MANUSCRIPTS WANTED

ITS Stamp News, depends on its readers for articles. Therefore, all readers / Collectors are invited to submit manuscripts for publication. Articles should be double-spaced type-written with no underlining. Illustrations are essential to make any article more meaningful to the readers. Therefore, ITS Stamp News needs atleast five or six illustrations with each manuscript submitted for publication consideration. Since it may be necessary to retain original philatelic material loaned to illustrate an article, good colour [not black and white] photocopies are acceptable.

You can send your news, articles and contribution by email. We welcome matter for regular features as well.

Next issue is due in first week of June 2011 and for the same last date for accepting your contribution, including lots of ITS Postal Auction is 10th May 2011.
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Thanks to all bidders for making last 

 "ITS Postal Auction No.52" with 140 Lots, so successful.

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~ Editor

DRAGONFLIES IN THEMATIC PHILATELY

- © Dr. Avinash B.Jagtap, Binningen (Switzerland)

The aim of this article is to inform and guide thematic collectors about a theme which can be developed to form a sizable thematic display suitable for “One Frame Display” or to build a wider part of an extensive collection of stamps depicting insects. The theme chosen is “Dragonfly”. Dragonfly belongs to the order Anisoptera in animal kingdom. Anisoptera is a Greek word, where “an” means “not”, “iso” is for“equal” and “ptera” signifies “wings”, in short, these are the insects with unequal wings. The hind wings of a dragonfly are broader than the fore wings.They have enormous head, which is almost occupied by large eyes with 10’000 to28’000 facets. Head is movable in forward and backward as well as in side ways at 180 degrees. The “eye” of a dragonfly is gifted with the perception ability to see 175 images separated from one another in a second, whereas the human eye can see only 20 images per second! Dragonflies are capable of viewing even int he dark. Insects came into existence before man and dragonfly is one of the most ancient insects ever to survive till this day! It has been found after the study of fossils that the ancestors of present day dragonflies existed 250 million years ago, during the bituminous coal period.

Read full story in Issue No.53 of "ITS Stamp News"

Is Penny Black - World's First Postage Stamp?

- © Dr.Satyendra Kumar Agrawal

Though the Penny Black of Great Britain, which went on sale on 1 May 1840 and became valid for postage on 6 May 1840 earned the reputation of being the “World’s First Adhesive Postage Stamp”, on 8 April 1653, in Paris, the Petite Poste organized by Renouard de Villayer, counselor of state, put out for sale small slips of paper affixed with a solution of isinglass. They are known as “billets de port paye” and were inscribed “Port payee…….le….jour de l’an 1653" meaning in English “Postage paid…….day of ….of the year 1653”.

Read full story in Issue No.53 of "ITS Stamp News"

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