This page is the archived News Page from the April to June 2013 period. All contents have been dispatched in the respective open pages. However there may still be open questions and any complementary information remains welcome. As soon as an information is archived, the text will not be changed anymore. So if news are linked to the below, this information will be displayed as a new heading in the currently open News page.

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June 22, 2013
Via his personal contacts, Jaap Sarelse (The Netherlands) was able to provide the information that the Poland - Romania joint issue is postponed to September 2013.

June 22, 2013
Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland) just discovered the first illustration of the Japanese souvenir sheet, part of the Japan - Spain joint stamp issue that will be released on October 1, 2013. As usually in Japan, stamps are produced in souvenir sheets with 10 different stamps, but only one or two of them will be used by the partner country. In this case apparently only the two stamps depicting flowers will be issued by Spain. Spain had announced their issue for November 14, 2013. We will have to check if the Spanish stamp issue date will be modified.

June 22, 2013
With this high number of issues in June, I forgot to illustrate the Azerbaijan - Belarus joint issue released on June 11, 2013 celebrating the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic relationship. Both countries produced a souvenir sheet with a stamp showing the coat of arms of both states. Thanks to Danko Nirka (Slovakia), for the reminder. This issue had first been detected by Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland).

June 21, 2013
A new unexpected issue was discovered by Fabio Bonacina (Italy) and Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland). On June 13, 2013, Brazil released a stamp related to the 1962 soccer championship final game between Brazil and Czechoslovakia that took place in Santiago de Chile. On June 12, 2013, Czech Republic issued a postal card with a stamp that is very similar to the Brazilian stamps. Officially these stamps are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the final, but in reality this game took place already 51 years ago. The two countries needed a common topic with stamps that are also in relation with the next world championship hosted by Brazil. The Czech postal card represents the portraits of the two major players in this game, namely Joseph Masopust and Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, and the game was won by Brazil with a score of 3:1.

On May 26, 2013, Brazil issued also two stamps commemorating diplomatic relations with Georgia. The stamps topic is related to art and Culture: paintings from Antonio Rafael Pinto Bandeira and Niko Pirosmanashvili. As we are still missing information about Georgia stamp program and as Brazil is used to release diplomatic relation stamps without counterpart, we will have to wait before claiming this could be a joint issue. Any information from the Georgian side is welcome.

Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland) found also that Singapore added a new joint issue in its 2013 philatelic program, together with Vietnam, to be released on August 1, 2013.

June 20, 2013
Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland) found the first image of the Russian stamp to be issued in the frame of a joint release with Belarus and Ukraine on July 28, 2013 and commemorating the 1025th anniversary of the Christening of the Kievian Rus. This issue was initially planned in October 2013.

June 20, 2013
Pierre Sonveaux (Belgium) provided the information about a Dutch stamp dealer (William van der Bijl) who has the 2004 SAPOA birds miniature sheet from Angola [T20041011] in stock. Price should be around €700. We learned that actually about 120 samples in total were available, the rest having been destroyed by the manufacturer as a consequence of non-payment of the printing costs by the Angolan government. If you are interested to buy your sample, please contact directly the dealer under his e-mail address (williamvanderbijl@gmail.com).

June 20, 2013
The Vatican counterpart of the Italian stamps issued on April 5, 2013 and announced as a joint issue was finally released on June 12, 2013. The miniature sheets issued by each country are identical. This issue will be filed as concerted [C]. The Vatican State issued also three stamps with the same design style.

June 19, 2013
Since last update, a series of new joint stamps have been issued:

On May 31, 2013, Slovakia and South Korea released their stamps at the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Stamps feature national costumes (see illustrations below).

On June 5, 2013, (June 6 for Germany) Germany and South Korea released their common stamps at the occasion of the 130th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. The topic shows traditional gardens: the Hyangwonjeong Pavillon in the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul and Bayreuth's Ermitage with the Sun Temple. Stamps are identical.

On June 7, 2013, Italy and San Marino issued the miniature sheets (containing 4 stamps each) relative to the 550th anniversary of the definition of the borders between both countries (see below for illustrations).

On the same day, June 7, 2013, San Marino and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) issued a common souvenir sheet depicting the Church of  San Giovanni Battista in San Marino. This issue had been initially planned in 2012, but was several times postponed until this June 7, 2013 (San Marino stamp was illustrated in a previous section). Picture provided by Don Birschel (USA).

