British stamps collection of 'the finest lady philatelist' makes $4.7m

The collection of Lady Mairi Bury sold last week at Sotheby's, with very impressive results...

The sale of one of the world's finest collections of British postage stamps concluded at Sotheby's on Friday, having significantly exceeded pre-sale expectations.

'The Great Britain Philatelic Collections of Lady Mairi Bury' reached an impressive sale total of £3,045,924, beating its estimate of £2.6m.

Described as a "collector's collector", Lady Mairi Bury was one of the finest lady philatelists of our time. Her collection represented her excellent eye for quality and rarity as well as the unusual, and the three-day sale saw packed auction rooms with collectors from around the globe vying for its treasures.

The sale's top lot was 'The Balance of Lady Mairi's collection of King Edward VII' stamps', a comprehensive collection of 91 pages housed in two Frank Godden exhibition boxes and arranged by order of value from ½d. to £1. It contained several specimen stamps, numerous plate flaws and a superb range of blocks of four. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it smashed its estimate of £20,000 - £25,000 eventually selling for £66,000.

'The Balance of Lady Mairi's collection of King Edward VII' stamps' sold for £66,000

Other notable lots included a rare unused 1840 Two Pence Blue, Plate 1 which sold for £43,200, more than four times its high-end estimate of £10,000, and a 'VR' Official Penny Black which sold for £36,000 (far beyond its £15,000 - £20,000 estimate).

Stamp expert Adrian Roose, who dealt with Lady Mairi on many occasions, said:

"She was a truly dedicated philatelist, who gave real love and care to her collection. She knew the benefits of investing in the best quality stamps, and this collection is a testament to her passion."

The auction, which achieved a sell-through rate of 83% by lot and 84% by value, was hailed as a great success and an indicator of the continuing strength of the market. 2010 has seen some record-breaking stamp sales, with figures proving them to be better investments than traditional stocks and shares, and many collectors are already gearing up for an equally-exciting 2011.

Christmas 2010 – Ascension Island

Ascension Island issued a set of four stamps to celebrate Christmas this year.

Title: Christmas 2010 – Ascension Island
Date of Issue: 17 November 2010
Country: Ascension Island
Denominations: 15p, 40p, 50p, 1.25 £

Liechtenstein Museum of Art: Arte Povera

Liechtenstein post issued a set of stamps featuring the art work of some of the most famous artists of Liechtenstein.

Those responsible for Liechtenstein Art Museum made it clear from the outset that the works displayed in their exhibition rooms would not be confined to established artists. Their primary concern is to create new perspectives by exhibiting not only new and, for the Liechtenstein public, sometimes still unknown artists and their work, but also contemporary artistic trends and concepts. There is an especially strong emphasis here on the concept of “Arte povera” (“art by simple means”), a movement among visual artists from Rome and northern Italy in the second half of the 1960s. It is now the case that the most important public collection of work by Arte povera artists is to be found at Liechtenstein Art Museum.

Among the best-known Arte povera artists, who sought to decrease the distance between work and viewer, bridge the gap between art and life and broaden people’s perception by using as artworthy materials everyday objects generally considered worthless, are Alighiero Boetti (1940–1994), Marisa Merz (1931) and Jannis Kounellis (1936).

The commemorative stamps depict first Boetti’s “Normale e anormale” (face value CHF 1.00), an embroidery commissioned by the artist from Afghan women in which the letters of Normale e anormale are distributed over a grid pattern composed of rectangles. The second stamp shows Merz’s “Testa” (face value CHF 2.20), a head crudely modeled from clay, plaster and modelling compound and then painted. Finally, the third stamp (face value CHF 3.60) shows an object by the Greek artist Kounellis fabricated from steel, coal and wire.

Title: Liechtenstein Museum of Art: Arte Povera
Date of Issue: 15 November 2010
Country: Liechtenstein
Denominations: CHF 1,00 – CHF 2,20 – CHF 3,60

Christmas 2010 – Gibraltar

Christmas has for many centuries been a time for the giving and exchanging of gifts between friends and family members. Gibraltar post issues a stamps to celebrate this festival of exchanging gifts.

A number of figures of both Christian and mythical origin have been associated with Christmas and the seasonal giving of gifts. Among these are Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas; the Christkind; Kris Kringle; Joulupukki; Babbo Natale; Saint Basil; and Father Frost.

