Interesting Green: Stamp - Pond Life - Low Value Definitive Stamp (Date of Issue: 13 April 2011)

Source Website:
(Pictures)
http://shop.vpost.com.sg
https://shop.vpost.com.sg/vPOSTMall/execute/viewCatalog?catalog=DSE11

(Texts and Pictures)
www.singpost.com
http://www.singpost.com/downloads/media/press_release/11/PR20110412.pdf

Discover the Ecological Diversity in a Pond in the New Low Value Definitive Stamp

Singapore, 12 April 2011 - In this new low value definitive stamp series of 10 stamps to be released on 13 April 2011, SingPost brings the amazing diversity and beauty of a pond ecosystem which are part of our natural heritage that few of us may actually see.

This new low value definitive stamp series will complete the ‘Pond Life’ definitive collection. The high value definitive ‘Pond Life’ stamp set was issued on 16 February this year.

This set of low value definitive stamp sets with its intricate designs shows some commonly found life forms at a pond.

Date Of Issue : 13 Apr, 2011
Local Price : S$ 4.08
Overseas Price : S$ 4.08

PHOTO: Definitives - Pond Life (Low Value) - Stamps
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The eight low-value stamps feature the White-Collared Kingfisher (5¢), Diving Beetle (20¢), Common Redbolt (Dragonfly) (30¢), Ornate Coraltail (Damselfly) (45¢), Black Marsh Terrapin (50¢), White-Breasted Waterhen (55¢), Common Greenback (65¢) and Common Toad (80¢).

Date Of Issue : 13 Apr, 2011
Local Price : S$ 2.40
Overseas Price : S$ 2.40

PHOTO: Definitives - Pond Life (Low Value) - Self-adhesive Booklet
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The 1st Local and 2nd Local stamps spot the lovely Water Lily and the striking Water Hyacinth respectively. Water lily (Nymphaea) is a fresh water plant found in most parts of the world. It is rooted in soil in bodies of water, with leaves and flowers floating on the water surface. The leaves are round and the flowers are wonderfully showy and fragrant, lasting only a few days.

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant with broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves and has long, spongy and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purple-black.

Flowers are mostly lavender to pink in colour with six petals. Though in dense population, it can be quite a serious nuisance in water catchment areas and disrupts all life on and around the water area, there are studies on using the plant to detoxify sewage and sludge.

Date Of Issue : 13 Apr, 2011
Local Price : S$ 28.00
Overseas Price : S$ 26.17

PHOTO: Definitives - Pond Life (Low Value) - Collector Sheet
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There are less than 10 documented species of Kingfishers found in Singapore and the White-Collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris) featured in this set is one of the most commonly found species. Its aquamarine-blue upper parts and head, black bill, thick white collar and entirely white underparts, as well as its call that sounds like a harsh kek-kek kek-kek, like the White-throated kingfisher (halcyon smyrnensis) but with the notes in couplets and higher pitched, distinguish the White-collared Kingfisher from its cousins. It is a medium-sized kingfisher, measuring about 24cm in length. Both sexes are alike, although the female is more greenish in colour when seen in comparison with the male.

The Diving Beetle (Cybister rugosus, part of the family Dytiscoidea) is an aquatic diving beetle and rather sizeable. A voracious predator, this beetle hunts a wide variety of prey, including other insects, tadpoles, and small fish. They are able fliers, usually at night, when they use the reflection of moonlight to locate new water sources, this location method can sometimes cause them to land on wet roads or other hard wet surfaces.

When ready to dive, it stores a supply of air under its wings for breathing while under water. Two important worldwide genera (Dytiscus and Cybister) are more than 35 mm (1.4 inches) long and are raised and eaten as delicacies.

Date Of Issue : 13 Apr, 2011
Local Price : S$ 5.95
Overseas Price : S$ 5.58

PHOTO: Definitives - Pond Life (Low Value) - Presentation pack
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One of the world’s oldest insects - the dragonfly Common Redbolt, (Rhodothemis rufa) is commonly found in Singapore, particularly in weedy ponds, lagoons in lowland, and water channels. The dragonfly is a valuable predator that eats mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees and ants. The Dragonfly is also known as the Ruby Darter or Spine-legged red bolt. Sub adult males and brownish colored females have a characteristic cream colored stripe reaching from prothorax to almost mid-abdomen. On the other hand, fully matured males are bright red in colour.

