you’d like to learn a bit more about him, check out this article – Ko Hung-tu: Painting Life – New Southbound Policy Portal (mofa.gov.tw). It is available in a number of languages, including English.
Did you know you can adopt a Red Panda?
No, not take one home – they belong in the wild. You can virtual adopt one through the WWF, an organisation working hard to protect Red Panda’s and their territory. Check out their page – Adopt a Red Panda | Symbolic Adoptions from WWF (worldwildlife.org). Your money will help preserve the Red Panda’s dwindling numbers. You can also adopt one for someone in your life who loves the Red Panda. Think about it. Money well spent.
If you’d like to see more Red Pandas, drop a comment below and I’ll put the suggestion on my “to do list”. I could even do a full catalogue listing of all the Red Panda stamps. That might be fun. As well, if you’d like to see more from 柯鴻圖 Hung-tu Ko, leave a comment.
Apologies if I mistranslate anything. If you spot an error, let me know. It’s important to get names correct. I rely on both Google Translate and my readers to get things right.
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Enjoying the content? Consider donating or signing up for a subscription.
Your contribution will help defray the costs of hosting the site and the time taken to research articles.
Interested in sponsoring this page? Drop me a line contact @ bittergrounds.com
OR
Check out the Patreon tiers & perks: Become a Patron!
- Instant Coffee $2 a month
- Espresso Shot $5 month
- Espresso & Stamps $10 per month
- Deluxe Mocha & Box of Stamps tier – $25 per month.
by catpaw | 25 Apr, 2021 | Catpaw's Picks, country Stamps, Stamps
The Europa 2021 Endangered Wildlife issues offer a stunning array of bugs, birds ‘n mammals to round up. Any collector of animals on stamps will be in paradise with this multi national European contest. I waited until a substantial number of stamps became available before cobbling things together and now, finally, there is a lot to love here. I’m sure I’ve missed a country or two. I’ll eventually scoop them up in my next sweep of Europa stamps.
EUROPA 2021 – Endangered Wildlife
Each year a theme is picked and all members can compete. Competition breaks down into 2 categories:
Voting will take place next year, so be sure to bookmark this site to find the winners. When voting opens I’ll post a link. You can vote for your favourite stamp here: EUROPA 2021 (posteurop.org)
Last year’s theme was Ancient Postal Routes, which offered some creative takes on mail delivery. Although my choices didn’t win, I’m actually thrilled with the winners. I’ll cover this in a separate article. Otherwise this will turn into one of those interminably long slogs for you.
I haven’t come close to finishing the list. Some issues haven’t been released and some have sparse information attached. There is a lot of work left to do on this page which means it’ll be continuously updated throughout the year, as I have with the Year of the Ox list. I am still sourcing good links for you about each animal. Part of the purpose of this series is to educate the public about endangered wildlife and to that end, I’ll share information on the various critters listed below.
A few days ago, I was chatting with a friend and she remarked that it was nice to see the “non cuddly” wildlife honoured. Its easy to draw attention to the puffins and adorable mice. It’s harder to get people to understand why beetles and frogs are so vital. Although I think Germany did a spectacular job with their Beetles. The stamps in this series do an admirable job in showcasing the diversity of species under threat. I’ll do my bit and try to give you some good information.
I’m thinking of running a poll on which will be the winner. I’ll work on it over the next week and if I like the way it looks, throw it up here.
VOTE for your favourite stamp
Join in the unofficial vote & pick your favourite stamp. Look through all the entries then pop over to EUROPA 2021 – vote for your favourite. See how our vote matches up to the official vote EUROPA 2021 (posteurop.org).
Åland
Moor frog (Rana arvalis)
Silver winner – “Most Beautiful Stamp” Juried
1 stamp, sheet of 20, cancel, FDC
POSTMARK PLACE: Mariehamn
Rana arvalis (Moor Frog) (iucnredlist.org)
Moor Frog: The Animal Files
Designer: Bo Lundwall
Date of Issue: May 7, 2021
See all Åland stamps for 2021
A bunch of Moor frogs hanging out:
:
Albania
1 stamp
Designer: Petraq Papa
Release date: May 9, 2021
Andorra (Spain)
“Bone Breaker” Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)
Giant Bearded Vulture: The Bone Breaker – Techies (techiesmagazine.com)
1 stamp, cancel
Release date: April 30, 2021
Enjoy the view:
Andorra (France)
Trumpet rat (Galemys pyrenaicus)
1 stamp, sheet of 15
Designers:
Stamp: Pere Moles
Sheet: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: May 14, 2021
You can see this unusual little creature in the video below. It is in Spanish, but not difficult to follow.