On June 11, 2013, Greenland and Israel issued their joint issues relative to endangered species - "From the Arctic to the desert" in form of souvenir sheets representing the same animals but with different designs (see illustrations below).

The 1150th Anniversary of the arrival of St. Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia was celebrated with a joint issue involving Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Vatican. All miniature sheets have been issued on June 12, 2013. Images and information thanks to Fabio Bonacina (Italy) and Danko Nirka (Slovakia).

Mike Lantz (USA) found also that Bulgaria issued in parallel a postal stationery item with the same stamp design. Bulgarian souvenir sheets are also available in black and red-brown instead of multicolored.

The Belarus (May 24, 2013), Russian (May 24, 2013) and Ukrainian (May 22, 2013) stamps issued at this occasion are independent from this series, and not dependent from each other either, even if they have been released at almost the same date (Danko Nirka). The following stamps and miniature sheets illustrated below are not part of a joint issue.

An unexpected issue was released on June 15, 2013, between Azerbaijan and Hungary. This issue had in fact been announced for a long time by Hungary, but we learned about the exact issue date only a few days before release. Topic represents embroidery. Information received from Don Birschel (USA) and Anthony Raynaud (France).

So far no news about the expected Poland - Romania joint issue that was supposed to be released on June 17, 2013.

June 19, 2013
Jaap Sarelse (Netherlands) was intrigued by the information released on May 19, 2013 (see below) concerning the Bangladesh overprint of Pakistan stamps. He started a systematic search on stamps available on auction web sites and already discovered that the 1965 and 1971 RCD Pakistan stamps but also the 1970 UPU Pakistan stamps have been overprinted. We will publish this list when we feel it is complete. Actually we should expect finding all Pakistanese joint issues stamps released prior to 1972 overprinted with the name Bangladesh (and with different types of overprint). Good luck to those who participate to the hunting.

June 19, 2013
The Italian souvenir sheet jointly issued with San Marino and related to the borders of San Marino does show the same design. The picture was provided by Fabio Bonacina (Italy).

May 19, 2013
On May 18, 2013, Serbia Post announced the issue of a stamp celebrating the 70th anniversary of the collaboration with Cuba. At this stage no idea if Cuba has issued a stamp at the same occasion.

May 19, 2013
The New Issues page for Quarter I 2013 has been created.

May 19, 2013
On eBay we discovered some older Pakistan stamps that were overprinted Bangladesh. In fact when the new country Bangladesh was created in 1971 (declared independence on March 26, 1971 by separation from Pakistan), this country used during the first year the Pakistanese stamps and postal stationaries by overprinted them with the name of the new country. This overprint was performed locally, so there are almost as many styles and sizes of overprints as postal offices. But the stamps reported here are the first ones that we have seen that are overprinting a joint issue [T19690721] (a July 21, 1969 joint issue with Turkey and Iran).

May 19, 2013
Danko Nirka (Slovakia) provided a series of new information about Eastern countries stamps:
- Slovakia will issue its joint stamps with South Korea on May 31, 2013 as a miniature sheet of 2x3 stamps:

- On November 12, 2012, Azerbaijan had issued a miniature sheet relative to the railway crossing Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey through the line Baku - Tbilissi - Kars. Surprisingly Georgia issued on April 20, 2013 a souvenir sheet at the same occasion with a design which is quite similar. However it is still questionable if in this case we can consider these two miniature sheets as joint issues. No information from the phlatelic agencies is available. Actually the stamp issuing program from Georgia is quite difficult to follow. In 2011 this country did not issue a single stamp and all stamps from 2012 were eventually issued on April 11, 2012. So far all 2013 stamps were issued on April 20, 2013, including this railway miniature sheet. In particular, as Georgia participates to the CEPT-Europa issues we can observe the following: The 2012 Georgia Europa issue came out on April 20, 2013 with a design different from the one initially announced. As a consequence, the 2013 Europa stamp will probably be issued in 2014 only.

- Belarus and Ukraine will issue respectively on May 24, 2013 and May 22, 2013 a stamp each at the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of slavic literature. As these stamps are different and the postal administration are not making any specific claim, we cannot consider these stamps as joint.