The Damselfly, Ornate Coraltail (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum), also known as Bi-coloured Damsel, is the most common and beautiful species of damselflies. It is easily found in many of Singapore’s parks particularly around ponds, drains, canal, open streams, and is relatively big in size compared to other damselflies.

The Black Marsh Terrapin (Siebenrockiella crassicollis) is known as the 'Smiling Terrapin' on account of its upwardly curved jaw line. Growing only to about 20 cm in size, this is one of the region's smallest terrapins. It feeds on frogs, freshwater prawns, worms and snails, as well as carrion.

The White-Breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is the most common of the Rail family in Singapore. It feeds mainly on seeds, insects, small fish, and also nibble on worms, shoots and roots of marsh plants.

The Common Greenback (Rana erythraea) is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. Commonly found near a pond, it lives in damp grass and undergrowth, and plunges into the water when alarmed. Its diet includes insects, worms and slugs, and its eggs are laid in clumps.

The Common Toad or Asian Toad (Bufo melanostictus) is differentiated from a frog by its shorter legs and warty skin, and its eggs are laid in long strings. It hides in the ground and hunts for food at night, feeding on insects, larvae, spiders, slugs and worms. Larger toads may also eat small reptiles and rodents, which are swallowed alive.

Products on Sale

Stamp collectors will be thrilled with the specially-wide range of stamp products that come with this issue, notably the special collector’s sheet, priced at S$28.00, which presents all the 14 high and low value stamps, and two different first-day covers, i.e. the Pre-cancelled First Day Cover affixed with 1st local and 2nd local stamps (S$1.25) and the Pre-cancelled First-Day Cover affixed with 5¢, 20¢, 30¢, 45¢, 50¢, 55¢, 65¢ and 80¢ stamps (S$4.35). First day cover will be cancelled with a special ‘Pond Life’ postmark.

Apart from the special collector’s sheet and Pre-cancelled First-Day Covers, collectors can also purchase the complete set of ten stamps (S$4.08), the Presentation Pack (S$5.95), and self-adhesive stamp booklet (S$2.55). SingPost is extending S$0.15 discount for 1st local stamp booklets/stamp sheets of 10s, started on 15 May 2010, to a full year ending 14 May 2011.

All stamp products of this issue will be on sale from 13 April 2011 at all post offices and the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Orders can also be made at SingPost’s online shopping portal, vPOST, http://shop.vpost.com.sg.

Definitive stamps are stamps produced to meet normal postal demand, with new issues released every three to five years. SingPost’s last definitive stamp series was issued in 2007 featuring flora and fauna.

Information and enquiries
For more information on this new stamp issue, please visit http://www.singpost.com.

Items on Sale & Price

First Day Cover (without stamps) S$0.25*
Pre-cancelled First-Day Cover affixed with 1st and 2nd local stamps S$1.25*
Pre-cancelled First-Day Cover affixed with 5¢, 20¢, 30¢, 45¢, 50¢,
55¢, 65¢ and 80¢ stamps S$4.35*
Complete set of stamps (1st local, 2nd local, 5¢, 20¢, 30¢, 45¢, 50¢, 55¢, 65¢ and 80¢) S$4.08
Self-adhesive Stamp Booklet (1st local x 10 stamps) S$2.55
Presentation Pack S$5.95*
Collectors’ Sheet S$28.00

* Prices inclusive of prevailing GST for purchases within Singapore

Technical Details

Date of Issue : 13 April 2011
Denominations : 1st local, 2nd local, 5¢, 20¢, 30¢, 45¢, 50¢, 55¢, 65¢ and 80¢
Stamp Size : 30 mm x 27 mm - 1st Local, 2nd Local, 40 mm x 30 mm - 5¢, 20¢, 30¢, 45¢, 50¢, 55¢, 65¢ and 80¢
Collectors’ Sheet : 240 mm x 155 mm
Self-adhesive Stamp Booklet : 70 mm x 80 mm
Perforation : 14
Sheet Content : 50 stamps per sheet
Paper : Unwatermarked
Printing Process : Rotogravure
Printer : Joh Enschede Sercurity Print
Designer : Eric Kong (Design Vizio)

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Stamp - Pond Life - Low Value Definitive Stamp (Date of Issue: 13 April 2011)