The most famous and pervasive of these figures in modern celebration worldwide is Santa Claus, a mythical gift bringer, dressed in red, whose origins have diverse sources. The name Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch Sinterklaas, which means simply Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, in modern day Turkey, during the 4th century. Among other saintly attributes, he was noted for the care of Children, generosity, and the giving of gifts.

Title: Christmas 2010 – Gibraltar
Date of Issue: 26 November 2010
Country: Gibraltar
Denominations: 10p, 42p, 44p, 51p

Journey of his Holiness Benedict XVI – Vatican

In order to celebrate the historic pastoral journey to the places marked by the earthly life of Jesus, the postage stamp recalling this journey is being released as part of a joint issue with Israel.

The Holy Father Benedict XVI made three pastoral journeys outside Italy in 2009. In March he travelled to Africa for the first time in his pontificate, visiting Cameroun and Angola where he met the Bishops and celebrated Mass with hundreds of thousands of people participating. Of particular significance was his meeting with representatives of the Muslim community of Cameroun.

In May Pope Benedict XVI journeyed to the Holy Land, visiting sites in Jordan, Israel and Palestine. In the seven days of his journey he visited and prayed in the Christian holy sites where he frequently spoke on the theme of peace in the region.

In September His Holiness also visited the Czech Republic. The Cathedral of San Vitus in Prague is depicted on the postage stamp highlighting this visit.

Title: Journey of his Holiness Benedict XVI
Date of Issue: 15 November 2010
Country:

Garden of Gethsemane Joint Issue Israel-Vatican

Israel jointly with Vatican issued a Garden of Gethsemane stamp.

Title: Garden of Gethsemane Joint Issue Israel-Vatican
Date of Issue: 15 November 2010
Country: Israel
Denominations: 4.20 NIS

Traditional Folk Costumes

Macau post will issue a set of stamps and a souvenir sheet featuring various Traditional Folk Costumes.

Title: Traditional Folk Costumes
Date of Issue: 30 November 2010
Country: Macau
Denominations: 1.50, 2.50, 3.50 and 4.00 patacas

Christmas 2010 – Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein post issued a Christmas stamps featuring three large ceiling paintings of Maria Hilf.

In idyllic surroundings in the Mäls district of the Balzers community there stands a chapel about whose origins little is known, although its praises are sung in many poems and it is used as a popular wedding chapel. One legend tells of a dragon which brought added difficulty to the penurious lives of the people of Mäls. In their distress the farmers vowed that they would build a chapel to the Blessed Virgin if she would rid them of the dragon.

Another tradition refers to the battle fought on 5th January 1289 between Friedrich von Montfort, Bishop of Chur, and his cousin, the imperially minded Count Hugo von Werdenberg. It is from this time that the earliest foundations date. The first structure of any size was built in 1690, when the Maria-Hilf Chapel had become a popular place of pilgrimage. This building was followed by others in 1720, 1842/46 and 1895. The chapel was given its present-day appearance by the extensive renovation of 1945.

A distinctive feature of the chapel are the three large ceiling paintings, whose authorship is likewise unknown. The paintings with their rustically rendered figures may have originated in the middle of the 19th century when a new roof structure was built. The ceiling paintings were renovated in 1945 and refreshed in 1977.

Title: Christmas 2010 – Liechtenstein
Date of Issue: 15 November 2010
Country: Liechtenstein
Denominations: CHF 0,85 – CHF 1,00 – CHF 1,40

Comptroller and Auditor General of India

India Post issued a stamp to celebrate the 150 years of Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Title: Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Date of Issue: 16 November 2010
Country: India
Denominations: 500p

Bicentennial year of University

Chile post will issue a stamp to pas homage to the university in its bicentennial year.

Title: Bicentennial year of University
Date of Issue: 29 November 2010
Country: Chile
Denominations: $420

Christmas 2010 – Austria

Austria post issued a Christmas stamp showing a part of an antiphonal of the Cistercian monastery at Rein in Styria.

The choral manuscript with precious initials dates from the second half of the 15th century and once served as a liturgical book for the hourly prayers of the local monks.

The stamp shows the “classical scene” of the birth of Christ in the artistic interpretation of the early Renaissance.

