Goodbye 2009

Year 2009 has finally come to its last day - December 31, 2009. Many happenings had taken place in philately of Malaysia for year 2009. The most significant one is the error stamp of Unique Bird miniature sheet with missing "Malaysia" on the stamp. Second important thing is the use of special flourescent mark (new security) on commemorative stamps for the very first time in philately of Malaysia. Three stamp issues (Palm Trees, Conservation of Nature and Tuber Plants) were printed in this way. Thirdly, fancy stamp shapes appeared in miniature sheets - Palm Tree miniature sheet has a stamp with L shape and Archnid miniature sheet has a stamp with hexagon shape. Forthly, braille embrossed stamp appeared for the first time in the issue of Child's Rights. Fiftly, Pos Malaysia introduced postal automated machine (PAM) label in November 2009. This really surprised many ATM collectors of local and overseas.

Apart from stamps, interesting happening also occurred on postmarks. Slogan postmark One-Malaysia was introduced in August 2009 at Kuala Lumpur and Bandar Baru Bangi Mail Centres. Later on, the use of One-Malaysia slogan postmark has spread to many other mail centres throughout the country. Collecting One-Malaysia slogan postmark from all these mail centres is exciting indeed.

To the serious philatelists, collecting the definitive stamps for year 2009 is full of excitement. Change of gum type (greenish to brownish), watermark (SPM watermark to no watermark and back to SPM watermark), new Pos Malaysia logo (appears as imprint in stamp sheet) are just a few things that keep the philatelists runing up and down hunting for them.

By the way, I am doing a survey on the favourite stamp issues for year 2009 (see the right side of the blog). The survey is still on, please kindly cast your vote if you have not yet done so.

Finally, I heartily say goodbye to year 2009. A goodbye without showing postmark on December 31, 2009 is not complete. Hence, I am winding up this entry with two postmarks dated December 31, 2009 from two Pos Mini - Pos Mini Taman Sepakat Indah dan Pos Mini Sg Chua Kajang.


PM Tmn Sepakat Indah, Selangor; date: December 31, 2009
PM Sg Chua Kajang, Selangor; date: December 31, 2009

One-Malaysia Postmark from Various Mail Centres - Update

Raub, Pahang; date: December 26, 2009
Segamat, Johor; date: December 15, 2009
Butterworth 02, Pulau Pinang; date: December 9, 2009
K. Kinabalu 01, Sabah; date: December 2, 2009
Kuantan 01, Pahang; date: September 25, 2009
Temerloh 01, Pahang; date: September 19, 2009
Batu Pahat, Johor; date: November 3, 2009
Muar, Johor; date: November 11, 2009
Johor Bahru 02, Johor; date: November 5, 2009
Kota Bharu 01, Kelantan; date: November 24, 2009
Kuala Lumpur 03; date: November 18, 2009
Kuala Lumpur 09; date: September 7, 2009
Kuala Lumpur 04; date: October 19, 2009
Kuala Lumpur 02; date: August 26, 2009
Kuala Lumpur 12; date: August 26, 2009
Pusat Mel Kerajaan 01, Putrajaya; date: October 8, 2009
Ipoh 01, Perak; date: October 14, 2009
GPO P. Pinang 01, Pulau Pinang; date: October 22, 2009
Melaka 01, Melaka; date: October 23, 2009
Taiping, Perak; date: November 6, 2009
Kangar 1, Perlis; date: November 23, 2009
Kuching 01, Sarawak; date: November 17, 2009
B.B. Bangi 01, Selangor; date: September 1, 2009
B.B. Bangi 02, Selangor; date: August 28, 2009
Bukit Raja 03, Selangor; date: October 21, 2009
Bukit Raja 01, Selangor; date: October 26, 2009
Kuala Terengganu 01, Terengganu; date: October 21, 2009
Alor Setar 01, Kedah; date: October 10, 2009

2005 Bird Definitive 50 sen - 2009/2

The serial number for 50 sen bird defintive is now 2009/2............

Kajang Postmarks

Currently, there are nine circular handstamps being used in Kajang Post Office. Six of them are "K" handstamps and three are "P" handstamps.


