PHILATELIC HIGHLIGHTS
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"Instant stamps" |
The year’s operational highlight was the
production of “instant” Australian Gold
Medallists stamps for the Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City. The stamps were designed
and printed within 24 hours of the medals
being awarded, maintaining the standard first
achieved during the Sydney Olympics.
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East Timor |
A special highlight was designing and
producing the first East Timor stamps for
the new nation. Two million stamps were
produced by Post as a gesture of friendship,
saving the East Timorese Government
around $150,000 in production costs, with
revenue from the stamp sales (expected to
be $500,000) assigned to that government.
The stamps, released on East Timor’s
Independence Day, 20 May 2002, were sold
in East Timor, at Australia Post’s domestic
outlets and internationally by mail order and
over the Internet.
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Joint stamp issues |
There were two joint issues. In August 2001
Australia Post produced a joint issue with
Sweden, honouring the Swedish botanist
Daniel Solander who accompanied Captain
Cook on the Endeavour voyage. In April
2002, Australia Post joined with France in an
issue celebrating the voyages of discovery
of Australian explorer Matthew Flinders and
French explorer Nicholas Baudin and their
historic meeting at Encounter Bay in 1802.
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Key stamp issues |
In this Year of the Horse, Post produced a new
zodiac sheetlet to commemorate Lunar New
Year in January 2002. The sheetlet, which
sold well, combines the Year of the Horse
miniature sheet with 12 zodiac stamps, each
representing one of the animals for which the
12 years in the Chinese zodiac are named.
The most popular issues were Wild Babies,
(featuring images of Australian animals by
leading children’s illustrator Roland Harvey,
issued for Stamp Collecting Month in October
2001); Motor Racing (Feb 2002); and Queen
Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee (April 2002).
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The year ahead |
After the past few “bumper” years, Philatelic
will reduce the size of its issue program to
earlier levels and work to consolidate this
business, with a view to seeking revenue
growth again from 2003.
STAMP GALLERY
Click on the thumbnail images to view large versions
Australian
Legends
2002
Joint issue
with Sweden
Christmas Island Lunar New Year - Year of the Horse
Stamp Collecting Month 2001 (Wild Babies)
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Motor Racing
Winter Olympics Australian Gold Medallists
East Timor Independence 2002
Nature of Australia - Desert
International stamp range
Birds of Prey
Joint issue with France
Queen's Jubilee
Desert Birds
Christmas 2001
Lighthouses
Commonwealth Parliamentary Meetings
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