This page is the archived News Page from the October to December 2018 period. All contents have been dispatched in the respective stamp description pages. However there may still remain open questions. Any complementary information is welcome. As soon as an information is archived, the text will not be changed anymore. So if additional information are linked to the below, this will be displayed as a new heading in the currently open News page.

December 13, 2018
Jaap Sarelse (The Netherlands) provided some additional information about a postal stationery issued by Romania and honoring the French General Henri Mathias Berthelot. This cover shows among other illustrations the picture of the soldiers in front of the General used as background in one of the joint France-Romania joint issue stamp, and used as well as illustration for the official Romanian FDC. This cover was issued in May 2018 and despite some interesting links and common features, it cannot be considered as part of the joint issue.

Romania also issued at the date of November 27, 2018, a ‘philatelic album’ with a single FDC and a souvenir sheet bearing two imperforated stamps. Both, single FDC and souvenir sheets, are only available in this album. The quantity printed is low (245), the price is high (about 48,00 euro). We will report these products in the catalogue but will consider them in the category "excessive issue not recommended for collectors" as such expensive and very limited edition items cannot be considered as true philatelic collecting material.

Enzo Cafaro (Italy) provided the illustration of the Philippines souvenir sheet that was issued jointly with Croatia on December 5, 2018.

November 29, 2018
The recent update of this news page triggered a lot of mails with complementary information that we have to report here immediately:

Enzo Cafaro (Italy) provided the images of the Azerbaijan stamps from the November 19, 2018 Azerbaijan and Belarus joint issue.

On November 23, 2018, Belarus and Uzbekistan issued their joint stamps. Information and pictures provided by Don Birschel (USA).

Don Birschel (USA) provided also the turkish stamp image from the Slovakia - Turkey joint issue released on November 27, 2018.

At the occasion of the France - Romania issue, France issued also a folder containing a souvenir sheet bearing both French stamps. Date of issue is November 27, 2018 (complement of information provided by Enzo Cafaro ).

Unexpected joint issue to be released by Croatia and the Philippines on December 5, 2018. Enzo Cafaro could provide the first design of the Croatian souvenir sheet as well as a copy of the Croatian FDC.

November 27, 2018
Latest news collected over the past weeks:

From Wayne Chen (USA): China Post’s approved 2019 new issue topics was published. Some of these stamps could be joint issues with the countries mentioned below but there is no guarantee yet. This is to be considered as a list worth watching:
- February 8, 2019 - 40th year China diplomatic relations with Portugal, the design will show tea culture.
- October 6, 2019 - 70th year diplomatic relations with Slovakia, the images will show handcrafted-ware from both countries, China handcraft from Tang Dynasty. Slovakia is not mentioning this joint issue but the country intends to issue two stamps on tinsmithing.
- December 20, 2019 - 20th year return of Macau to China. There is a high probability that this could become the 2019 territorial siamese Chinese issue.
Year 2019 is also the 70th year founding of the People Republic of China. If China is to follow precedence from 10 years ago, we could expect parallel or even Siamese issues with Hong Kong and Macau.

The China - Hong-Kong - Macau Zhuhai bridge Siamese sheet was announced but the documents took time to reach the different sales places. This may be caused by the delay of the bridge’s opening (finally inaugurated on October 23, 2018) and sudden announcement of its issue date (October 30, 2018). The full series of stamps include one siamese souvenir sheet bearing 3 stamps from each postal entity, differing by the letter starting the numbering system (A for China, B for Hong-Kong and C for Macau), three stamps in panes for China (identical stamps as in the siamese sheet), four different stamps and a souvenir sheet for Hong Kong, three se-tenant stamps (same is in the siamese sheet) and a souvenir sheet for Macau (Complement of information Richard Li). 

The 2018 Poland-Israel joint issue released as planned on November 5, 2018 (information from Grzegorz Omelanczuk, Poland). These stamps were issued in miniature sheets of 10 stamps with five tabs.

The joint issue between Croatia and France was issued on November 8, 2018.

The joint issue between Azerbaijan and Belarus initially expected in April 2018 at the occasion of the 25th anniversary of relationship was finally released on November 19, 2018. Azerbaijan stamps have not been seen so far.

The Kyrgyzstan - Malta joint stamps were issued on November 23, 2018 (information provided by Don Birschel, USA and Gabriele Gatti, Italy). The Kyrgyz stamps were issued in two miniature sheets of 5 stamps each and in a souvenir sheet with both stamps se-tenant.

On November 27, 2018, France and Romania issued stamps honoring General Henri Mathias Berthelot (1861-1931).

And the design of the Slovakian stamp from the Slovakia - Turkey joint issue to be released on the same day of November 27, 2018, is also available on the Slovakian Post web site. It depicts a map from an Ottoman Manuscript from the Bašagić Collection. Turkish stamps have not been seen so far.

The Ukrainian stamps designs from the Ukraine - Moldova joint issue to be released in December 2018 have been provided by the Ukrainian Post. The exact issue date is still not known. The topic will display bells (information found by Grzegorz Omelanczuk, Poland).

Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey produced a common document with a stamp from each country related to WWI and canceled from November 11, 2018 (Information discovered by Grzegorz Omelanczuk, Poland). As these stamps are all different, even if related to the same topic, and issued at different dates , this cover and associated stamps cannot be considered as joint (November 11 cancellations are not first day cancellations). This limited remembrance edition cover is sold at £ 17.50 for those who are still interested.

