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MAY-JUNE 2021 Issue # 463

HEADS UP! If there is a big red X next to your name on the mailing label, it means that this will be your very LAST ISSUE. It’s not too late — you will have a Dues Page in- X cluded with your copy. Send it in with your remittance and you won’t miss an issue. NEWS SAMPLE PAGE SAMPLE-2

New Issues Europa 2021 Endangered National Wildlife

For all of these write-ups, I’ll refer often to the 1v

International Union for the Conservation of Na- Issue date ture (IUCN), whose Red Book is the bible for en- 7 May 2021 dangered species classification.

Although the series designation is Endangered National Wildlife, it appears that many coun- tries, such as below, didn’t quite get the memo, and decided to present just European Titled simply Endangered Fauna, the stamp wildlife, whether threatened or not. Many coun- pictures what I’m guessing to be the following: tries also picked the same . The European Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia Bathsheba) or Wall Lynx, for example, is a series favorite. I’ll try not Brown (Lassiommata megra) , to duplicate my descriptions, but won’t guaran- Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), tee it. Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex), or (Rupicapra So, with all that said, here come the stamps …. rupicapra) European Skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii)

Those last two are a WAG (Wild-Ass AUSTRIA 1v Guess); the first three are more of a SWAG

Issue date (Scientific Wild-Ass Guess). I’m basing my 8 May 2021 guesses on the assumption (always risky) that they are all common, and classified as Least Concern, even though they are said to be En- dangered on the stamp.

The ( lupus), also known as the gray Spanish ANDORRA 1v

or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia Issue date and North America. The global wild wolf popu- 30 April 2021 lation was estimated to be 300,000 in 2003 and is considered to be of Least Concern by the

IUCN. The Eurasian wolf, however, once wide-

spread, is now more scarce, as it was hunted

almost to extinction during the up until WW II. The recovery of European wolf The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), also populations began after the 1950s, when tradi- known as the lammergeier and ossifrage, is tional pastoral and rural economies declined a bird of prey and the only member of the ge- and thus removed the need to heavily perse- nus Gypaetus. The population of this species cute . The Eurasian Wolf and continues to decline. In 2004, it was classified the are now legally protected in by the IUCN Red List as least concern; since most European countries, for the most part in 2014, it is listed as Near Threatened. The accord with the Bern convention on Endan- bearded vulture is the only known vertebrate gered Species. whose diet consists almost exclusively (70 to — from Wikipedia 90 percent) of bone. — from Wikipedia NEWS SAMPLE PAGE SAMPLE-3

New Issues Europa 2021 Endangered National Wildlife

SWITZERLAND 2v 2v from a set of 5v

Issue date 20 May 2021 Issue date 23 March 2021 The Northern Checkered

Skipper (Carterocephalus The Woodland Brown silvicola) is found in north- and the scarce Large ern and north and Blue – two east Asia. that could hardly be more different. But they do have one thing in common: both are The Pearl-bordered classified as endan- Fritillary (Boloria eu- gered species in Swit- phrosyne) is wide- zerland. spread throughout

The designs are of the woodland brown Europe, ranging (Lopinga achine) and the scarce from Scandinavia to ( teleius) – because are also northern and classified as wild animals. The illustrations from eastwards seek to highlight the delicate nature of these across the Palearctic to and to the animals through a highly detailed and lifelike north of . In England and Wales style. (plus another 10 countries) it has declined rap-

— from Swiss Post idly in number and is a highly threatened spe- cies. — from Wikipedia

GERMANY 1v

Issue date 6 May2021

Tragosoma depsarium

Ceruchus chrysomelinus

Mycetoma suturale

Here come the Beetles, where it appears that the little critters are crawling over the top of the stamp. I’m guessing that this may be a self -adhesive stamp, as some may be averse to licking it. That fella in the upper right looks The stamps are like it could give you a nasty bite. None of also available tete- these appear endangered. beche in a ms of 4 — from Wikipedia sets as shown —> NEWS SAMPLE PAGE SAMPLE-4

New Issues European Sporting Events

MONACO 1v ms

Issue date Issue date 3 December 2020 25 March 2021 Slovenia's Tour de France Heroes European Football Championship

Initially planned for 2020 before being post- poned due to COVID-19, the European Foot- ball Championship (hopefully) takes place from 11 June to 11 July 2021. For the first time in its history, it will not be organized by a single country, but will take place right across Europe, in a dozen selected host cities. The Stadio Olimpico in Rome will be the venue for the opening match, and the final will be con- tested at Wembley, in London.

— from Office des Timbres, Monaco

HUNGARY 1v

Issue date 29 March 2021

European Aquatics With their double victory in this year's Tour de Championships France, Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič rec- orded the greatest achievement of Slovene cy- The Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN) was cling to date and triggered a new wave of sport- ing euphoria in Slovenia. founded in Budapest in 1926 – it is the oldest continental federation governing and coordi- For three weeks, thanks to these two cycling nating the aquatic disciplines. The LEN Euro- aces, Slovenia was in the global media spot- pean Championships is the world’s oldest con- light, with journalists from the world's biggest news organizations making the journey to the tinental event for aquatic sports. Europe is sunny side of the Alps to film reports in the still the only continent where competitions ex- birthplace of these champions. clusively for aquatic sports are held every two years. The initial euphoria has died down, but the echo of their achievement will resound for a In 2021 the event returns to its place of incep- long time to come. Cycling clubs across the tion because Budapest hosted the champion- country are reporting a record jump in the ship on the first occasion in 1926. This year’s numbers of children and youngsters wanting to event will be held from 17 to 30 August join. All of them with the same dream. The dream of becoming the new Primož or Tadej! (postponed from 2020 due to COVID-19).

— from Magyar Posta — Slovenian Cycling Federation as quoted in Pošta Slovenije

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“The Luster Chronicles” The 1960 EUROPA Stamps — a Monograph by Steve Luster, Part 2

The Luster Chronicles” starts the 1960 stamp issues with the issue from Austria. See EN# 462– for the first installment of Steve’s monograph.

AUSTRIA

The common design used by most countries

Austria and Liechtenstein were the only countries, in 1960, to issue a Europa stamp that did not follow the common design for that year. The common design was a 19-spoke wheel forming the letter “O” in the word Europa.

The issue date of August 29, 1960 for Austria’s Europa stamp does not coincide with the dates of issue of the other CEPT countries. That date was mostly 19 Septem- ber 1960.

Austrian first day covers are found with a special cancel from the Salzburg 1 post office. The cancel commemorates “JUVABA 60” international stamp exhibition held in that city. The dates on “JUVABA 60” first day covers are all 29 August 1960.

The D’Urso Catalogue mentions “another first day cover” bearing a different special cancel, commemorating a European Management Conference held in Vienna on September 9, 1960. Covers with a CIOS cancel other then 19 September 1960 are, in my opinion, not first day covers.

The Scott Catalogue 2 indicates that the first day of issue for the Austrian 1960 Europa stamp is August 29, 1960. Scott indicates that the design is an “Ionic Capi- tal” (at the top of a column). Scott describes the design as “Europa: Idea of a United Europe.”

The Domfil Catalogue 3 indicates that the date of issue was 29 August 1960 and the design depicts a “Column.” The D’Urso Catalogue indicates that the “JUVABA 60” cancel was used as early as 27 August 27 but the catalogue does not describe the stamp.

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