Current “My own stamp” (나만의 우표) options

Currently KoreaPost offers “My own stamp” (나만의 우표) sheets with postage stamps only in the sheets, with the exception of one very large “seal” in these sheets. Three colourful examples of the possible configurations can be found on the ePost website. In these three sheets all the smaller stamps are actual postage stamps, but can […]

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Reader’s question: Gum Creases in 1960’s Souvenir Sheets?

(Reader’s question) I have a question for readers of the KSS website. Many, if not most, of the 1960’s souvenir sheets from South Korea have gum creases or folds that are especially prominent on the gum side of the sheets. With scans, you can see some of the folds on the face of the souvenir […]

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Illustrator of 2019 Christmas seals interviewed

The Korean National Tuberculosis Association interviewed the illustrator who created this year’s Christmas seals, Ahn Sol (안솔). The seals show the Haenyeo (해녀) of Jeju island, the women who dive for seafood around the coast of the island. Ahn Sol created the artwork for the seals while staying for a couple of months on the […]

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Where are all the post office forms? (1981)

A philatelist has been described as a collector afflicted with an insatiable curiosity about postal material in general and postal history of one particular area or era. For some 20 years, the post office forms illustrated have been part of a Korea collection. They are nothing special: most collectors need not concern themselves with such […]

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Cash-insurance envelopes used in Korea (some backgrounds)

The insured (declared value) system was introduced in Japan in 1900 for cash/bonds/securities. With the issuance of the special envelopes in 1901, the usage of ordinary envelopes for these valuables became forbidden. In 1910, non-official envelopes became readmitted for items larger than the official envelopes, like jewels, art etc. provided they were in previously unused […]

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Chinese “Non Postal Value Souvenir Sheet” for Philakorea 1994

Many different types of philatelic products have been created over the years by many different organizations and individuals. In China the so-called “Non Postal Value Souvenir Sheets” are one specific example of a type of such a product. They were (and are?) created on a very large scale, but they are relatively unknown outside of […]

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The August 1955 Chongjin Booklet

The booklet was issued by the Ministry of Communications for the North Hamgyong Post Office, as part of the country-wide 10th anniversary of the Liberation commemoration, in August 1955. A set of commemorative stamps (all the stamps are perf 11), a postal stationery envelope and an extensive set of commemorative photographic postcards were produced for […]

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KSC5218G: 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the DPRK and the PRC

(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On October 6th, Korea Stamp Corporation issued a Souvenir Sheet and Stamp Booklet to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the DPRK and the PR China. The 70 won stamp features the national emblems of the DPRK and the PRC.

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Japanese machine cancellation for New Year used in Korea (1936-1940)

Like elsewhere in imperial Japan and its dependencies, machine cancellations for New Year were used for 1936, 1937, and 1938 (Showa 11, 12 and 13). Shown are postcards in my exhibit “Cancellations of Japanese Offices in Korea (1876-1945)” to JAPEX 2019, scheduled for November 15-17, 2019, in Tokyo.  The ones for 1936 and 1937 are […]

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