Armenia
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
1 stamp, sheet of 10
Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Armenia
Golden Eagle – A Field Guide to Birds of Armenia ::Acopian Center for the Environment
Designer: Rem Saakyan
Release date: May 7, 2021
Austria
Wolf
1 stamp, booklet, FDC, cancel, non-philatelic B&W print, information sheet, joint packet with Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg & Germany
Designer: Marion Füllerer
Release date: May 8, 2021
See Austrian issues for 2021
Azerbaijan
Caucasian Leopard (Panthera Pardus Ciscaucasica) |Muflon (Ovis Orientalis)| South Caucasus lizard (Eremias Pleskei)
3 stamp, booklet, 2 sheets of 8, mini sheet of leopard, booklet of muflon & lizard stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel
All animals live in Zangazur National Park
Designer: Vugar Eyyubov
Release date: June 24, 2021
Azores
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) | Azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum)
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 1 mini sheet, 1 maxi card
Designer: Francisco Galamba
Release date: May 7, 2021
Belarus
European hamster | Aquatic Warbler
2 stamps, 4 maxi cards, FDC, cancel, 3 sheets of 5 stamps
Designer: Marina Vitkovskaya
Artist: Alexander Mityanin
Release date: May 4, 2021
Belgium
European Adder (Vipera berus) | European hamster (Cricetus cricetus)
Release date: June 16, 2021
Bosnia-Herzegovina (Croatia) FBiH
Western capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus)
2 stamps, souvenir sheet, sheets of 8, FDC, cancel
POSTMARK PLACE: Mostar
Designer: Ernesto Markota
Release date: April 5, 2021
Bosnia-Herzegovina (Serbian) RS
Dwarf Mouse (Micromys minutes) | Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
2 stamps, souvenir sheets of 8, mini souvenir sheet, FDC
Bosnia-Herzegovina (JP BH)
Eurasian Lynx | Chamois
2 stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel, blocks, sheet of 10
Designer: Tamer Lucarević
Release date: May 7, 2021
Bulgaria
European Pine Martin | Marbled Polecat
2 stamps, blocks, 2 sheets of 5, souvenir sheet
Designer: Todor Angeliev
Release date: May 14,2021
Croatia
Eurasian Lynx | Western Capercaillie
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheet of
Designer: Nataša Odak
Release date: May 7, 2021
Cyprus
Mediterranean Seal (Monachus monachus) | Cypriot Bee (apis mellifera cypria)
2 stamps, 3 souvenir sheets, FDC, cancel
Designer: Anna Fotiadou
Release date: May 6, 2021
See the 2021 issues for Cyprus here.
North Cyprus
2 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 sheets of 8, 2 FDCs, cancel
These stamps are for local delivery only. Turkish Cyprus stamps aren’t recognised by the UPU, nor is it a member of the Universal Postal Union or POSTEUROP.
Release date: July 9, 2021
Czech Republic
European Wildcat (Felis silvestris)
Detail from FDC:
1 stamp, sheet of 6, FDC, cancel
European Wildcat | European Wildcat Conservation (bigcatswildcats.com)
The wildcat is one of Czech rarest mammals. The difference between the wildcat and the domestic cat is readily apparent: the wild species is larger, mostly due to the longer and thicker hair. The fur colour is typically grey-brown to grey-yellow with distinct stripes on the back, legs, and tail. The shape, length, and the way the wild and the domestic species hold the tail also differ. The wildcat has a larger head, clearly smaller ears, and long sensitive whiskers.
In the Czech Republic, the wildcat usually lives in deciduous or mixed forests in low-lying mountainous or hilly areas. What it needs is a place to hide in, such as rock crevices, cavities in old massive trees, or abandoned fox and badger burrows. Future issues – Česká pošta (ceskaposta.cz)
Designer: Jaromír and Libuše Knotkovi
Previous designs: EUROPA: National Birds – Common kingfisher and the 2020 Songbirds around us series I, II & III and Honeybees as well as numerous wildlife issues over the past 6 years.
Jaromír Knotek was born on 18 February 1949 in Kladno. He is a Czech painter, graphic artist, and illustrator, whose art includes scientific illustrations. He and his wife, illustrator Libuše Knotková, also designed many postage stamps.
Libuše Knotková was born on 23 May 1949. Her father, Ladislav Jirka, made a significant contribution to the history and development of Czech stamp design.
Libuše and Jaromír Knotek resumed the family tradition and designed multiple Czech stamps as well as drawings for first day covers
Issue Plan of Czech Postage Stamp Issues 2020, p. 13
Release date: April 21, 2021
See Czech issues for 2021
Denmark
Butterflies
5 stamps
- Alcon Blue
- Northern Chequered Skipper
- Pearl Bordered Fritillary
- Common Yellow Swallowtail
- Purple Edged Copper
Danish butterflies in decline – Wild About Denmark
Artist: Marianne Therese Grønnow
Designer: PostNord Stamps/Ella Clausen
Release date: May 20, 2021
See Denmark’s 2021 issues
Estonia
Lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) | Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops)
2 stamp, 2 sheets of 10 tete-beche, FDC, cancel, info card
Designer: Vladimir Taiger
Release date: May 06, 2021
See issues for 2021
Faroe Island
Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) (vote for the puffins!)
2 stamps, a self-adhesive booklet with six stamps, postcards, FDC single stamps, FDC pair stamps, FDC blocks, cancel
Hinterland Who’s Who – Atlantic Puffin (hww.ca)
When Puffins come to shore, you can watch them courtesy the Puffin Cam – Live video of wild Puffins in Maine | Explore.org
Photos: Thomas Vikre and Jógvan Hansen
Release date: April 26, 2021
See issues for 2021
Even comes with it’s own identity card!
Finland
Kingfisher | Large Pollo Butterfly | Flying Squirrel
3 stamps, FDC
Designer: Petteri Mattila
Release date: April 28, 2021
See all of Finland’s 2021 releases here
France
European mink | Eurasian Lynx | Iberian Ibex | Melibée
1 stamp, cancel, sheet of 15, info sheet
Photogravure
A new vision for the critically endangered European mink – The Vincent Wildlife Trust (vwt.org.uk)
Eurasian Lynx – International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada (wildcatconservation.org)
Iberian ibex – Wikipedia
Designer: : Broll and Prascida
Broll & Prascida have designed stamps for both France and Andorra (FR) Visit their extensive portfolio online to see their delicately detailed work.
Cancel: Florence Gendre
Gendre is an accomplished water colourist and member of Société Française d’Illustration Botanique (SFIB)
Release date: May 25, 2021
Georgia
Krtsanisi Forest Park, Tbilisi
2 stamps, souvenir sheet
Endangered pistachio tree with a gazelle and bald eagle.