Title: Christmas 2010 – Austria
Date of Issue: 19 November 2010
Country: Austria
Denominations: 0.55 EUR

Half a rare German postage stamp fetches a fortune

Half a rare German postage stamp which dates back to 1872 has fetched some 261,000 euros ($347,500) at auction in the southern German town of Bietigheim-Bissingen.

A spokeswoman for the auction house said a German collector paid the high price for the well-preserved half-stamp, which originates from the northern German town of Syke, because it was so rare.

"Stamps were in short supply in Syke between 1872 and 1874 so it was decided that they should be cut in half as a makeshift solution," she said. "But because this was only done for a short period, very few letters actually bear these halved stamps."

Russian stamp in honor of Nikolay Pirogov

The Russian Post has issued a stamp marking 200 years since the birth of Nikolai Pirogov, the eminent figure of the Russian medicine.

Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (25 November 1810 - 5 December 1881) was a prominent Russian scientist, doctor, pedagogue, public figure, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1847). He is considered to be the founder of field surgery, and was one of the first surgeons in Europe to use ether as an anesthetic. He was the first surgeon to use anesthesia in a field operation (1847), invented various kinds of surgical operations, and developed his own technique of using plaster casts to treat fractured bones. His name is one of the most widely recognized in Russian medical history, and he is considered a Russian national hero.

Caspian Sea Fauna - Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan joint issue

This joint issue of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is dedicated to the fauna of Caspian Sea. The stamps depicting a squacco heron and a flamingo were designed by the Kazakh painter Danijar Mukhamedjanov and the Azerbaijani painter Khasay Mirzoyev.

The Squacco Heron is a small heron, 44–47 centimeters (17–19 in) long. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East. This is a stocky species with a short neck, short thick bill and buff-brown back. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Its appearance is transformed in flight, when it looks very white due to the color of the wings.

Flamingos often stand on one leg, the other tucked beneath the body. The reason for this behavior is not fully understood. Some suggest that the flamingo has the ability to have half of its body go into a state of sleep, but this has not been proven. Recent research has indicated that standing on one leg may allow the birds to conserve more body heat, given that they spend a significant amount of time wading in cold water.

Alpine World Ski Championship 2011

The German Post has issued a stamp dedicated to the 2011 Alpine World Ski Championship 2011. It will take place for the second time after 1978 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

The championship will take place between 7 and 20 February 2011 and will host a large number of German athletes ranked among the best in the world.

The slogan of the championship "Festival in the Snow" expresses that the World Cup will be more than just a sporting event. The home of composer Richard Strauss and the birthplace of poet Michael Ende, Garmisch-Partenkirchen will offer the visitors an extensive and ambitious cultural program besides of course the emphasis put on sports events.

Streetcar in Dubrovnik - Croatian Post's new stamp block

Croatian Post has issued a new postage stamp block entitled "Streetcar in Dubrovnik". It was designed by Robert Rebernak, while the author of the photograph is Zdravko Juric. The block has a face value of HRK 15.00 and was printed in 30,000 copies.

On December 22, 1910, two suburbs of the town of Dubrovnik, Gruz and Pile, were connected by an electric streetcar. This traffic solution was made possible nine years previous, when the first power plant in Dubrovnik became operational. The streetcar operated until 1970, when the line was discontinued due to a traffic accident. The streetcar, which was the first and only streetcar to operate in Dalmatia, is today displayed in the Technical Museum in Zagreb.

Advent 2010 – Austria

Austrian post issued a stamp with a Christmas motif, designed by the former Bishop of Innsbruck, Dr Reinhold Stecher.

For the fourth time now, this keen hobby painter has taken up his brush and palette and created the picture that decorates this year’s Advent stamp. It shows the most famous symbol of Dr. Stecher’s home town Innsbruck, the Goldenes Dachl, next to an illuminated Christmas tree, bathed in a peaceful aura that brilliantly interpreted.

Title: Advent 2010 – Austria
Date of Issue: 11 November 2010
Country: Austria
Denominations: 0.65 EUR

Christmas 2010 – Slovakia

Slovakia post issued a Christmas stamp featuring the painting Birth of Christ placed in the shape of letter P at the Town Museum in Bratislava.

