Germany: Holy Land

The featured stamp commemorates the 50th anniversary of the cession of Heligoland to Germany. The significance of this anniversary is indicated by the date of issue 1940 and the inscription ‘Deutsches Reich’ – an issue of the German national state during World War II. The stamp is an historical example of postage stamp propaganda and

Bahamas: The Interinsular Stamp

The Bahamas post office became independent in 1859 following the publication of a report by the English novelist and civil servant, Anthony Trollope. The first distinctive stamp issue clearly identified that the mail posted externally from the Bahamas remained under the control of London. Despite full independence postal services just a year later, the ‘intersecular’

Papua New Guinea: A Pantomime Tale

The East Indies were first visited by Europeans in 1606 when the explorer Luiz Vaz de Torres passed through the Straits that now carry his name, between New Guinea and Australia. The native inhabitants of New Guinea consisted of numerous close-knit tribes that were wild, feudal and cannibalistic. The island was and still is covered