Watermark Varieties of Malaysia Stamps 2010

The Malaysia recent stamps are full of watermark (SPM) variety. Some of these watermark varieties occur almost in equal number, and some of them happen to be less common. Looking for those less common watermark varieties is definately challenging but fun. One has to spend time to look for them, and of course, one has to have luck to bump into them. Do you collect watermark varieties of the Malaysia recent stamps? If you are not familiar with the terminologies of SPM watermark, you may visit to this entry for information.

I'm listing down here those varieties found/recorded for stamps issued in 2010. I may not own all these watermark varieties. The rarity of the watermark varieties stated here is just a guide, and their rarity status needs thorough study to verify. This list is by no mean exhaustive. Your help is sought to make this list more comprehensive.


Malaysia-Korea Joint Issue (Tigers) - 23 Feb 2010
- both the 50s stamps (Malayan and Korean tiger stamps) have sideway up and sideway down watermark. The sideway down watermark is less common.

Local Markets - 23 Mar 2010
- the 50s setenant pair stamps have upright and inverted watermarks. The upright watermark is rare.

Medical Excellence - 26 Apr 2010
- the 30s stamp has sideway up and sideway down watermarks. The sideway up watermark is less common.
- the 50s stamp has sideway up and sideway down watermarks. The sideway up watermark is less common.

Fireflies - 10 May 2010
- the 30s (Pteroptyx beami) stamp has sideway up and sideway down watermarks. The sideway down watermark is less common.
- the 30s (Pteroptyx valida) stamp has sideway up and sideway down watermarks. The sideway down watermark is rare.

Malayan Railway - 22 Jun 2010
- setenant pair 30s stamps have sideway down and inverted watermarks. It looks like the inverted watermark is rare.
- the RM3 miniature sheet has upright and inverted watermarks. the upright watermark is less common.

National Definitive Series (Garden Flowers) - 1 Jul 2010
- all the eight denominations (30s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, RM1 and RM2) have both upright and interverted watermarks with roughly equal number.

Threatened Habitats - 15 Jul 2010
- the 60s stamp has sideway up and sideway down watermarks. The sideway up watermark is less common.

Brave Warriors - 31 Jul 2010
- the 60s stamp has upright and inverted watermarks. The inverted watermark is less common.

Traditional Festival Food - 10 Aug 2010
- the booklet stamps (10 different stamp altogether) have sideway up and sideway down watermarks with roughly equal number.

A Tax Cover

All these while Pos Malaysia had turned a blind eye on underpaid mail by just stamping the underpaid mail with "T" mark without collecting the tax (apply postage due stamps). However, thing is changing now, and I have the feeling that Pos Malaysia is enforcing the tax collecting for underpaid mail. Below is a letter sent from Sg Petani, Kedah to an address in Kuala Lumpur on July 27, 2010. The correct postage rate for this letter should be 80s. However, the sender put only 30s postage stamp on the letter. So, the letter is underpaid for 50s. This is depicted in the blue T mark on the letter indicating the 80s and 50s differences. The payable tax is two times the underpaid value - 2x 50s. The postal staff put a hand writing (in red colour) 2x at the back of 50s indicating total payable value RM1. The blue T mark was stamped/cancelled by the GPO Kuala Lumpur. You may also see a black triangle T mark on the letter. The black triangle T mark was stamped/cancelled at Sg Petani PO. What happened was that GPO Kuala Lumpur sent a note to the receiver informing the underpaid letter and the need to collect the letter at GPO Kuala Lumpur. The letter was then collected by the receiver on August 16, 2010 at GPO Kuala Lumpur. The receiver had to pay RM1 to obtain the letter, and the postal staff at the GPO Kuala Lumpur counter stuck two pieces of 50s postage due stamps on the letter. The postage due stamps were cancelled at the GPO Kuala Lumpur dated on August 16, 2010.

This tax cover is said a fully serviced tax cover - tax marks and postage due stamps!

A Cover from Singapore

Below is a nice cover from Singapore. Two 1st class stamps (commemorate the Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore) are used to send this cover. I am not sure if the postage rate is correct. I would be highly delighted if the correct postage rate is employed on the letter/cover. Anyway, this cover is cancelled with a beautiful slogan postmark commemorating the Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore on August 14-26, 2010. The postmark was dated on August 16, 2010.

Non-Definitive Stamps - Period of Use

Many of us feel highly delighted when we receive letters/covers (not first day covers) franked with beautiful non-definitive stamps (commemorative or special stamps). However, there are too many instances that these nice letters/covers are franked with "old" stamps - for example letters/covers sent/postmarked in August 2010 franked with commemorative/special stamps issued in 1990s or even older. Honestly, the covers/letters with this type of situation look "odd" in my eyes. I don't know if you also have similar feeling when you receive these type of letters/covers. In philatelic words, this situation is known as out of period of use.

Now, you may ask what is the exactly the definition for within period of use. Well, it is very subjective, and it very much depends on individuals. I supposed the commemorative/special stamps used with two weeks after their date of release will definately be superb. Use within two months after the release date is also good; use within six months after the release date is not too bad; use within one year after the release date is acceptable........ well, the covers/letters would definately become more and more unpalatable when the date drags on.....

Are you on the same boat as I on the issue of period of use? hehehehehehehe...........

18 Years Old Again.............

On August the 16th, the owner of this blog was celebrating his birthday. Someone asked the owner of this blog his age, and the owner of this blog told that person that he was 18 years old last August, and he is 18 years old again this August, and he will be 18 years also next August...... hehehehehehehehe

The postmarks below dated on August 16, 2010 to cheer up the owner of this blog for his birthday..... :)

Happy Family.........

I have been looking for serial number of garden flower stamps for all the eight denominations. Finally, I've obtained the last two mising denominations in my collection - 50s and RM1. Now, I have serial number for all the eight denomintions of the garden flower definitives - happy family!

Below are the serial numbers for the denominations 50s and RM1. Click here to see serial numbers for 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s; click here to see serial number for 30s; click here to see serial number RM2.

It Is Fading Away.........

Bandar Baru Bangi Mail Centre is still using 1-Malaysia slogan machine cancellation for most of the mail. The 1-Malaysia slogan cancellation in Bandar Baru Bangi Mail Centre was first introduced some time in August 2009. It has been a year since the introduction of 1-Malaysia slogan cancellation in the mail centre, and I believe that the cancellation cast has never been changed or replaced. Therefore, the 1-Malaysia slogan postmark could not be seen clearly (blur......) on the covers cancelled lately.... Sometimes, I was just wondering if the vision of 1-Malaysia is just fading away by time...... hehehehehe


this 1-Malaysia slogan postmark dated on August 28, 2009 - very clear slogan postmark
this 1-Malaysia slogan postmark dated on July 9, 2010 - very blur slogan postmark

Some Covers from Thailand

I received these nice covers from Thailand recently..........