Liturgical manuscript of the Bratislava missal I from the beginning of the 14th century is preserved in several fragments. It can be found in the Bratislava Archive, in the Town Museum in Bratislava and in the St. Adalbert Association in Trnava. Originally having 366 sheets, nowadays there are 303 altogether. There are painted figural illuminations mainly as initials with biblical motifs on some of these parchment sheets of the Codex.

One of these paintings, on the parchments sheets in the Town Museum, is the Nativity initial. The scene is placed in the shape of letter P. This is initial of the text Peur natus est… (Baby boy was born). Simple notation above the text reveals that it is a Christmas song which was integrated to the liturgical codex. Baby Jesus – stiffly lying, wrapped in a napkin with distinctive gloriole on his head is dominating the scene. Jesus is accompanied with an ass, calf and two angels pointing to the star on the golden background of the miniature picture.

Title: Christmas 2010 – Slovakia
Date of Issue: 12 November 2010
Country: Slovakia
Denominations: 0.40 €

Holy Christmas and New Year – Lithuania

Lithuania post issued stamps to celebrate Christmas and Coming New year.

Title: Holy Christmas and New Year – Lithuania
Date of Issue: 6 November 2010
Country: Lithuania
Denominations:
1,35 Lt – Christmas holiday.
2,45 Lt – Sunset in winter.

Opening of the Guangzhou Asian Games

China post issued stamps to commemorate the opening of the 16th Asian Games held at Guangzhou from 12 to 27 November 2010.

Stamp shows badminton, martial arts, athletics, equestrian, dragon boat and go.

Title: Opening of the Guangzhou Asian Games
Date of Issue: 10 November 2010
Country: China
Denominations: 4 x 1,20 yuan, 0,80 yuan, 3,00 yuan

Early Christmas presents for stamp collectors sell at Vance Auctions

Led by a sheet of WWII stamps with an invert error, the auction will close at the start of next month

Vance Auctions will be closing its rare stamp mail only sale at the start of advent, December 1.

Until then, it has a large & most interesting auction of over 7,400 worldwide lots. It is Vance's 38^th anniversary sale, and in a show of generosity the auction house will be giving away hundreds of dollars in prizes to some of its bidders.

The sale offers a wide range of singles, sets, varieties & proofs at entry-level. There are strong sections of Canada including a used copy of the rare QV 12 Penny Black (Scott #3) & Newfoundland including the scarce C1, C3c and C5 Airmails.

The United States, Great Britain, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Denmark, Falkland Islands, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy & Italian States, Korea, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Saar, St. Helena, Sweden, Switzerland are all well-represented.

One of the highlights for collector looking for an entry-level investment is a complete sheet of 1 F 25c stamps from the time of the German occupation of France during WWII.

German occupation of France stamp sheet

Very rare, the sheet shows the influence of an inverted plate "1" and imprints in bottom selvedge. Never hinged, though with some minor natural creasing, it is in fine/very-fine condition and catalogued at $3,000

For those looking for larger size lots there are hundreds of lots to choose from. These include collections, accumulations, boxes full and estate lots. The auction also contains many hundreds of quality lots of worldwide covers, postal history and postcards.

Of course, larger lots are not necessarily a strong investment possibility unless you are an expert and have reason to hope that you can find an intriguing bargain in amongst the rest.

Vance will be accepting bids on December 1 until midnight Eastern Standard Time (five hours behind GMT). Alternatively there is a range of rare stamps available outside the sale.

Mint piece of history: the $50,000 one-of-a-kind 1870 Carmine stamp

The only stamp of its kind to have an 'NH' grading will star among 40 'finest knowns' in New York

New York auction house Michael I Casper's end of year sale will offer three owners' collections through more than 500 lots, expected to bring $2m.

Particularly impressive is the sale's section devoted to over 40 "finest known" stamps - among which this rarity from 1870 is expected to sell for $50,000.

The one-of-a-kind 1870 90c Carmine in mint condition

The stamp in question is an 1870 90c Carmine in mint condition; the only one in the world to have been graded NH - meaning it's never been hinged in a collector's album - by the Professional Stamp Experts (PSE) to date.

Boasting a "deep rich colour, choice centring" for this difficult-to-find issue, the one-of-a-kind piece will be sure to turn philatelists' heads when it goes under the hammer between December 6-7.