A postage stamp created under the auspices of the European Union of National Post Operators “Post Europe” has been in circulation since October, depicting an endangered Cyprus turpentine tree, Goitered gazelle and bald eagle. The public presentation of the stamp was held in Krtsanisi Forest Park, within the framework of which 150 seedlings of Cyprus turpentine tree were planted, and a photo exhibition organized by “National Geographic” was held. Presentation of Postage Stamp Created under Auspices of Post Europe Held in Krtsanisi Park – Georgia Today
A Guest of Nature: Friedensreich Hundertwasser Exhibition in Krtsanisi Forest Park – Georgia Today
Release date: November 8, 2021
Germany
Beetles
I think Germany wins the cancel award
1 stamp, 2 cancels in blue, 1 Self-promotion cancel in blue
POSTMARK PLACE: Bonn, Berlin, Wurzburg
Wurzburg cancel on Maxi card Self-promotion postmark
- Gloomy beetle, as it is called in German, is on the red list of endangered species
- Bark shredder beetle
- Longhorn Beetle
Designer: Thomas Serres, Hattingen
Photos: Bavarian Forest National Park Administration
Release date: May 6, 2021
See issues for 2021
Gibraltar
Barbary Macaques
2 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 sheets of 6, 2 FDCs, cancel, presentation pack, 1 post & go on sheet of 6, FDC, cancel
Barbary macaque : the species | BMAC
Designer: Stephen Perera
Release date: Feb. 5, 2021
Greece
Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) | Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, booklet
For the first time, the EUROPA Greek stamps are designed by students of the Athens School of Fine Arts who have attended the class “Graphic Arts – Stamp” from the Engraving Department, taught by Dr. Myrsini Vardopoulou and supervised by Prof. Yannis Gourzis
The design used a main feature of Engraving, namely breaking down the drawing into lines. “Thus, we have achieved a different artistic approach; one could say that it directly refers to old copperplate engraving stamps, but in combination with modern techniques. The most important aspect of this work is the clarity of the drawing”, points outs the teacher.
ELTA > Company > Press Office > Press releases
Designer: Dimitris Sidirokastritis
FDC Designer: Denisa Pemati
Cancel: Marianna Mastrantona
Release date: May 6, 2021
See all Greek issues for 2021
Greenland
Greenland White-fronted Goose | Harbour Seals
2 stamps, self-adhesive booklets, blocks of 4, 2 sheets of 10, 3 FDCs, cancel
Designer: Miki Jacobsen
Previous designs include 2020 Mammals, 2018 Sports in Greenland Inuit and Dene Games and 2019 50th anniversary of the first International Post Day
Release date: June 8, 2021
See issues for 2021
Guernsey
European herring gull | scaly cricket | Basking sharks |European eel | Black-backed meadow ant | Harbour porpoise | Glanville fritillary butterfly | Porbeagle shark
8 stamps, souvenir sheet
Guernsey Biological Records Centre (gov.gg)
Artist/designer: Wendy Bramall
Release date: April 7, 2021
See 2021 releases here.
Hungary
Stonechat |Steppe polecat
2 stamps, souvenir sheet, cancel, FDC
Designer: Tibor Z. Petényi
Release date: May 5, 2021
Listen to a stonechat:
See all Hungarian issues for 2021
Iceland
Iceland ceased printing new stamps at the end of Oct. 2020. Iceland post offers free, downloadable catalogues of all their issues.
Ireland
White prominent moth | Fresh water pearl mussel
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 16
Illustration by Shevaun Doherty
Designed by Jenny Dempsey
Release date: May 06, 2021
See issues 2021
Isle of Man
Sheerwater Recover Project
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 10
This stamp is part of a larger set issued by Isle of Man titled The Calf of Man: Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the Manx National Trust Now Part of Manx National Heritage. The set includes 10 stamps featuring various parts of the Manx National Trust. The sheerwater is the only stamp in the set featuring the Europa logo.
Designer: EJC Design
Release date: April 12, 2021
Italy
Aeolian lizard | Brown Bear
2 stamps, postcard, cancel
Designer: Philatelic Center of the Operational Department of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca
Photographers: Marsican bear Easy Fotostock © Gennaro Leonardi / AGF | lizard of the Aeolian Islands © photographer Gentile Francesco Ficetola.
Release date: November 15, 2021
Jersey
Jersey Seabirds & Marine Life – Atlantic Puffin | Loggerhead Turtle | Orca | Bottlenose Dolphin | Balearic Shearwater | Grey Seal
6 stamps, FDC, FDC with souvenir sheet, souvenir sheets, presentation packs, strips, blocks, postcards
Coastal wildlife to feature on Jersey stamps and souvenir coin – Jersey Stamps
Designer: Sara Menon
Menon is a member of the Society of Botanical Artists
Release date: March 11, 2021
See issues for 2021
Kazakhstan
Siberian Roe Deer |Eurasian wild pig
2 stamps on a souvenir sheet
Designer: Г. Алтаева
Release date: November 2021
Kosovo
Caprolli | Brown Bear
2 stamps, 1 souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel
Release date: May 7, 2021
Latvia
Black Stork | Freshwater Pearl Mussel
2 stamps, sheets of sheets of 10, FDC, cancel
ADW: Ciconia nigra: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Freshwater pearl mussel | The Wildlife Trusts
Artist: Ģirts Grīva
Release date: April 23, 2021
Liechtenstein
Mouse Weasel (Mustela nivalis) | Edelkrebs (Astacus astacus)
2 stamps
The mouse weasel – NABU NRW
Astacus astacus – Wikipedia
Designer: Angelo Boog, Valais
Release date: March 1, 2021
Lithuania
Long-tailed seal (also known as a grey seal) | Lynx
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
Quality of the cancel isn’t good. If you have a better one and would like to share it, I’d appreciate the share.
