Happy Spooky Halloween Dear Stamp Collectors! I love all scottish related so it is fun to recall that Halloween actually originates from Scotland. Back then it was called Samhain,  a Gaelic and Pagan commemoration of the end of the harvest season. The belief was that the link between the living and those who had passed on was heightened, and that the ghosts of the deceased could mingle with the living. Samhain figured into the adventures of mythological celtic hero Fionn mac … Continue reading →

Three-Cent Stamp Philosophy in Fargo Film Earlier in the film, we see that Norm’s working on a painting of some mallard ducks as part of a competition to get a picture on a stamp. He doesn’t win the prize he wanted, however: he only gets his painting on the 3-cent stamp. Norm tells Marge at the end of the movie, as they watch TV in bed: “Hautman’s blue-winged teal got the twenty-nine cent. People don’t much use the three-cent.” But … Continue reading →

On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the existence of the National Grand Lodge of Romania, commemorative postage stamps were released to celebrate its establishment. The issue, consisting of two postage stamps and a perforated souvenir sheet, brings to the attention of passionate stamp collectors’ novel aspects of the existence and activity of this fraternal society. Masonry as we know it today, has arrived in Romania at the beginning of 17th century, coming from Istanbul along with the ships … Continue reading →