Nepal new signature 500-rupee note

500 rupees (US$6.85), no date. Like 500-rupee note issued in 2009, but with new signature (Yuba Raj Khatiwada). Issued 24.11.2010.

Tajikistan new 3-, 200-, and 500-somoni notes

3 somoni (US$0.70)
Violet. Front: Coat of arms; open book with pen; Shirinsho Shotemur, hero statesman. Back: Majlisi Oli (parliament) building in Dushanbe; flag. Windowed security thread with demetalized БМТ. Watermark: Shirinsho Shotemur. Printer: Unknown. 141 x 65 mm. 2010. Signature 3. Intro: 10.09.2010.


200 somoni (US$45.65)
Brown and yellow. Front: Coat of arms; building with red flag; Nusratullo Makhsum, hero statesman. Back: National Library building in Dushanbe; ink well, quill, and candlestick; flag. Holographic stripe. Windowed security thread with demetalized БМТ. Watermark: Nusratullo Makhsum. Printer: Unknown. 159 x 68 mm. 2010. Signature 3. Intro: 10.09.2010.


500 somoni (US$114)
Purple and gray. Front: Coat of arms; Abuabdullo Rudaki, founder of Tajik classic literature. Back: Palace of Nations in Dushanbe; flag. Holographic stripe. Windowed security thread with demetalized БМТ. Watermark: Abuabdullo Rudaki. Printer: Unknown. 162 x 71 mm. 2010. Signature 3. Intro: 10.09.2010.

Courtesy of Thomas Augustsson, Claudio Marana, Vitali Khaletski, and Alexander Petrov.

Hong Kong to issue new 1,000-dollar notes 07.12.2010

According to a press release dated 24 November 2010, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the three note-issuing banks (Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited) have announced that a new series of 1,000-dollar (US$129) banknotes will be issued on 7 December 2010. New notes for the other four denominations of HK$500, HK$100, HK$50 and HK$20 will go into circulation in 2011 and 2012. The new notes will circulate in parallel with existing notes.

The new banknotes have incorporated state-of-the-art security features, the locations of which will be the same across all five denominations. The five key features are:

• Dynamic Color-changing Pattern — color shifting between green and gold with a shimmering horizontal bar seen to be rolling up and down when the note is tilted

• Color-changing Windowed Metallic Thread — color shifting between magenta and green and the "H" and "K" on the thread are made up of microtext

• Standardized Enhanced Watermark — comprising a multi-tonal watermark of a bauhinia flower and electrotype watermark of the denomination numeral and dot pattern, a standardized design for the three note-issuing banks

• Fluorescent See-through Pattern — perfect registration of the patterns on the front and back, with two fluorescent colors visible under ultraviolet light

• Fluorescent Serial Number — the vertical serial number is fluorescent red under ultraviolet light

Streetcar in Dubrovnik - Croatian Post's new stamp block

Croatian Post has issued a new postage stamp block entitled "Streetcar in Dubrovnik". It was designed by Robert Rebernak, while the author of the photograph is Zdravko Juric. The block has a face value of HRK 15.00 and was printed in 30,000 copies.

On December 22, 1910, two suburbs of the town of Dubrovnik, Gruz and Pile, were connected by an electric streetcar. This traffic solution was made possible nine years previous, when the first power plant in Dubrovnik became operational. The streetcar operated until 1970, when the line was discontinued due to a traffic accident. The streetcar, which was the first and only streetcar to operate in Dalmatia, is today displayed in the Technical Museum in Zagreb.

2010 Christmas stamps by Spain

Every year the Spanish Post Office, on occasion of the Christmas celebration, issues stamps to commemorate the Christmas festivity depicting works of some of the most representative national artistic heritage or compositions of contemporary artists. This year's issue features paintings by J. Carrero who symbolically depicts the Christmas theme, showing the endless source of imagination that craftsmen have developed over time based on the issue of the Nativity.

Christmas set from Netherlands

Each year the TNT Post issues a Christmas set of stamps titled "December". This year the December stamps are made at the request of TNT by PiP Studio. The sheetlet of twenty stamps based on ten different designs depicting the Christmas and New Year symbols will doubtless decorate every Christmas card.