Designer: L. Aleknavičiūtė
Release date: April 23, 2021
See 2021 stamps for Lithuania
Luxembourg
Western polecat (Mustela putorius) | Greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis)
Artist: Johan de Crem
Designer: Ierace + Dechmann + Partners (LU)
Release date: May 11, 2021
See issues for 2021
Macedonia
Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) | Wolf (Canis lupus) | Brown Bear ( Ursus arctos) | Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) |Balkan Lynx (Lynx lynx balcanicus) | Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)
6 stamps, 2 mini sheets
Release date: May 11, 2021
Madeira
Zino’s Petrel (Pterodroma Madeira) | Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta)
2 stamps, mini sheet, FDC, cancel
Designer: Marco N
Release date: May 7, 2021
Malta
Mediterranean Chameleon | Painted Frog
2 stamps, 2 souvenir sheets, FDCs, cancel, blocks, presentation pack
Photographer: Sean Dingli
Release date: May 12, 2021
Moldovia
Black stork | Eagle Owl
2 stamps, 2 sheets of 8, booklet, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
Designer: Oleg Cojocari
Release date: May 28, 2021
Monaco
Long-snouted Seahorse
1 stamp, sheet of 10
Designer: Stefano Morri
Release date: May 6, 2021
Montenegro
Tivat Saline
1 stamp, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
The Area of Solila is located in the wetlands section of the coastal belt of tivat bay and captures an unused flood area in the area of Grbalje polje.
In the flora and vegetation of the Montenegrin littoral, the Area of Solila is recognized by the vegetation inhabited by salty wet habitats. Since these complex types of natural vegetation on a muddy-clay surface have already disappeared on most habitats on the eastern Adriatic coast, this preservation of the compactness of the Tivat salt salt area as a safe habitat for halophyte vegetation stands out as a special ecological challenge. In the territory of Tivat salts, 14 representatives of amphibians and reptiles were registered.
So far, 111 bird species have been registered on the Solili, representing more than 20% of the total number of species of European ornithophaune. Salts are the habitat of numerous endangered species and are protected as a special flora-faunist reserve.
Montenegro post office
Designer: Romana Pehar
Pehar is a painter from Kotor. You can see more of his work on his Tumbler site Romana Pehar (tumblr.com)
Special Nature Reserve Tivat Saline | Parks Dinarides (discoverdinarides.com)
Release date: May 9, 2021
Netherlands
Endangered Bees
2 stamps, sheetlet
Designer: Karen Polder
Release date: May 12, 2021
Norway
Atlantic Puffin | Great Yellow Bumblebee
2 stamps, 3 FDC, gold letter cover, cancel, presentation folder, 2 maxi cards, gutter strips
Artist/Designer: Camilla Kvien Jensen
Release date: April 23, 2021
See issues for 2021
Poland
Eurasian lynx
Gold winner – “Most Beautiful Stamp” Juried
1 stamp, Souvenir sheet of 9, FDC, cancel
Designer: Bożydar Grozdew
Release date: April 21, 2021
See issues 2021
Portugal
European pond terrapin | Saramungo
2 stamps, minisheet, FDC with stamps from Portugal, Madeira and Azores, cancel, information brochure, maxi card
Part of a joint set with Madeira and Azores (details coming soon)
Designer: Francisco Galamba
Release date: May 7, 2021
Romania
European mink | Great bustard
4 stamps, 2 souvenir sheets, FDCs, cancel
Designer: George Ursachi
Release date: April 22, 2021
Russia
Persian Leopard
1 stamp, souvenir pack (with 5 stamps), art card, FDC cancel
Designer: Vladimir Beltyukov
Release date: Jan. 20, 2021
San Marino
Geotritone | River Crab
2 stamp, sheets of 12
- Geotritone (amphibian), visible in sheet selvedge sparrow Monticola Solitarius, the small rodent Moscardinus, the rare mantis Empusa Pennata and the grasshopper Acrometopa Macropoda
- River Crab visible in sheet selvedgeskunk, the amphibious Bombina Pachypus, the butterfly Zerinthia Cassandra and the fish Barbus Caninus
Designer: Mauro Mazzara
Release date: March 30, 2021
Serbia
Shaker Falcon |Shore Lark
2 stamps, 2 sheets of 8, FDC, cancel
Designer: Marija Vlahović
Release date: May 5, 2021
See issues for 2021
Slovenia
Wildcat | Kivji Petelin
2 stamps + sheetlets, FDC, cancel
Designer: Maja Tomažič
Release date: May 28, 2021
See stamps for 2021
Slovakia
Western Capercaillie
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, booklet, maxi, postcard
I had a few issues with translations re: what I think are the postcard and maxi. If this is incorrect information, please leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to fix the info.
Designer: Kamila Štanclová
FDC engraver: František Horniak
Release date: May 7, 2021
Spain
Iberian Lynx
1 stamp, sheets of 25, folder, postcard, 2 cancels
POSTMARK PLACE: Madrid and Barcelona
EUROPA seals raise awareness of endangered fauna and biodiversity | Filatelia News (correosfilatelia.com)
See Spanish issues for 2021
Release date: May 14, 2021
Sweden
Green Spotted Toad
1 stamp
Designer: Henning Trollbäck
Release date: Jan. 14, 2021
Switzerland
Woodland brown butterfly | Scarce large blue butterfly
2 stamps, block of 4, sheet of 16, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
POSTMARK PLACE: Bern
Designer: Nina Schwarz
Release date: June 6, 2021
Turkey
Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) | Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus)
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
Photographer: SAD-AFAG Cem Orkun KIRAÇ
Designer: Gamze AKSOY
Release date: May 9, 2021
See issues for 2021
Ukraine
The Carpathians
Bronze winner – “Most Beautiful Stamp” Juried
2 stamps, 2 sheets of 6, 2 FDCs, cancel
POSTMARK PLACE: Kyiv and Transcarpathian Region
Killer wheels | Cry of the Carpathians
Beech virgin forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2017). The Carpathian mountain forests in Central Europe are one of the most important havens for large predators, including the brown bear.
