Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
(Editor: a question from reader Petr from the Czech Republic:) Do you know who is the stamp designer of the North Korean stamp 1984 year Scott Nr 2429-2431, Michel 2522-2524? The stamp with Tereskhova is important for me, that is with a value of 10. In my exhibit about Tereskhova, I have two original artworks […]
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(Originally published in KP Vol. XLV No. 4 November 1999) I have just finished a casual comparison (I say casual because I did not use a perforation gauge or measuring ruler) of the North Korean train issue of 1976, Michel numbers 1555-1561 and Block 32. The DPRK, Catalogue numbers are 1529-1534 (set), 1535 (s/s), and […]
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This set of four stamps, listed in the “Korean Stamp Catalogue” (the North Korean catalogue), sometimes shows up on English (Ebay, Delcampe) and Korean (Kobay, Narauction) language auction websites. What is noticeable about this small set is how the set is listed for relatively high prices.
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Whether its intentional or simply a mistake, there are is no shortage of varieties of North Korean stamps. Stamp varieties make collecting fun and they are a big part of our hobby. The varieties you look for depend on your preferences as a collector. Errors during printing are among the most highly desired stamp varieties.
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As a member of the US Army Liaison Team accredited to the Soviet Army in North Korea, I made a number of trips between Seoul and Pyengyang by train. Usually I would buy North Korean stamps at the main Post Office in Pyengyang, manned by a few unenthusiastic Korean clerks. Sometimes I would put some […]
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In August 2016, I contacted my then contact person in Korea Stamp Corporation, the North Korean state stamp agency, KSC, Moscow branch. I knew him since the Nordia 2005 Stamp Expo in Gothenburg. We had already co-operated 4 times before, in 2008, 2010 and 2015, in issuing special North Korean stamps.
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The DPRK issued a souvenir sheet of Pyongyang folk park in 2013. This souvenir sheet depicts a view of this theme park and its face-value is 60 (30+30) won. However, the park was closed in 2016 and this souvenir sheet was withdrawn, 3 years after issuance. This is probably one of the most well-known modern […]
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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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It all started with curiosity. I knew that I had a lot of stamps but didn’t really knew them. Like a normal person, the first thing that came across my mind was is it worth any money? With the help of Mr. Chen Yi Fu and Ivo Spanjersberg, I began to understand the value and […]
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In the September 2019 KSS Newsletter I showed a stamp from an Ebay auction. The stamp itself was not remarkable: a very common Japanese 8 sen stamp from the first Showa series (Sakura 229, Scott 265, 1939) with an overprint showing a “Rose of Sharon”, the Korean empire/kingdom flower showed to these days on South […]
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The DPRK issued a set of 5 porcelain stamps in 1999. The KSC numbers for these stamps are KSC3983-3987. However, a careful collector might find something strange about two of the stamps in this set, KSC3983 (70 jon) and KSC 3987 (2.50 won).
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On 25 June, 1950, the DPRK invaded the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in a war for the unification of the nation. Due to immediate United Nations military action this invasion was unsuccessful. An armistice agreement was signed between the UN forces and the forces of the DPRK and the People’s Republic of China on […]
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For some time there has been no new issue news regarding DPRK stamp releases. The reason for this is very simple: the Korea Stamp Corporation, the stamp selling organization of the DPRK, didn’t release any new online news. However, the new issue leaflets do show three new stamps/series.
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Is the current market condition a buyer’s market or seller’s market? The price one pays for a stamp or stamps depends on the condition and rarity. Also, supply and demand dictate current prices in the market place. The current condition of the market is a buyer’s market. The flood of North Korean stamps which started […]
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In 2012 the DPRK issued a set of giant panda stamps. This set consisted of 2 stamps and 1 souvenir sheet. The KSC numbers given to these stamps were 4838-4840.
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The picture below is the 1962 Scott #429 / KSC #393 imperforated 10 jeon “Launch of Soviet Manned Rockets Vostok 3&4”. The KSC does mention an imperforated version. However, the Scott catalog does not mention an imperforated version of this stamp. I wonder how many of our readers have seen or possess this stamp?
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Watching the endless stream of opportunistic issues, largely directed at gullible collectors, coming out from North Korea year after year, it is a pleasant philatelic experience to encounter something unexpected from this source. It has, of course, occurred in the recent past with the discovery of the domestic paper varieties – the ‘yellow paper’ issues […]
Continue Reading Internet is where most people buy and sell stamps today. In the months leading up to the February 2019 US – DPRK summit in Hanoi, there were massive unloads of North Korean stamps on the internet. This presented a good entry point for beginning collectors like myself to acquire some early North Korean stamps. However, […]
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(Reader’s question/Q&A) While browsing Ebay I recently ran into a listing which I first thought had read incorrectly. It was the “The 80th Anniversary of the Victorious Battles in the Musan Area” set of stamps, with a date of publication of 22 May 2019. However, despite these stamps’ future day of issue here they were, available […]
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The greatest difficultly in studying DPRK stamps is that reliable references are very limited in number, and the information available might be incomplete or even incorrect. Some stamps are without images in catalogues, some are unissued; and once in a while, collectors may surprisingly find something they have never seen or known before. However, it […]
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