German Post to mark 750 years of miners' social insurance

This stamp issued by the German Post on the 11th of November is dedicated to the miners' social insurance which became the oldest social insurance system in Germany and Europe.

The origin of the miners insurance goes back to the act of Hildesheim Bishop John I on the 28th of December 1260 who assured his supporting to the poor and weak miners in survival. Since that time, the support of miners became exemplary for all the areas of the social life. This is where the modern social security and medical care have their origin.

In the history of miners the appearance of pension, health insurance, survivors' benefits, social security system, joint contributions of workers and employers became milestones on the path of development of today's modern welfare services. The miners' contribution to the development of the welfare system in Germany is really significant.

Laos: 450th anniversary of Vientiane commemorative banknote

On 15 November 2010, the Bank Of the Lao PDR issued a 100,000 Kip banknote to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Vientiane as capital (15 November 1560 - 15 November 2010). Only 1,500,000 pieces have been printed.


Image and details courtesy of Maurizio Fumagalli. Maurizio has a very good collection of difficult to find banknotes and stamps from French Indochina, Laos and Burma.

Singapore: New varieties of $5 and $10 banknotes

New varieties of 5 and 10 Dollars notes have been found recently.

5 Dollars with 1 square dot below GARDEN CITY


10 Dollars with 1 triangular dot below SPORTS

Thailand: One of the rarest Thai Banknote

On 25th September 2010, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) had organised Thai Banknote Expo, a two day event to let public know more about history of Thai banknotes, identification of counterfeits, taking care of banknotes, etc. Extremely rare banknotes right from the 1st series to unissued varieties were on display following the theme "Best of Thai Banknotes". One such banknote was the Series 1 50 Tical overprinted note which is considered to be the rarest of all overprinted Thai banknotes. Uniface Series 1 banknotes were printed in England by Thomas de la Rue. At the end of World War I, banknotes could not be delivered to Siam and in 1918 (B.E. 2461), unissued 1 Tical banknotes were overprinted and issued as 50 Ticals.

The 1st Youth Olympic Games, Singapore 2010 Commemorative Postage Stamp August 14, 2010

Abrief history of the 1^st Youth Olympic Games is described as under:-

1. The 1^st Youth Olympic Games, Singapore is a new venture of the OIC initiated to involve youth of the world to compete at Olympic level. This is a unique character of these Games that the Youth who were previously deprived of their participation at higher level have been provided good opening to show their prowess and skills in the arena of sports at world level.

2. The city of Singapore will host the 1^st Youth Olympic Games from 14 to 26 August, 2010. Around 3600 Athletes will compete in Twenty Six (26) Sports comprising 201 events. The sports in the programme are identical to the “London 2012 Olympic Games”. The events, however, differ significantly from the Olympic Games in order to match the age groups and interests of the young Athletes. Depending on the sports/disciplines they complete in and their gender, athletes participating in the Youth Olympic Games sports competitions must be 15,16,17 or 18 years old on the 31^st December in the year of Youth Olympic Games.

3. The qualification system for each sport and discipline, which was prepared in close collaboration with each international Federation, strives to guarantee participation of the best Athletes in their age category and to respect the principle of universality. The participation of all 205 National Olympic Committees is the key factor in ensuring the universality of the Youth Olympic Games. In each individual sport, a specific number of places for National Olympic Committees (rererred to as “Universality places”) will be reserved to ensure that at least four Athletes per National Olympic Committee have the possibility to participation in the Youth games, Singapore.

4. So far Pakistan Hockey Team has qualified for participation in the Youth Olympic Games Singapore. For four universality places One Swimmer has qualified whereas the cases of three others of Judo, Taekwondo and Weightlifting are under process with the respective International Federations. Apart from this, some of the Federations like Boxing and Wrestling are competing in the qualification tournaments and if any of the Athletes qualify he will become part of the Pakistan Contingent.

5. Singapore, 2010 comprises individual and unique characters that signify harmony among the diverse participants. With the passion of fame referenced as the dot of “I” it showcases the spirit of Youth and the unmistakable colour and energy of Singapore, even when used alone. Taking cues from the painterly nature suggested in the icon, the lettering of Youth Olympic Games is casual and characterful, adding attitude to the overall emblem.

