Concerted

Re-exploring Colombia

by Richard Zimmermann

On July 29, 2024, Argentina issued a pair of stamps depicting whales (Southern right whale – Eubalena australis and Humpback whale – Megaptera novaangliae) and entitled ‘200 years of Argentina – Colombia relationship’. Indeed, these stamps are the counterpart of the Colombia pair issued on December 29, 2023, based on the same design. As a consequence, this issue must be considered as a concerted issue that was recently completed and it will be described in the catalogue under the entry code [C20231229], added to the year 2023 section. Colombia issued 25,000 stamps in miniature sheets of two se-tenant pairs. Argentina issued stamps in panels of 12 stamps.

In parallel, Don Birschel (USA) provided an additional information about a Colombia – Peru issue that was missed so far. On May 27, 2022, Colombia issued at the occasion of 200 years of relationship with Peru, a miniature sheet with 4 different stamps showing a) the archeological site of Moray, Cusco, Peru, b) the Caño Cristales, river in the the Macarena mountains, Meta, Colombia, c) a llama and d) a sloth. It appears that Peru issued at the same occasion, but only on November 30, 2022, two se-tenant stamps with the same designs as the two first Colombian stamps (a and b). Of course, these stamps must be considered as a concerted issue and will be added to the catalogue under the entry [C20220527] in the year 2022 section.

By further exploring the “4-72” Colombia web site, it appeared that Colombia issued in 2022 and 2023, on top of the Argentina-Colombia joint issue, a series of relationship stamps that in theory could have led to additional concerted issues. These stamps celebrate relationship anniversaries between Colombia and Egypt (February 23, 2022), the United States (May 2, 2022), South Korea (May 6, 2022), Germany (May 8, 2022), Chile (December 29, 2022), Barbados (December 18, 2023) and Canada (December 22, 2023). To our knowledge, no counterpart stamps have been issued, but information from some remote countries such as Egypst of Barbados is often difficult to find.

In the same way, Peru issued, over the past years, stamps related to different relationship anniversaries with India (August 26, 2022), Guatemala (2022), Ecuador (October 23, 2023), Japan (November 13, 2023), and South Korea (November 13, 2023), but none resulted (so far and to our knowledge) in a joint issue (except the Peru-Poland issue already described in the catalogue as N20230927). Uruguay issued stamps in honor of relationship with Japan (July 27, 2021), Czech and Slovak Republic (November 17, 2021), Vietnam (April 27, 2023) and Chile (November 1, 2023). Paraguay issued stamps for relations with South Korea (June 28, 2022) and Mexico (October 3, 2023).

When doing such a screening with Chilean recently issued stamps, it appears that this country celebrated relationship anniversaries with Canada (November 18, 2021), Peru (December 2022), and the United States (January 27, 2023) without counterpart. All these stamps must be considered as unilateral issues and should not be reported in the catalogue unless a counterpart is found. This counterpart is not necessarily a stamp but could be postal stationery, like in the Peru-Poland N20230927 issues, even much more difficult to find. Any additional information from all these countries is welcome.

Retorno 50th Anniversary

by Richard Zimmermann

This issue was anticipated, but it is so difficult nowadays to get information from Argentina Post (their web site is only occasionnaly updated with news while the chapter stamps is on hold since 2017). Any suggestion of good link is welcome.

Anyway, Don Birschel (USA) and Enzo Cafaro (Italy) provided at the same time the confirmation that Argentina had eventually released at the expected date of November 17, 2022 the counterpart of the stamp released by Spain on September 14, 2022. The date of September 17, 2022 corresponds to the 50th anniversary of the return (Retorno) from Spain of Juan Domingo Peron to Argentina, his home country. Both countries have issued a same design stamp (portrait), hence a Concerted issue [C1], in miniature sheets of 16 stamps.

200 years of Brazil independency (2)

by Richard Zimmermann

On June 29, 2022, Brazil issued unexpectedly a stamp at the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the independence of the country and claimed joint character with a to-be-issued Portugal stamp. The design of the Portuguese stamp was missing at the date of the first announcement, but Enzo Cafaro (Italy) was able to provide it, ahead of release on September 7, 2022. This issue is definitely a concerted [C] issue as designs are identical [C20220629].