Czech Republic and Slovakia issued both stamps at occasion of the 100th anniversary of the creation of Czechoslovakia respectively on October 25 and 26, 2018, but this was not in a concerted manner, and therefore these stamps cannot be considered as joint.

November 27, 2018
Discoveries related to older joint issues:
While exploring the page of the Slovak Post related to joint issues, items that have never been reported so far were found. In particular there are special gold and silver stamps and miniature sheets that are depicted on this site and related to the August 24, 2007 joint issue between Slovakia and San Marino (https://www.pofis.sk/en/catalog/products/postage-stamp-2007-joint-issue-with-san-marino-orava-castle). Three items are known so far: A, a miniature sheet (cinderella) with reproduction of the two stamps in large scale and two gold labels representing the stamps (issued 250); B, a board containing the mint Slovakian stamps and the same stamps in silver (issued 100 samples); C, the same cardboard bearing the Slovalian stamp in gold and silver (issuing number unknown). These items are to be considered as cinderellas and/or special items for coins collectors, but worth mentioning here.

October 29, 2018
Latest news collected over the last month and related to joint issues recently released:

Kyrgyzstan and Latvia issued joint stamps on October 5, 2018 instead of initially scheduled September 14, 2018 (information first provided by Gabriele Gatti, Italy). This issue celebrates 25 years of relationship between both countries and represents epic heroes from both countries, in form of a monument to Manas the Great, in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and a monument to Lachplesis in Riga (Latvia).

The Kyrgyzstan and Belarus stamps were issued on October 18, 2018. This series was initially supposed to be issued on November 15, 2018 (Gabriele Gatti, Italy).

Iran and South Korea issued joint stamps on October 23, 2018 (Information provided by Mansoor Moazzeni, Iran). The postage stamps show Shilla, a Korean stone lion which dates back to the 8th-9th centuries. The second styamp illustration shows the Achaemenid Persian Lion Rhyton. Iran stamps have not been seen so far, but are supposed to be released as a souvenir sheet.

October 29, 2018
Latest news collected over the past month and related to joint issues to be released in the near future or related to older stamps:

Kenya and South Africa are to be added to the countries which issued souvenir sheets in honour of Nelson Mandela released on July 18, 2018 (Discovery Don Birschel, USA). Date of issue of these additionnal stamps seems to be October 9, 2018 (to be confirmed).

Jaap Sarelse (The Netherlands) obtained from his Russian contact the following information:
- The Joint issue between Russia and Guyana is cancelled
- There is no more mention of the joint issue Russia with China in the Russian philatelic program
- There is no information available yet from the initially planned joint issue involving Russia and Greece.

From Wayne Chen (USA): the long overdue stamps from the opening of the Hong-Kong - Zhuhai - Macau bridge (delayed construction) has finally resurfaced, following the inauguration of the bridge on October 23, 2018. these stamps are now planned to be issued by China PR, Hong Kong and Macau on October 30, 2018. The Siamese sheet remains the same design as previously announced and shown. The image below shows cover of the folder to be issued by Hong Kong Post. China post will have the same cover design but simplified Chinese text (Hong Kong and Macau uses traditional Chinese).

From Wayne Chen (USA) and Benjamin Busch (France): the following series of miniature sheets appeared as stamps targeting Chinese collectors interested in Zodiac stamps. Taking in account the number of stamps and the involved countries, these series could be considered as omnibus series. However, the mention of "Joint issue" appears on the items and therefore we have to consider them as true joint issues. For the time being we are still looking for additional details such as date of issues, but here is the information we already know:
- Involved countries: Central Africa, Djibouti, Guinea and Sierra Leone. These four country names appear at the bottom of the miniature sheet and are claimed the joint issue character, meaning no additional country is expected to join
- Each country issued 12 souvenir sheets with a single stamp each, as well as a miniature sheet with 12 stamps
- Central Africa and Sierra Leone issued a miniature sheet in silk at 500 samples - we still need to know if standard miniature sheets on paper have been printed
- Guinea and Djibouti issued the miniature sheet printed on thin wood plates also at 500 samples.

Larry Dodson (USA) discovered additional material related to the October 18, 2005 issue involving Hong Kong and Portugal and related to old fishing villages. Hong Kong issued also 4 special post cards illustrated with the picture of the stamp and with the imprint of the stamp itself on the other side. This is a series of postal stationery that has to be added to this issue [T20051018]. Thanks Larry for this interesting discovery.

October 29, 2018
Miscellaneous information collected over the past month:

The Armenia - Belarus stamps supposed to be issued on September 21, 2018 are not joint.

Our friend Benjamin Busch (France), also stamp seller, opened his new web site under https://buschcollectibles.com/ in which he started also a page on joint issues. This page is supposed to be upgraded strongly in the near future.

Don Birschel (USA) found the following local apparently joint issue between Barcelona, Spain and Iloilo, the Philippines. The stamps honor a Spanish soccer player, Paulino Alcantara Riestra (1896-1964), who was born in Concepcion, Iloilo in the Philippines and played with the FC Barcelona. At the end of his carrier as soccer player he became coach and managed the Spanish team for three major games. It appears that these stamps are just cinderellas issued in 2016 and cannot be considered as a joint issue. Nevertheless this is an interesting discovery.

October 1, 2018
The News from the period July to September 2018 have been archived.

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