- and finally also the image of the Greenland souvenir sheet to be issued jointly with Israel on June 11, 2013. Designs are different. See details on the Greenland web site.

May 18, 2013
Enzo Cafaro (Italy) was also able to provide the first picture of the San Marino stamp from the San-Marino SMOM joint issue which will be issued on June 7, 2013 (at the same time as the san Marino - Italy joint issue). Enzo found also the cancellations from these two joint issues scheduled on June 7, 2013.

May 18, 2013
On May 6, 2013, an unexpected joint issue was released by Russia and Azerbaijan with the topic "Recipients of the Order of St. Andrew - Heydar Aliyev". Discovered by Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland) in the Russian philatelic program.

Also as a surprise to the complex joint issue about the 1150th Anniversary of the Arrival of St. Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia, Grzegorz [and Danko Nirka (Slovakia)] discovered that Bulgaria will be the 4th partner together with Slovakia, Czech Republic and Vatican. Information about the Bulgarian stamp is till missing but the Slovakian souvenir sheet mentions the names of the four countries supposed to participate to the issue to be released on June 12, 2013.

And also, the discoery of a potential Turkey - Romania joint issue appearing on both updated Turkish and Romanian philatelic programs. Apparently on August 28, 2013, the 135th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between both countries could be celebrated this way. At the same time Romania announced they would release in 2013 also a joint issue with Poland (June 17?) and Ukraine (already announced, 4th quarter). This information need to be confirmed.

May 18, 2013
Fabio Bonacina (Italy) reported in Vaccari News the latest information about the San Marino Italy joint issue to be released on June 7, 2013. Topic is the definition of the borders between the two countries that took place in 1463. San Marino will release 50,000 souvenir sheets bearing 4 stamps.

Nahum Shereshevsky (Israel) was able to provide the first image of the Isreal miniature sheet from the Greenland - Israel joint issue to be issued on June 11, 2013.

The Denmark has released the pictures of the stamps to be issued jointly with France on November 7, 2013.

May 18, 2013
Information from Wang Jiayi and Richard Li (China): The issue "500 years friendship" by Portugal is not a joint issue. Post China does not have this topic in its stamp issuing program and probably China is not so keen to celebrate 500 years of Portuguese occupation.

May 1, 2013
Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland) provided the picture of the Azerbaijan stamp to be issued jointly with Belarus on April 24, 2013. Belarus issued the same design stamps at the same date. Both countries have issued only souvenir sheets with two stamps. The printing runs for the Azerbaijan souvenir sheet is 10,000 (plus 100 non perforated) and for Belarus 15,000.

May 1, 2013
Some news about recent stamps from different origin:

- The pictures of the Australia stamps to be issued jointly with Israel on May 10, 2013 provided by Don Birschel (USA). Designs are the same.

- information about and the pictures from Italy and Argentina Pope Francesco stamps to be issued jointly with the Vatican State on May 2, 2013, were provided by Fabio Bonacina (Italy) and Enzo Cafaro (Italy). Italy issues only one stamp while Argentina and the Vatican issue four different stamps. A folder will also be available from the Italian philatelic offices. We do not know yet what items it contains, but knowing the price (€15.00), it is probably a mixed folder with mint stamps from all three countries. Argentina will issue 4 stamps (the same design as the Vatican State, denominations Pesos 3.5, 3.5, 10 and 14) in miniature sheets of 10 stamps each as well as in panes containing 5 strips of 4 different stamps.

April 22, 2013
A very recent update of the philatelic plan of the Polish Post brings good news and confirms a joint issue with Romania. The souvenir sheet depicting folk costumes, will be released in June on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between both countries. Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland) who provided this information, precises that the Poland-Moldavia joint issue is still not confirmed by the Polish side.

April 22, 2013
The election of a new Pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, generated a series of new stamps. Of course, because Pope Franciscus is of Argentinian origin, the Vatican State proposed a joint issue to Argentina. Each country will release four stamps on May 2, 2013. Italy decided to join but only for one stamp. The story was discovered and described by Fabio Bonacina (Italy).

April 22, 2013
We got some nice images from some new joint issues. Don Birschel (USA) was the first to provide the pictures from the Indonesia-Mexico joint issue released on April 6, 2013.

