Stamp Collector

90 MAY 2020 www.allaboutstamps.co.uk Happiness may be a highly subjective thing but this theme is sure to bring a smile to any collector’s face, as a jovial Paula Hammond reveals Stamps to make you smile… A Z THEMATICS THEMATICS A cross the world there are increasing efforts to quantify exactly what it is that makes people happy. There’s a World Happiness Index which, since 2012, has set out to measure how happy people in different countries consider themselves to be and, in 2019, Finland became the happiest country in the world, for the second year in a row. The UEA takes happiness so seriously that in 2016, they became the first nation to appoint an official Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing. In 2019 New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, went a step further and announced she would be ditching GDP as an indicator of the nation’s success and replacing it with an Happiness Index. So,‘happiness’ as a thematic is not only on-trend but a topic that stamp issuing authorities have been quick to pick up on. Since 2013, the United Nations Postal Administration has issued regular stamps and FDCs to celebrate the International Day of Happiness and these would make a lovely start to any collection. 2014’s designs feature photographs of smiling people and animals and each includes the word ‘happy’ in one of the six official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Emirates Post followed up in 2016, with their own fun set of eight stamps which included the UAE flag, the sun, a date palm, and a smiley face. Under each image were printed words such as ‘friendliness’, ‘emotional connectedness’, ‘quest for knowledge and wisdom’ and ‘unity and love for country’. It was the tiny nation of Bhutan who pioneered the idea of ‘gross national happiness’, from which concepts such as the Happiness Index sprang. In 2008, to mark their participation in the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival, Bhutan Post issued a set of four postcards with imprinted Colour Your Own postage stamps that took ‘from gratitude springs happiness’ as their theme. Collectors may also be familiar with perhaps one of the world’s most unique and eye-opening philatelic issues, Bhutan’s 2014 Arts and Happiness Centre mini- sheet, which includes stamps festooned with illustrations of erect penises. Such images were traditionally used to drive away bad luck! While Bhutan’s bizarre release may be a little X-rated for some, there are plenty of releases that are much more family friendly. In fact, if a happiness theme is for you, then GB’s 2016 Mr. Happy stamp is guaranteed to make you smile. H IS FOR HAPPINESS Why collect? • Attractive stamps with lots of variety and visual appeal. • On trend. • A positive and uplifting thematic. • International Happiness Day ensures regular new stamp releases. Five notable releases 1992, GB, Happy & Glorious, Queen Elizabeth II: 40th anniversary of the accession issue 2008, Bhutan, Colour Your Own postage stamps 2014, UN, six-stamp set for International Happiness Day 2016, UAE, International Happiness Day, eight-stamp set 2016, GB, Mr. Happy stamp, as part of a ten stamp set celebrating the Mr & Little Miss books Expand the theme Letters and cards have been used to send happy greetings ever since the advent of the Penny Post. However motto stamps, greetings stamps, and more recently the likes of Smiler stamp sheets, are now a regular part of many postal authorities’ annual issues. There’s tons of choice, from GB’s first Smiler Sheet (2000) to the 1990 Greetings booklet stamps which inspired it. Collecting links The UN has its own stamp-themed website and store, keeping collectors up-to-date with the latest releases as well as a subscription service.