Beech virgin forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2017). The Carpathian mountain forests in Central Europe are one of the most important havens for large predators, including the brown bear.
According to the UN, the forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians are disappearing at an alarming rate due to illegal logging. This has already led to climate change, and as a result -large-scale floods, flooded villages and roads, the destruction of bridges. And the worst – destruction of a unique ecosystem, because the Carpathians – it is a climatic factor of all Ukraine.
Philately of Ukraine, No. 26
Designer: 0. Simonenko
Release date: May 9, 2021
See issues for 2021
Vatican
Eurasian wren | Common kestrel
2 stamps
Designer: Graphic department of Poste Vaticane
Release date: May 25, 2021
See more Vatican stamps for 2021 here.
by catpaw | 22 Apr, 2021 | Stamps
Vietnam’s 2021 stamp issues are modest at 5 series. They issued more last year, so there’s a chance the Vietnam Post Office will sneak in a few more. I’m hoping they do. I’d like to see another issue similar to the 2020’s Folk Games. This is a charming, warm set by artist To Minh Trang, who has designed a number of Vietnamese stamps. He used traditional Vietnamese art styles for this set.
…with folk pens using the Hàng Trống style. The image of children’s characters is drawn strongly with the shape of the shape to create an impressive space with a little cube with self-light creeping in each character figure. The gaps of the background between the strokes and shapes have created a folklore convention space that we often encounter in rice-paddy civilization. The naïve but expressive expression of each character’s facial expressions has created visual impressions of a childhood world in each contemporary human being.
VNPost | Stamp Set Introduction: “Folk Games”
You can see more about Vietnamese art styles here A Glance at Vietnamese Folk Painting – History and Types (vietnamdiscovery.com). It covers Hàng Trống used in the Folk Art stamps above. It’s fascinating to see how many ways art can represent a country’s culture. I really hope Vietnam puts out another series like this.
Vietnamese Cuisine, issued October 2020, by To Minh Trang and Pham Trung Ha, did a magnificent job capturing the beauty of Vietnamese foods. I love the combination of angles used to capture the bowls. And now I’m hungry.
I’m a sucker for food stamps. But so far, doesn’t look like we’ll be treated to either subjects for 2021. No sign of interesting postmarks so far, but if I find them, I’ll drop them in below.
January
13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Part of a long running series celebrating each National Congress meeting
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, booklet
Designer: Tô Minh Trang
Release date: January 22, 2021
Living Safely with the COVID-19 Pandemic
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 maxi cards
- Masks – Disinfection – Distance – Non-gathering – Medical declaration
- Covid-19 vaccine
Designer: Tô Minh Trang
Release date: April 29, 2021
100th Anniversary of the Birth of Diplomat Nguyen Co Thach (1921-1998)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Diplomat Nguyen Co Thach, whose real name is Pham Van Cuong, was born on May 15, 1921 in Lien Minh commune, Dong Ban district, Nam Dinh province, a land rich in revolutionary traditions. More than 60 years of revolutionary activities in many important working positions, of which more than 40 years of dedication to the diplomatic service, Comrade Nguyen Co Thach has made many outstanding contributions to the revolutionary cause of the nation. As a prominent diplomat, comrades were instrumental in proposing and implementing the renewal of foreign thinking during turbulent times. For these great contributions, comrades were awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal, the Order of the Gold Star and many other noble titles by the Party and the State. Anniversary of the birth of diplomat Nguyen Co Thach (1921-1998) (vietnamstamp.com.vn)
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: May 14, 2021
Ho Chi Minh Pioneer Youth Team
2 stamps, one souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, maxi card
Designers: Phạm Trung Hà and Nguyễn Du
Release date: May 15, 2021
June
Legend of Mai An Tem (Watermelon Accumulation)
4 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel
Legend of the Water Melon (vietnam-culture.com)
Designer: Tô Minh Trang
Release date: June 1, 2021
July
Vietnam National Treasure II – Gold Items
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 maxi cards
- Indian Destiny (1827)
- Golden Press “Dai Viet Quoc Nguyen The Lord of The Eternal ChiBao ” (1709)
- Ngoc Van – Yen Tu gold box (Dating: XIV century )
- Swallow Tower container (7th – 8th centuries)
Designer: Nguyễn Du
First set in this series came out in 2018
Release date: July 31, 2021
August
Vietnamese native chickens
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 maxi cards
- Multi-toed chicken Gà nhiều ngón – Phu Tho province, northern Vietnam.
- Dong Tao Chicken Gà Đông Tảo – also called the Dragon chicken. – Dong Tao commune, Heizhou district, Hung Yen province. Known for their distinctive large legs.