Fabio Bonacina (Italy), Nahum Shereshevsky (Israel), Igor Mikhaylov () and Grzegorz Omelanczuc (Poland) provided the first pictures of the Australia - Israel joint issue to be released on May 10, 2013. The Australian stamps do have the same design:

Fabio Bonacina (Italy) wrote also and article about the recently issued new "Breast cancer" stamp issued by Slovakia on April 12, 2013:

April 7, 2013
Enzo Cafaro (Italy) spent some time at the philatelic exhibition Milanofil that was hold between April 5 and 7, 2013 (Milan, Italy) and during which the Italy - Vatican joint issue about the Milan Edict was supposed to be released. In fact the Italian stamp was released on April 5, 2013 as initially scheduled, but the Vatican stamp was postponed, probably to May 2, 2013, as a consequence of the recent change of Pope. During the Milanofil exhibition, it was possible to get a special Vatican cancellation related to the 1700th anniversary of the Milan Edict on the Italian stamp, but without stamp. This cancellation was probably prepared for this stamp event and slightly modified to be related to Milanofil. So for example, the date indicated correspond to the Milanofil event "April 5-7, 2013".

Note also that some complementary information has been entered below under January 18 and March 13, 2013 (blue text).

April 7, 2013
Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland) is screening regularly all philatelic websites and found during the past weeks the following information:

- Japan has issued the list of stamps that will be released during 2013, without exact issue dates. However one can see three issues in relation with other countries: Spain (400 years of Spanish presence in Japan), Switzerland (150th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations) and Kenya (50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations). The issue with Spain is confirmed in the Spanish philatelic program. It seems that the issue with Switzerland is still under discussion (noted: tentative) and we have no news from Kenya. By the way, Brazil has also announced the issue of a stamp related to Kenya in the 2013 program with confirming it would be a joint issue.

- The Aland web site shows images of their 2013 Christmas stamps without mentioning any joint issue character. However, as Vatican has announced a joint issue with Aland at the occasion of Christmas, we suppose that the date of issue of the Aland stamps, November 8, 2013, will become also the date of the joit issue. In the meantime, here are the first pictures:

- The latest update of the Russian Post stamp plan confirms the Russia, Ukraine and Belarus joint issue - 1025th Anniversary of Christening of Kyiv Rus. This issue is also reported as joint in the Ukrainian philatelic program (no specific date) and in the Belarus philatelic program (October 2013).

- An unofficial source tells us that the Ecuador Post is preparing two joint issues for this year: the first one in April or May with the Dominican Republic, "International Book Fair"; the second one on December with Israel, "Environment protection". Both have to be confirmed from the counterpart country.

- Finally here is a series of information explaining the reason why some issues will probably remain unilateral:

1. Polish and Israeli postal administration decided to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, releasing single stamps, unfortunately independently. The stamps release dates are April 19, 2013 and April 2, 2013 respectively.

2. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the January uprising, Polish and Lithuanian Post released postal stationary and a stamp respectively, without any kind of cooperation. The independent releases were introduced to circulation in January 2013 and on March 23, 2013 respectively.

3. The expected 2013 joint issue between Ireland and the USA (John F. Kennedy 1917-1963) probably will be reduced to an independent release by Ireland only on June 6, 2013 (instead of October 2013). The official Irish Post website does not inform about any parallel release on the American side.

April 7, 2013
Several collectors provided the picture of the Slovenia souvenir sheet issued jointly with Austria: Don Birschel (USA), Fabio Bonacina (Italy), Grzegorz Omelanczuk (Poland). Tomaz Zajc (Slovenia) provided even the original miniature sheet and a joint FDC. Several comments:
- the date of issue for the Slovenian souvenir sheet is March 22, 2013, while Austria issued its souvenir sheet on April 4, 2013; this joint issue must therefore be considered as a Concerted [C] issue [C20130322]
- Funilly, there is a printing mistake in the Slovenian philatelic bulletin, english text, showing the Austrian souvenir sheet, but announcing a joint issue between Slovenia and Czech Republic
- The mixed FDC is of Austrian origin, but the miniature sheet from Slovenia is precancelled (just a cancellation circle without any text) and cancelled a second time with a stamp dated March 22, 2013, different from the first day cancellation really used on March 22, 2013, and seen on the Slovenia first day cover.

April 1, 2013
The News from the period January to March 2013 have been archived.

All previous information reported in this section is to be found in the News Archives.