Centenary of Mexican Embassy in Rome

by Richard Zimmermann

On June 27, 2022, Mexico issued a stamp celebrating the centenary of the building of the Mexican embassy in Rome, Italy. Such a stamp was not in the program of the Italian philatelic program, but shortly after the release of the Mexican stamp we learned (Source: Fabio Bonacina and Enzo Cafaro, Italy) that the Italian postal administration intended to produce also a stamp related to this topic by end of July 2022. We had to wait very closely to the release of the Italian stamp to discover its design which eventually appeared to be the same. Italy issued its stamp on July 28, 2022.

None of the postal administrations claim a joint character to these stamps. It looks that the Italian administration had to react quickly after they learned about the issuance of the Mexican stamp, probably only during the spring of 2022. Nevertheless, it became obvious that we had to consider this issue as joint for several reasons:

  • The building and the topic are unique to Mexico in Italy
  • The Mexican ambassador participated to this issue confirmed by a text written by him in the presentation package of the Italian stamp. Indirectly, Mexico was involved in the Italian stamp creation discussion
  • The fact that there was an agreement on the image is also a confirmation of the collaboration. The situation would have been more questionable if the designs were different or if one stamp would only give a simple text
  • Slight differences such as appearance of Mexican flag in the Italian stamp are minor modifications that can be considered as the degree of freedom left to the two designers, but both had to work on the same basic picture
  • However,there was a kind of hiccup in the decision to collaborate and absence of agreement on date of issue. The official anniversary is July 2, 2022, so none of the two first day dates (June 27 and July 28). This could be the consequence of last minute decision to collaborate

In summary: this issue will be considered as joint, with the sub type concerted [C20220627] (same design but different dates of issue) and the lack of communication about the joint character is mainly due to the short time left to the two postal administrations to define a common date. Apparently, the Italian postal administration considers a true joint issue only if both stamps are released on the same day and if mixed joint FDCs can be created on this day. These mixed documents will probably exist in the near future, but of private origin.

Armenia – Egypt missed JI?

by Richard Zimmermann

Both Don Birschel (USA) and Kenneth Sequeira (Singapore) provided the same information about a potential joint issue that was released a couple of months ago by Armenia and Egypt, but two weeks apart. Stamps are celebrating the 30th anniversary of relationship. Armenia issued its stamp on April 12, 2022 while Egypt released its stamp on March 22, 2022.

The design is different but features the same items: pyramids, Cheops sphinx and the statue “Mother of Armenia”. They also bear almost the same text relative to the anniversary of relationship establishment. For these reasons, we can deduce that both postal administrations communicated to create this pair of stamps. Even if the dates of issue eventually differed slightly and the design is not quite the same, we have to consider these stamps as joint, more precisely as Concerted [C] with the sub-type C3 (see Catalogue Vol 1 page 14 for detailed explanations). Catalogue Volume 15 will be updated accordingly with a new entry numbered [C20220322]. Thanks Don and Kenneth for this discovery.

200 years Colombia – Mexico relations

by Richard Zimmermann

On January 25, 2022, Colombia issued the stamps identical to those released on December 20, 2021 by Mexico to celebrate 200 years of relationship (1821-2021). This joint issue, first reported by Don Birschel (USA), became actually a concerted issue [C] for which not all information is available. Both countries issued a se-tenant pair of symmetrical design stamps showing the figure “200” and a stylized butterfly with the colors of the countries’ flags. While Mexico announced the issue of 50,000 pairs of stamps in panes of 25, the stamps of Colombia apparently produced in panes (size unknown) at 14,000 samples (probably 7,000 pairs), have been seen already in souvenir sheets of [1px2] and [1px3], but also in blocs of [2px2]. The Mexico stamp is self-adhesive. Additional information is needed here, but the catalogue (Volume 14) has already been updated with these first data.