Red Cross

June 2026 update

by Richard Zimmermann

On June 12, 2026, Serbia and Slovenia issued a similar souvenir sheet containing one single stamp entitled “Humanitarians, Queen Marija Karađorđević and her court lady Franja Tavčar”. The Serbia souvenir sheet, 100×67 mm, was issued at 10,000 samples while the Slovenian souvenir sheet was printed at 18,000 samples. (Information was provided by Janko Stampfl, Slovenia).

Russia and the Philippines celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relationship on June 2, 2026 with an issue on June 18, 2026 of stamps representing fauna: the Russian Greater jerboa (Allactaga major) and the Philippine mouse deer (Tragulus nigricans). To date, no information from the Philippines postal administration is available, but Enzo Cafaro (Italy) was able to provide a copy of the Philippines miniature sheet, confirming that it could translate in either a twin or a concerted issue. Any additional information is welcome.

Moldova and Romania celebrated the centenary of the first flight of the Bucharest – Galați – Chișinău airmail service, illustrated by a Haviland DH-9 plane. This is a nice twin issue released on June 24, 2026. Romania released two stamps, showing either a plane over a landscape with a bridge (design A), or a flying plane, next to the names of the three towns from the airmail line, as well as a cancelled cover (design B). These two stamps were issued in panes of 32 stamps, or in miniature sheets of 3 stamps and a label. Additionally, a souvenir sheet with a single stamp showing the design A, with flag, cancelled cover as well as a black and white photograph became also available. Moldova released the same two stamps A and B in miniature sheets of 8 stamps (with two additional labels) and a souvenir sheet containing the design B, together with a map.

Note that 2×3,200 Romanian stamps (A and B) were printed in panes of 32 stamps, i.e., in 2 sheets showing 4 lines of 8 stamps. The third line was intentionally printed upside down, making possible to create 8 pairs tête-bêche out of each each pane. These printed stamps represent only 100 panes of 32, from which a maximum of 2×8 tête-bêche pairs could have been isolated, resulting in a maximum of 2×800 tête-bêche pairs possible. The real number of tête-bêche pairs will definitely remain far below that figure.

On June 10, 2026, Türkiye issued a souvenir sheet showing the portraits of Yunus Emre (1240-1320), Turkish folk poet, and Hakani-I Sirvani (1126-1199), actually Afzal al-Dīn Badīl ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿOthmān, commonly known as Khāqānī, Persian poet, entitled ‘joint issue with Azerbaijan‘. Unfortunately, by the time of publishing this page, no information has been made available from this country.

The situation is similar with a joint issue involving Morocco and Mauritania, which illustration was provided by Eric Contesse (France). On the Moroccan stamps, it is clearly stated that it is a joint issue. These stamps are also supposed to be released during the month of June and information from Mauritania is missing so far.

Another Türkiye – Romania joint issue was announced in the Türkish philatelic program, expected to be released on June 30, 2026, but no counterpart is mentionned in the Romanian philatelic program. On the other hand, Romania still describes a joint issue with Kazakhstan scheduled for June 2026 (Biosphere reserves), but there are no news that came up recently from both countries about this issue.

The first year of office of the Pope Leo XIV announced originally by the Vatican State as a joint issue with Italy, was eventually reduced to an anniversary issue from Vatican alone, on May 8, 2026, and this entry had to be removed from the poten,tial 2026 issues.

All the above news were introduced in the catalogue which is now available in an updated form in the appropriate section.

Red Cross centenary 1963

by Richard Zimmermann

During the year 1963, the world celebrated the centenary of the Red Cross (1863-1963). In the catalogue volume 3 (1960-1963) two entries depict joint stamps related to this event, but limited to the British [D19630902a] and French [D19630902b] colonies stamps. In both sets, the stamps are identical, and were considered as joint territorial issues. The British participating entities include: Antigua – Ascension – Bahamas – Basutoland – Bechuanaland – Bermuda – Cayman Islands – Dominica – Falkland Islands – Fiji – Gambia – Gibraltar – Gilbert and Ellice (October 5) – Grenada – Guyana (British) – Honduras (British) – Hong Kong – Jamaica (September 6) – Malta – Mauritius – Montserrat – New-Hebrides – Pitcairn (December 9) – Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla – Saint Helena – Saint Lucia – Saint Vincent – Seychelles (September 16) – Solomon Islands – South Arabian Federation (November 25) – Swaziland – Tonga (September 10) – Tristan da Cunha (February 1, 1964) – Turks and Caicos – Virgin Islands. With the exception of seven postal entities, all of them were issued on the same day of September 2, 1963. Additionally Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika (KUT) issued also three stamps, but with a different design (some examples below).

On this same day, the following stamps from French colonie countrie were issued: Comoros – New Caledonia – New-Hebrides – Polynesia (French) – Saint Pierre and Miquelon – Somali Coast – Wallis and Futuna with a common design, as well as Madagascar – Mali (September 1) with a slightly different design (Some pictures below).

