Singapore is hosting one of the world’s most high profile philatelic events – the Singapore 2015 World Stamp Exhibition.
The exhibition is held every 10 years under the patronage of the Federation lnternationale de Philatelie (FIP) and auspices of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP).
Singapore Post (SingPost) is the main sponsor of the exhibition (August 14-19) at the Sands Expo & Convention Center.
A rare visual treat of over 2,000 frames of philately items from 450 exhibitors from 66 countries are on display. Key highlights include award-winning collections from prominent local and international collectors, exhibits showing the development of Singapore’s postal history and stamps over more than 180 years and in celebration of Singapore’s 50th Year of Independence, reports artdaily.org.
The exhibition showcases an extensive range of philately exhibits ranging from Traditional Philately, Postal History, Thematic Philately (topics include culture, technology and nature), Maximaphily, Revenue, Aerophilatey, Astrophilately, Youth Philately, Philatelic Literature, Postal Stationery and a recently introduced class of Modern Philately (21st century).
Philatelic gems from 27 FIP Grand Prix Members, including four prominent Singapore philatelists, are being displayed in the Court of Honor, a section that showcases award-winning exhibits. The estimated value of the displayed items is over 10 million Singapore dollars.
The world famous Mauritius “Post Office” Printing Plate is also on display. The Mauritius “Post Office” stamps are among the world’s rarest stamps, with a “Bordeaux” cover with both the one penny and two pence stamps auctioned for the equivalent of $4 million in 1993. The words “Post Office” appear in the left panel of the stamps printed, but on the following issue in 1848, these words were replaced by “Post Paid.” This is the first time in Asia and the second time in the world, that the printing plate will be exhibited in public.
Stamps in Singapore are printed by well-established international security printers. Often considered a rarity in the philatelic world, a collection of rare philately errors of Singapore stamps is also being showcased.
The exhibition features special collections from the Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) in celebration of the Golden Jubilee. Titled “Then and Now: Formative Years & 50th Anniversary,” 10 frames of stamp exhibits from the museum collection date from the 1960s and 1970s, and 2013 – 2015. Visitors can see rare philatelic materials such as the republic’s first stamp, color proofs of miniature sheets and even the first day cover addressed to the first prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, in 1969.