- Chicken H’Mong Gà H’Mông – northern mountain regions, popular breed with the H’Mong people the dark black features, bones and meat of the Gà H’Mông are the result of a gene that creates excessive black pigment. Black chicken a tasty speciality of the Mông ethnic group – Vietnam Daily News
- Lac Thuy Chicken Gà Lạc Thuỷ – Lac Thuy district of Hoa Binh province
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: August 25, 2021
September
Road Traffic Safety
2nd in series
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 maxi cards
Designer: Phạm Trung Hà
Previous series issued 2020
Release date: September 5, 2021
100th Anniversary of the Birth of Luu Huu Phuoc (1921-1989)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Biography of author Luu Huu Phuoc – Chord Viet (hopamviet.vn)
Designers: Tô Minh Trang and Phạm Trung Hà
Release date: September 12, 2021
100th Anniversary of the Birth of Admiral Giap Van Cuong (1921-1990)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Admiral Giap Van Cuong – General of Truong Sa – | Đăng trên báo Bắc Giang (baobacgiang.com.vn)
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: September 13, 2021
October
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the UPU International Letter Writing Competition (1971-2021)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, maxi card
Designer: Phạm Quang Diệu
Release date: October 9, 2021
UNESCO Global Geological Park – Dong Van Stone Highlands and Cao Bang Non Nuoc
3 stamps, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 4 maxi cards
The UNESCO Global Geopark is located at an extension foot mount East of the Himalayas. Geoheritages date from the Cambrian (about 550 million years ago) to the present in seven different stages and include palaeobiology, stratigraphy, geomophology, tectonics, karst, caves and also important faults. The geology in this UNESCO Global Geopark reflects important events in Earth history, like of two mass extinction boundaries of Frasnian-Famennian (360 million years ago) and Permian-Triassic (250 million years ago). This includes 3 groups of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks, as well as stratigraphic, lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic specificities. Its paleontological diversity shows 19 groups of valuable ancient organisms like ancient fish, ancient flora, brachiopods (eurispirifer tonkinesis), bivalves, trilobites, foraminifera, corals, conodonta, crinoidea and fossilized paths of molluscs. DONG VAN KARST PLATEAU UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK (Viet Nam)
- UNESCO Global Geopark Dong Van Rock Plateau”: recognized by UNESCO on October 3, 2010,
- “UNESCO Non-Cao Bang Global Geopark”: recognized by UNESCO on April 12, 2018
- “UNESCO Dak Nong Global Geopark”: recognized by UNESCO on July 7, 2020
- Dong Van Rock Plateau (Ma Pí Lèng Pass, Tu Sản Gorge, Nho Que River).
Designer: Nguyễn Du
Release date: October 30, 2021
December
Lunar New Year – Year of the Tiger Tết Nhâm Dần
2 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 2 maxi cards, stamp packs
The tigers are painted in the Hang Drum / Hàng Trống folk style.
The background shows the image of the Tiger family is happy together to welcome the new spring under the forest of plum blossoms, peach blossoms, apricot flowers are blooming every Tet, spring. VNPost | Introducing stamps: “Tet Tram Phat”
Designer: Nguyễn Quang Vinh
Release date: December 1, 2021
Vietnam put out a fun a Lunar New Year stamp for Year of the Ox in 2020. Take a look at it here:
Vietnam’s delightful Year of the Ox stamps
Vietnamese Cuisine
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 maxi cards, 3 booklets
- Miến lươn Nghệ An Burma – Nghệ An Eel Burma. This is dish comes from the rural areas of the province Nghệ An
- Bún bò Huế – Hue Beef Vermicelli. Huế is a province in central Vietnam. Bun is a Vietnamese style soup.
- Mỳ Quảng – Quang Noodles. Rice noodles from the Quang province are at the heart of this dish.
- Phở khô Gia Lai – Gia Lai Dried Pho. The province of Gia Lai brings another soup to the series. If you’ve never had Phở, then you need to head out right now and find some.
Previous issues in this series appeared in 2020. The dishes were Chicken Pho, Rolls and 2 Vermicelli dishes.
Images provided by Culinary Artist Phạm Thị Tuyế
Designer: Tô Minh Trang
Release date: December 25, 2021
by catpaw | 31 Mar, 2021 | Stamps
South Korean stamps for 2021 are strong with thematic finds. Korea Post taps into the country’s rich natural beauty and cultural history to produce a few real gems for collectors. Along with the usual stamps, maxi cards and FDCs, they also offer information bulletins for every set. The bulletins are a bit different than the usual pdf info sheets and remind me more of the Japanese Framed Local Stamps.
The info sheets offer both Korean and English details about each set. A nice touch for any collection.
Interesting thematics
There haven’t been a lot of aviation stamps among the countries I’ve listed so far so it was nice to see a strong set come out in March. Korean Aircraft is the third in the series. If you are an aviation collector, check out previous years for the full series. 2019 was the 70th anniversary of the South Korean Air Force as well as the first in the Korean Aircraft series. All images are modern aircraft and helicopters, if you are more a pioneer aviation collector, you’re out of luck.
Another interesting area Korea Post excels is science. There are 3 sets including the first two for 2021. April’s Astronomical Sciences of Korea is a combination of ancient and new plus traditional art design and is the best of the lot.
If you are a collector of Lunar New Year stamps, Korea issued theirs in 2020. You can find them posted with the Year of the Ox listings.
Like Thailand, South Korea has a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity set. I could spend days just navigating their mind bending Constellation – an interactive visual representation of the world’s living heritage and how people weave in and out.
This interactive visual demonstrates the diversity and interconnectedness of the living heritage elements inscribed under the 2003 Convention. Navigate by concepts such as ‘Dance’, ‘Family’, or ‘Rituals’ to see almost 500 elements from communities in over 100 countries. Learn about this heritage and imagine where yours fits in!
Dive into intangible cultural heritage! – intangible heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO
Cancels
Korean Post’s beautifully rendered architectural themed stamps also offer good collectable cancels. A trip through Korea Post’s past issues will keep anyone happy for days. The March 11 cancel is a stylized beauty. 