Our friend Leonard (Thailand) pointed at two Thailand stamps showing a similar design that was not reported in the catalogue so far. In fact, by screening closer all countries, it appears that dozen of countries have celebrated this event during the year 1963 (some of them in 1964 and even 1965) with a large number having issued their stamps on May 8, 1963, and this, of course needed an update in the catalogue describing these stamps. In fact, the new entry referenced as [B19630508] is not a true joint issue, but as they use most of them the same design, they are reported in the category ‘Borrowed Design’ [BD]. The list includes the following countries: Afghanistan (October 9) – Algeria (December 8) – Australia – Austria (October 25) – Brazil (August 19) – Bulgaria (January 27, 1964) – Chile (August 23) – Colombia (May 10) – Greece (September 16) – Guatemala (September 9, 1964) – Haiti (October 2, 1964) – Indonesia – Iran (June 10) – Iraq (December 30) – Ireland (December 2) – Japan – Korea (South) – Libya (January 1) – Maldives () – Nigeria (September 1) – Pakistan (June 25) – Papua New Guinea (May 1) – Paraguay (February 4, 1964) – Peru (January 29, 1964) – Philippines (September 1) – Poland – Sierra Leone (November 1) – South Africa (August 30) – South West Africa () – Soviet Union (August 8) – Sudan (October 15) – Switzerland (March 21 and June 1) – Syria (September 19) – Thailand (April 1) – Togo (June 1) – Tunisia – United Arab Republic (Egypt) () – Upper Volta (October 21) – Uruguay (June 5, 1964) – Venezuela (December 31) – Vietnam (North) – Vietnam (South (November 17) – Yemen (North) (October) – Yemen (Kingdom) (December 31) – Yugoslavia (May 5).

In total, 90 countries have issues stamps at this occasion, divided in three groups with similar design. In fact, additional 51 countries have also issued stamps with completely different designs. The list is provided as footnote in the catalogue and the catalogue was updated with these stamps.

Update June 2024

by Richard Zimmermann

On June 6, 2024, Belarus and Russia celebrated the 225th birthday of Alexander S. Pushkin (1799-1837) with a stamp each. The stamps are different, hence this issue being considered as parallel [P20240606], and represent the Russian poet and some scenes of his main works (e.g., Eugene Onegin). Belarus issued 40,000 stamps in miniature sheets of 5, Russia produced 18,000 miniature sheets of 8 stamps, i.e., 144,000 stamps.

Four countries, Italy, San Marino, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Vatican State, came together on June 15, 2024 to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Italian Red Cross. All stamps are identical and became available as miniature sheets of 4 stamps printed at respectively 150,000, 40,000, 35,000 and 55,000 samples.

The designs of the stamps related to the 100th anniversary of the Johor-Singapore Causeway were presented as early as May 28, 2024, but were officially released on June 28, 2024. Malaysia and Singapore released each four stamps with the same designs. Malaysia produced strips of 4 se-tenant stamps in a miniature sheet of 5 strips. Singapore produced isolated stamps in 4 miniature sheets of 10 stamps each.

Update March 2024

by Richard Zimmermann

Several new information reached us during this month. Next to the two official twin issues released during the month of March (Hungary – Luxembourg March 12, 2023, and Angola – Cape Verde – Portugal March 28, 2024) and described in specific pages, one has to take account of the following news:

  • from Enzo Cafaro (Italy): several news about future issues involving Italy, e.g., on April 18, 2024 with San Marino (Vespa fan Club), on June 15, 2024, with San Marino, SMOM and Vatican (Red Cross 160th anniversary), and on January 25, 2025, with Slovenia (Gorizia and Nova Gorizia, European Capital of Culture). Regarding this last issue, the Italian stamp scheduled to be released on April 28, 2024, and related to the Fall of Gorizia wall, will not involve Slovenia and will remain unilateral. Also, in the 2024 philatelic program, a joint issue between Belarus and the Vatican is under preparation.
  • from Kenneth Sequeira (Singapore): Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan will issue joint stamps related to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja anecdotes. Exact date of issue is unknown, but the stamps should be released during Quarter IV, 2024.
  • From Jürgen Luebke (Germany): It seems that Greenland and the Faeroe Islands (may be also Denmark) will issue respectively on May 24 and on May 27, 2024, identical souvenir sheets created by Martin Mörck at the occasion of accession of Frederic X to the Danish thron. At least, in the official documents from the Faeroe Islands, this item is described as a joint issue. Information about the participation of Denmark is still awaited.
  • From Robert Schrijvers (Mongolia): Robert found the following official statement “Swiss development agency is cooperating with the Mongolian Post Company’s Mark Office to create a joint stamp within the framework of the 60th anniversary of Mongolian–Switzerland diplomatic relations. The joint stamp will be introduced to the public in May this year.” Joint issues involving Mongolia are very rare, so more information is needed at this stage, in particular from the Swiss side.

The first 2024 UPU 150th anniversary stamps with common design have been seen. Azerbaijan released a souvenir sheet including two stamps with the common design on February 1, 2024 (size 122×83 mm, printing run 4,000). This souvenir sheet is also available as non-perforated. The full series of stamps related to this issue will be described under [T20241009] as most of the stamps will be released around October 9, 2024.

The catalogue pages have been updated accordingly (Volume 1 and Volume 15).