Pos 2020 Kajang K1, Selangor; date: December 26, 2009
Kajang 2020 K2, Selangor; date: December 26, 2009
Pos 2020 Kajang K3, Selangor; date: December 26, 2009
Pos 2020 Kajang K4, Selangor; date: December 26, 2009
Kajang 2020 K5, Selangor; date: December 26, 2009
Pos 2020 Kajang K6, Selangor; date: December 26, 2009
Kajang PBB, Selangor; date: June 11, 2009
Kajang PBB1, Selangor; date: August 8, 2008
Kajang PBB2, Selangor; date: May 3, 2007

Taiwan - Ferns

Postal authority of Taiwan released a set of fern stamps on November 26, 2009. The stamps are just beautiful, and the thing I like them because part of the printing of the stamps is recess printing. The recess printing appears on the black colour outline of the fern images, the name of the country and the names of fern species. Four fern species are depicted on the stamps, i.e. Aplenium nidus ($5), Cyathea spinulosa ($9), Cyathea lepifera ($12) and Cibotium taiwanense ($25). Pos Malaysia will also be issuing fern stamp in June 2010. I am looking forward for the fern stamps of Malaysia.

A Registered Cover from Taiwan

Sinsing; date: December 11, 2009

An ATM Cover from Taiwan

SinSing; date: December 15, 2009

Domestic Registered Cover 034

Jalan Laksamana B, Melaka; date: December 17, 2009

Garden Flower Definitive MS - Perforation

The Garden Flower State Definitives was re-issued in format of mini sheetlet on November 24, 2009. Perforation P13.75x14 (type-1) is the standard perforation size for these stamps in the mini sheetlets. However, perforation P14.5x14.75 (type-3) has also been found for this re-issued stamps. Up to date, only Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan mini sheetlets have the two types of perforation, and of course the type-3 is less common.

So, how to tell the type of perforation for these definitive stamps without using perforation gauge? It is very simple, and what you need to do is to count! Type-1 (P13.75x14) has 18 pin holes at the horizontal perforation (see below; top image) while type-3 (P14.5x14.75) has 19 pin holes instead.


top: type-1 perforation with 18 pin holes; bottom: type-3 perforation with 19 pin holes


To my surprise, the interesting part of perforation variation for these mini sheetlets does not just stop here. What happens is that the type-3 mini sheetlets for Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan are not strictly type-3 perforation but a composite one (see the illustration below)! All the horizontal perforated sides on these mini sheetlets have a size of P14.5 (characteristics of type-3) and the all vertical perforated side except the right most have a size of P14.75 (characteristics of type-3). However, the right most vertical perforated side for these mini sheetlets has a perforation size of P14 (characteristics of type-1)! This means that the 5 sen, 10 sen, 30 sen and 40 sen stamps have a perforation of P14.5x14.75 (true type-3) while the 20 sen and 50 sen stamps have a perforation of P14.5x14.75 but P14 at right (composite type). Up to date, composite perforation has not been recorded in all the reprints (in sheet of 100 stamps) of definitive stamps (agro-based, fruit and bird). It is very unlikely to have composite perforation when these garden flower state definitives appear later in sheet-of-100 re-prints. In other words, the 20 sen and 50 sen stamps with composite perforation would most likely be available only from these mini sheetlets.


the green colour lines are that of type-3 and the red colour line is that of type-1


For those who are interested in perforation variation, you had better check your mini sheetlets..... you may be lucky to get this type-3 perforation mini sheetlets. I believe that type-3 perforation mini sheetlet might also exist for other states. I will be delighted if you inform me their existance. I am very happy to exchange with you with Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan type-3 ones!

2005 Bird Definitive RM1 - 2009/2

The serial number for RM1 bird defintive is now 2009/2........ The RM1 stamp of the previous serial number (2009/1) has inverted watermark. However, RM1 stamp from serial number 2009/2 has upright watermark.

Malaysia - Slogan Postmark

The slogan postmark below reads as:


PERKHIDMATAN KERAJAAN
KE ARAH KECEMERLANGAN

Jalan Sultan Petaling Jaya, Selangor; date: March 15, 1989

Malaysia - Slogan Postmark

The slogan postmark below reads as:


BERSATU
MEMBENTERAS
JENAYAH

Jalan Sultan Petaling Jaya, Selagnor; date: December 6, 1989