Keeping with the cancels, check out the Folding Screen one. This postmark is a good indicator of the quality of Korean cancels. They tend towards simplicity and elegance.
There is no doubt what the topic is with this cancel. It fills in details about the stamps without needing to do any research. Talk about tying everything together wth a single feature!
Note on translations
If you go to Korea Post’s website, don’t opt for the English version. Use the Korean site and use a Google Translate plugin. The English page lacks a lot of detailed information you get on the Korean language version. The only downside of Google Translate is the periodic wonky translations. I ran into a few problems with translations and I’m still working on making some of the titles a little more coherent. Please be patient as I use a bit of common sense and adjust the titles.
If you are looking for a useful resource for South Korean philately, try South Korea Archives — Korea Stamp Society. They cover both North and South Korean stamps. The information is excellent and will help with a translation errors you get with the Korean Post site. Korean Post’s press releases and blog also offer good information. I forgot to bookmark the pages. When I find them again, I’ll post them.
Follow, support, subscribe
As always, I’ll be updating this page throughout the year. You can follow me on Facebook & Twitter for update details. You can also leave me messages and question on either platform or in the comments below. I enjoy chatting with readers.
If you prefer to receive updates directly to your inbox, sign up for the weekly newsletter. Each issue will let you know when an article has been updated as well as tell you about new posts. Use the sign-up box in the sidebar to the right. Think about subscribing & supporting Bitter Grounds. If you enjoy reading about stamps, you can help with a donation via the little coffee cup on the bottom left or PayPal. I’ll do the heavy lifting in getting the material sorted and you can sit back and enjoy. It takes a lot of time to research each article, every donation helps.
South Korean stamps for 2021 – January
GEO-KOMPSAT Cheollian Satellites
3 stamps, souvenir sheet, 3 maxi cards, 2 FDC sets, cancel, information sheet, horizontal se-tenant strips of three
- Cheollian-2A Satellite and Weather Prediction, 2018
- Cheollian-2B Satellite and Storm Prediction
- Launch of Cheollian-1 Satellite, 2010
Designer: Park Byung-kyung
Release date: Jan. 26, 2021
South Korean stamps for 2021 – February
Kaist’s 50th Anniversary
\
1 stamp, sheet of 16, 2 FDCs, cancel, maxi card
Designer: Kim Mee-hwa
Release date: Feb. 16, 2021
Repatriated Treasured cultural heritage
4 stamps, souvenir sheet, cancel, 2 sets FDCs, 4 postcards, se-tenant strip, blocks
- Stone Pagoda of Gyeongcheonsa Temple
- Jade Seal of Empress Myeongseong
- Gyeongju Face Pattern Sumaksae
- Mother and Baby Monkey Celadon Water Dropper
Korean post issued a series of promotional ads for this series that are delightful. They are dedicated the people who worked hard to repatriated Korean cultural treasures. You can see them here [Stamps of February] Found Again Valuable Cultural Heritage: Naver Blog
Designer: Shin Jae-yong
Release date: Feb. 26, 2021
South Korean stamps for 2021 – March
Korean Old Architecture
Seowon (Neo-Confucian Academies)
8 stamps, souvenir sheets of four, sheet of 16, info bulletins, cancel
Designers: Andong Byungsan Book House Mandaeru, Jangsang Pilam Bookwon 2012, Achieved Todong Book Institute Return Order, Nonsan Donam 31 Ngdodang
Release date: March 11, 2021
Korean aircraft
3rd series
3 stamps, 3 FDCs, cancel sheet, horizontal se-tenant strips of three
Designer: Shin Jae-yong
Release date: March 25, 2021
April
Hwajo Youngmodo – Bottled Wind
10 stamps, sheet of 10, 5 FDCs, cancel, info sheet, special mini screen presentation pack (translated from 화조영모 미니병풍), 10 maxi cards
Jang Seung-up (1843-1897) was a painter during the Joseon period. The stamps are taken from the artist’s folding screen.
Release date: April 6, 2021
Astronomical Sciences of Korea
Astronomical period of the Joseon Dynasty
4 stamps, souvenir sheet, cancel, 4 maxi cards, 4 FDCs
Designer: Kim Mee-hwa
Release date: April 21, 2021
The 30th Yeongwoeleu Show
1 commemorative cancel
Designer: Shin Jae-yong
Release date: April 30, 2021
May
Fans – Face to Face
6 stamps, souvenir sheet, postcard kit with 6 postcards, envelopes, stamps & sheet, 6 FDCs, cancel, 6 maxi cards,
Designer: Jung Lee-young
Release date: May 5, 2021
Incheon Lantern Festival Commemorative Stamp Exhibition
Commemorative cancel
Designer: Park Byung-kyung
Release date: May 7, 2021
Protected Marine Creatures
4th series
4 stamps, souvenir sheet, FDC, postcards
Designer: Park Byung-kyung
Release date: May 31, 2021
South Korean stamps for 2021 June
Taiwan Relics
4 stamps, maxi cards, Pre-cancelled FDCs, FDCs, Info folder, album pages
Designer: KN Creative Design Co., Ltd.
