Philosateleia
Kevin Blackston
PO Box 217
Floresville TX 78114-0217
United States of America

Blog archives (May 2015)

Penny Black anniversary cover a nice surprise

Sometimes you know what to expect in your mailbox. At other times, you get a nice surprise.

Today was one of the nice surprises!

Penny Black anniversary first day cover
175th Anniversary of the Penny Black FDC

I certainly was expecting neither this first day cover bearing a copy of Britain’s Penny Black anniversary souvenir sheet nor the informational card included with it, both of which arrived in an envelope from Royal Mail.

When I initially saw images of the stamps online, I disliked how the outline of Queen Elizabeth’s profile is superimposed on the upper right corner of the anniversary stamps, but after seeing the stamps in person…well, they’re not horrible. I’m not saying there was no way to take a more inventive approach to the subject, but really, the stamps could be worse. It is the Penny Black, after all.

Why was receiving the FDC a nice surprise? Because I didn’t order it. That means either a) someone at Royal Mail decided to send it to me gratis, or b) one of my readers sent it to me. The latter seems more likely, but with no indication of who’s responsible, all I can say to the unknown benefactor is, “Thank you.”

Have you received any nice surprises in your mailbox recently?

Red-shouldered hawk stamp press release

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a sneak preview of Philosateleian Post’s new red-shouldered hawk stamp. Now, finally, the “official” press release about the stamp is available.

Red-shouldered hawk stamp
Red-shouldered hawk

I plan to begin using this stamp on July 1. If you want a copy, see the press release for instructions on how to request one.

The red-shouldered hawk stamp is Philosateleian Post’s 25th different stamp design. I’m a little surprised I’ve made that many different stamps, especially considering that I’ve never produced more than three different designs in a single year. Although 25 is just a number, it does feel like a bit of a milestone.

Sneak preview: red-shouldered hawk local post stamp

The details are still being finalized, but I thought you might like to see Philosateleian Post’s newest stamp, which pictures a red-shouldered hawk.

Red-shouldered Hawk stamp
Red-shouldered Hawk stamp

Planned date of issue for this stamp is July 1. I’ll post more here soon.

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