6. The symbol represents the flame of passion, the star of champions and the crescent of tomorrow.

To commemorate the 1^st Youth Olympic Games, Singapore 2010, Pakistan Post is issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on 14, August 2010.

On The Eve Of 150Th Founder’s Day Celebration Of Lawrence College Ghora Gali Murree Commemorative Postage Stamps October 7, 2010

1. Introduction:- L.C.G.G. Murree is the oldest, elite institution of Pakistan with glorious traditions in the fields of academics, co- and extra-curricular activities, created by its pupils, popularly known as “Galllians”, Lawrence College is a public school on the pattern of the well-known English Public Schols System. Established in 1860 after Sir, Henry Lawrence, the boarding institution started as an asylum to impart practical education to orphans and children of British soldiers serving in colonial India. It began in unpretentious barracks, housing about 80 boys and the girls of different ages. The number rose to 204 boys and 101 girls in 1914 when it was taken over by the Government of the Punjab as the Lawrence Memorial School. When it became Lawrence College in 1927, with the construction of the Lower Estate, the enrollment was 356 boys and 124 girls. The Girls’ Section was transferred to Saint Denny’s School Murree in 1949. The College was handed over to the Board of Governors in 1962 when autonomy was granted by the Punjab Government. Today there are a total of about 700 boys on the roll.

2. Location:- Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Murree is situated at a height of about 1,950 meters (6,397 feet) above sea level, on a pine-covered spur in the breath-taking Himalayan foothills. The estate covers an area of about 150 acres and lies some 4 km from Murree and 57 km from Rawalpindi. The climate is invigorating. In summers, the temperature seldom reaches 35⁰ C. During winter the College is ususlly sno-bound, and is closed for three months, from December to February.

3. The College:- The college is divided into three schools; the Junior School, the Preparatory School and the Senior School. Each School has a separate head, independent buildings and geographical entity. Air Cdre. (R) Farooq H. Kiyani is the Principal of the College.

3.1 The Junior School caters for the 5-1/2 to 9-1/2 years ago group in classes I to IV Headed by a Headmistress, it prepares boys for the Preparatory School.

3.2 The Preparatory School:- It is headed by a Headmaster and boys in the age group 9-1/2 to 12-1/2 years are taught in Classes V – VIII. The present strength of this section of the College is 190 boys. They join the Senior School, at the end of class VII Promotion Examination. As the organization of House system forms the basis of all curricular and extra-curricular activities, boys develop House affiliation and have a keen sense of competition. Tipu (Peake), Jinnah (Walker), Babar (Wightwick) and Iqbal (Wright) are the four Houses.

3.3 The Senior School:- It has Classes VII to XII, including ‘O’ Level from the Cambridge University. House affiliation and sense of competition is keener and more dominant, here Houses become central to a Gallian’s experience. Each House functions under the supervision of a Housemaster; Assistant Housemaste and House tutors. Top pupils in academics and related corporate activities are appointed as prefects who translate the policies of the College authorities into action. The Housemaster play a vital role in grooming and advising pupils, to bring out the sterling qualities of their character and leadership. All Houses have independent Common Rooms, organize excursions and participate in inter-House competitions in sports, academics, debates, social activities and plays. The administration comprises a Headmaster, a Deputy Headmaster and 4 Housemasters. The faculty comprises about 32 members.

4. Activities:- Academic Enrichment Programme starts daily at 8:30 am continues upto 1:30 pm. Classes are followed by “preps” in the afternoon and evening. The students’ academic records have been excellent in the ‘O’ Level Exam of the Cambridge University and the Pakistan’s Board Exams. These are the outcome dedicated teaching staff and availability of enabling infrastructure and environment. Lawrence College focuses on the multidimensional development of the young Gallians. Co- and extra-curricular activities like the equestrian club, swimming, inter-House declamation and debating contests, all Pakistan declamation contests, sports fixtures with other institutions, literary activities, seminars etc. play an important role in producing the multifaceted individuals who adhere to the College motto, ‘Never Give In’ in their lives.

On the eve of 150^th Founder’s day Celebration of Lawrence College Ghora Gali, Murree, Pakistan Post is issuing a set of 4 Commemorative Postage Stamp each of Rs.8/- denomination, on October 7, 2010.