Release date: June 17, 2021
Mysterious animals in the palace
Mysterious animals from the Gyeongbokgung Palace
Korean Post often turns the stamp themes into monthly wallpaper offerings. June’s wallpaper was a play on Mysterious Animals of the Palace. You can go to their website and download a new wallpaper each month. Here’s June’s:
Release date: June 22, 2021
Alpine Plants
4 stamps, 4 sheets, FDC, Souvenir Folder with or without mounts, album pages, FDC canceled
“beauty of Taiwan’s alpine plants and to call public attention to the importance of ecological conservation”
Chunghwa Post
Designer: Xu Wei
Release date: June 30, 2021
July
Beautiful lake
4 stamps, sheet of 16
Designer: Kim Me-hwa
Release date: July 1, 2021
4 stamps, sheet of 16
- Glory Baeksu Coast
- Gangneung Heonhwa-do
- Namsae Water-Mei Coast
- Jeju New Changfeng Tea Coast
Designer: Jung Lee-young
Release date: July 15, 2021
South Korean stamps for 2021 August
Town Councils
3 stamps, sheet of 15
- Gochang-eup Province 고창읍성
- Seosan Hamishe-eup Province 서산 해미읍성
- Gochang-eup Province 순천 낙안읍성
Designer: Kim Me-hwa 김미화
Release date: August 4, 2021
200th Anniversary of Father Kim Daegan’s Birth
1 stamp
Release date: August 20, 2021
September
General Postage
3 stamps, 3 cancels, 3 sheets
- “tai chi pattern” and “hunmin jungmyong”
- rose of sharon
- Celadon porcelain gourd-shaped teapot and cup
3 stamps, 3 cancels
These stamps reflect the Sept. 1 increase in price
Release date: September 1, 2021
Snow Primrose
1 postcard
Designer: 유지형 | Yoo Ji-hyung
Release date: September 1, 2021
Korean Ships
4 stamps, souvenir sheet
- crude oil carrier
- container ship
- bulk line
- Icebreaker carrier
Designer: 박은경 Park Eun-Kyung
Release date: September 15, 2021
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Jultagi -Tightrope Walking)
2 stamps, souvenir sheet
Jultagi, tightrope walking – intangible heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO
Designer: 정은영 Eunyoung Jung
Release date: September 30, 2021
South Korean stamps for 2021 October
Stamps for the Week – Picture Books
4 stamps, sheet of 16, cancel
Picture books:
- 백두산 이야기 Mount Paektu story
- 넉점반 Knock Knocks or possibly knock point half
- 만희네 집 Manhee’s House
- 동강의 아이들 Children of Donggang
Designer: 정은영 Eunyoung Jung
Release date: October 25, 2021
2021 Korea stamp exhibition – Love Nature
2 postcards
issued for stampex.kr
Designer: 김미화 | Mihwa Kim
Release date: October 25, 2021
Korean Dogs
3 stamps, sheet of 15, cancel
Designer: 박은경 Park Eun-Kyung
Release date: October 29, 2021
Definitives
3 stamps, 3 sheets of 100
- big scarlet butterfly
- Yugwa – traditional Korean dessert
- long-tailed fly catcher
Designers:
신재용 Jaeyong Shin
정은영 Jung Eun-young
김미화 Kim Mi-hwa
Release date: October 30, 2021
November
Korea Postage Exhibition
Designer: 유지형 Yoo Ji-hyung
Release date: November 3, 2021
Medicinal plants
3 stamps, 1 sheet of 12
Designer: 유지형 | Yoo Ji-hyung
Release date: November 10, 2021
Tomb of King Wonseong, Gyeongju
1 special cancel
Designer: 신재용 Jaeyong Shin
Release date: November 12, 2021
Guamegi
1 special cancel
Designer: 박은경 Park Eun-kyung
Release date: November 12, 2021
The Beauty of Hanbok
4 stamps, sheet of 16, cancel
An Introduction to Hanbok, Korean national dress (theculturetrip.com)
Wikipedia has an extensive writeup on Hanbok Hanbok – Wikipedia
Hanbok Handbook opens to a pdf
Designer: 신재용 | Jaeyong Shin
Release date: November 18, 2021
Busan Gamcheon Culture Village
special cancel
Designer: 정은영 Eunyoung Jung
Release date: November 26, 2021
Jukbangryeom in the Namhae Jijik Strait
special cancel
Designer: 김미화 Mihwa Kim
Release date: November 26, 2021
December
New Year’s Stamp – Year of the Black Tiger
2 stamps, souvenir sheet of 4, sheet of 16, cancel
From the myth of Dangun to Hodori, the mascot of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the tiger has historically been a symbol of Korea and the Korean people. Since ancient times, there have been many tigers in Korea, so it has been called ‘the country of tigers’. In folk tales and myths, tigers appear as beings living in close relationships with humans. In <Samguksagi>, a tiger is portrayed as the protector and helper of the hero who nursed Gyeon Hwon, the founder of Later Baekje. You can also find the appearance of a tiger in the field of art. A lagoon (a stone tiger) was placed in the royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and <Yonghodo> was hung in front of the gates of government offices in the late Joseon Dynasty. <Yonghodo> is a large painting with a large tiger in it, and it is presumed to be a Sehwa (a painting that means blessing the new year). As such, the tiger has been portrayed as a guardian animal since ancient times and has been considered sacred by our people.
연하우표 – 우표 상세보기 – 한국우표 – 한국우표포털서비스 K-stamp (epost.go.kr)
Designer: 김미화 | Mihwa Kim
Release date: December 1, 2021
21st Chuncheon video stamp exhibition
special cancel
Graphic shows Chuncheon Samaksan Lake Cable Car
Designer: 김미화 Mihwa Kim
Release date: December 12, 2021
Hawthorn
1 stamp, sheet of 100, cancel
Designer: 유지형 | Yoo Ji-hyung
Release date: December 17, 2021
한글 Hangul – Korean Alphabet
1 stamp, sheet of 60, cancel
Designer: 정은영 | Eunyoung Jung
Release date: December 17, 2021
Jeju Tangerine
Special cancel
Designer: 신재용 | Jaeyong Shin
Release date: December 31, 2021
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Namibian 2021 stamps – big rewards
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