New Issues 2004

This page collects only issues released during the year 2004, period January to April. 

As it is not such obvious as it looks to find this information, this list is probably not yet complete. In certain countries, joint issues are often announced on the day of the issue and sometimes it takes months before this information and the corresponding stamps reach us. Data on missing issues or supplementary information, particularly for countries, which are producing joint issues exceptionally, will be highly appreciated.

Most recent update of this section on January 31, 2005.

2004 (6 January)
Australia - Christmas Island
Lunar new year. Year of the monkey. Territorial twin issue [TT].
Identical stamps, two stamps and a miniature sheet containing both stamps for Christmas Island; two prepaid covers and a postcard for Australia. Symbolic monkey. A sheetlet containing 12 different zodiac animals and incorporating the miniature sheet was also produced. Multi-colored.

2004 (12 February)
Niuafo'ou - Tonga
Year of the monkey. Territorial twin issue [TT].
Identical miniature sheet with different background color. Four different representations of monkeys. Multi-colored.

2004 (16 February)
Madagascar (4 December 2003) - Mauritius (16 or 27 February 2004) - Seychelles (16 February 2003)
20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Commission. Concerted issue [C1].
Similar stamps. Symbol of the Commission, flags of all five countries. Multi-colored.
The two other countries members of the IOC, namely Comores and La Reunion (actually France) have not issued stamps so far.

2004 (25 February)
Hong-Kong, China - New Zealand
Rugby Sevens. Twin issue [T1].
Four identical stamps; pictures are displayed in oval forms, the background being red for Hong Kong and black for New Zealand: Souvenir sheets include the same 4 stamps. Players from both countries in action during the 2002 Hong Kong Sevens and the 2002 New Zealand Rugby Sevens, Hong Kong Stadium and Wellington Stadium. Multi-colored.
4 stamps per country - 1 souvenir sheet with 4 stamps - mFDC - New Zealand issued on June 30 a special souvenir sheet containing one of these stamps

2004 (1 March)
China - Singapore
10th anniversary of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). Twin issue [T1].
Identical stamps. Building and symbol of the park, sculpture titled "Harmony". Multi-colored.
1 stamp per country - 1 mini sheet with 8 or 10 stamps - mFDC

2004 (18 March)
Poland (2 June) - Vatican (18 March)
Poland and Europe. Pastoral visits of the Holy Father to Poland (1979-2002). Concerted issue [C1].
Identical pair of mini sheets containing each 4 stamps. Portrait of the Holy Father John Paul II. Each stamps is located between two labels showing the coat of arms of the Vatican and Poland above a text remembering to the 8 visits of John Paul II to his home country. Multi-colored.
8 stamps each in 2 mini panes - FDCs

2004 (26 March)
Canada - Greenland - Norway
Exploration. 150th birthday of Otto Sverdrup (1854-1930). Twin issue [T4]
One stamp and a souvenir sheet for each country. A, polar ship "Fram"; B, rowboat; C, portrait. The souvenir sheets is identical for all three countries but only one stamp can be used for postage in each country, this stamp corresponding to the stamp sold in sheets. Canada. Multi-colored.
1 or 2 stamps per country - 1 souvenir sheet per country - FDCs - special folder containing all souvenir sheets, mint

2004 (26 March)
Aland - Denmark - Faeroe - Finland - Greenland - Iceland - Norway - Sweden
Joint issue from the Scandinavian countries: Mythology. Norden parallel issue [P1].
Different souvenir sheets. Multi-colored.
1 souvenir sheet per country - FDCs - special folder containing all 8 souvenir sheets, mint

2004 (6 April)
France - Great Britain
Entente cordiale, centenary (signed on 8 April 1904). Twin issue [T1].
Identical stamps. British and french art: "Lace 1 (trial proof 1968)" by Sir Terry Frost ( -2003) from the Tate's collection; "Coccinelle" (ladybird) by Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979) from the Pompidou Centre collection in Paris. Multi-colored.
2 stamps per country - FDCs - mFDC

2004 (7 April)
France - Italy - United Nations (Geneva)
Road safety. Twin issue [T1].
Identical design. One stamp is common Geneva and France: belt with heart, man made out of road maps; Italy took the image of the belt, but draw it in front of a map of Italy. The second Italian stamp shows a high number of road signs in front of a dash board. Stamps issued at the occasion of the World day of road safety. Multi-colored.
The first day cancellation for all countries does also show a similar design.
1 or 2 stamps per country - FDCs - mFDC - special folder containing mint stamps, FDCs and mFDC

2004 (21 April)
Italy - Thailand
Common day of the foundation of both Bangkok and Rome. Twin issue [T1].
Two identical stamps, however sold only as souvenir sheet in Italy. A, Golden Mount Tempel, Wal Saket, Bangkok, constructed during the reign of Rama I (1782-1809); B, Coliseum, constructed around 75 BC, Rome. The Italian souvenir sheet is illustrated with both building; text "21 APRILE / FONDAZIONE / ROMA-BANGKOK". Multi-colored.
2 stamps for Thailand - 1 souvenir sheet per country - FDCs

2004 (28 April)
Austria (28 April) - Hungary (21 May)
Middle Europe Catholic Day in Mariazell (initially was expected to involve also Bosnia Herzegovina, Czeck Republic, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia). Concerted issue [C3].
Both countries have issued a souvenir sheet with the same structure: the 6 stamps are ordered in form of a cross; two stamps (B,E) located at the same place in the cross represent the same art work. A, Pope John Paul II (1920- ); B, statue of Maria "Magna Mater Austriae", Mariazell (around 1157); C, emblem of the Catholic Day; D, statue of the Mother of God, Mariazell (around 1520); E, painting of Maria (around 1350-1360); F, cross made by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (1656-1723); G, Mariazell basilica; H, statue of Maria, Mariazell; I, statue of Maria, Celldömök; J, Statue of Maria, Obuda Chapel (Altofen). The Austrian souvenir sheet is illustrated with the coat of arms of the 8 involved countries and the background shows the church of Mariazell; The Hungarian souvenir sheet shows the Pope John Paul II, the symbol of the Catholic Day, the list of the 8 involved countries and the background represents the front of the Mariazell church. Multi-colored.
1 souvenir sheet per country - FDCs