<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Xanthe's Stamp Blog]]></title><description><![CDATA[Xanthe's Stamp Magazine]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/my-blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:04:54 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.xanthe.blog/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Countdown to 2030: Why We Need a 150th Anniversary Carols Stamp Set]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's that time of year now when we think of the annual Royal Mail Christmas stamps. Most Christmas stamps focus on the familiar themes, but stamp collectors also love a major historical milestone. It just so happens that a pretty important one is not far away...  December 2030 will mark the 150th anniversary of the very first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. This global Christmas tradition—now broadcast to millions from King's College by the BBC—didn’t actually start in Cambridge, but in...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/the-countdown-to-2030-why-we-need-a-150th-anniversary-carols-stamp-set</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ad3f9e90d456429c90d1a27</guid><category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category><category><![CDATA[Operation Carol]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 17 Oct 2026 23:05:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_18d08fd111f64aa3a28b132eb73c2ff0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_922,h_616,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Gold Delft Blue (Netherlands)]]></title><description><![CDATA[PostNL (Netherlands Post) has recently issued a "Gold Delft Blue" stamp. This contains 24-carat gold and shows a dish from the Royal Delft collection.  Post NL give us a lot of information about this stamp so I will let them explain: "Delft Blue is a type of earthenware featuring blue decorations that has been produced in Delft since the 17th century. It is renowned among enthusiasts worldwide, and Delft Blue tiles, decorative plates, tableware, apothecary jars, and vases are exhibited in...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-gold-delft-blue-netherlands</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6acfbf455510cf48b691470a</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:42:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_6a5579a2822d40d4a3dbc3855ea1ac5f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_482,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[SEPAC Stamps 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have just been alerted to this fabulous presentation pack / folder featuring all the SEPAC stamps from this year.  Some of these I have already reviewed but not all of them, so I thought it would be a good idea if I took a look at all of them so you can see them together. If I have already reviewed them I will just give my score and provide a link the the original post.  The folder contains stamps from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Monaco, Guernsey, Åland, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/sepac-stamps-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ad13e506074ebde81d0f98f</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:00:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_3eae87e65abd4f88a212b48fa938d44b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_431,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issues: Religious stamps from Europe]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the last few days there have been three new sets of religious stamps released, which I am going to take a look at. Sometimes collectors overlook stamps with religious themes, but I think that they can be every bit as interesting as other stamps and we can learn a lot from them. MALTA - Festa The first of them is from Malta. This is a place I have been to and while I was quite young I just about remember it. Malta has strong Roman Catholic traditions, and is supposed to be a place visited...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issues-religious-stamps-from-europe</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ac798ab8a6cb34ccd5aa9c1</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2026 19:06:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_4c08ab8b49db45be9a5eb4555e340673~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_352,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: World Postcard Day (Serbia)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Serbia's latest new stamp was for World Postcard Day on 1st October.  World Postcard Day was launched by Postcrossing in 2020. The idea is to encourage people to send postcards, celebrate the history of postcards and promote the joy of handwritten communication. I am surprised more countries haven't issued stamps supporting World Postcard Day (are you reading this, Royal Mail?) but at least Serbia has got in on the act and created this fantastic stamp. I think the designers have done exactly...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-world-postcard-day-serbia</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6acb78dcbb33f52511bddb79</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:26:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_7b64dea9a98c4960b03801b09f35a6b0~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_740,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Coffee Bean (Austria)]]></title><description><![CDATA[This new stamp from Austria not only looks like a coffee bean, it smells like one too!  Post AG is very proud of this stamp and tells us that it is "once again setting new standards in the particularly innovative design of stamps". I agree it is a bit different but it reminds me a bit of these fruit-shaped stamps from Tonga and of course there have been scented stamps before. In the past year I have reviewed to stamps from France, one of which was scented and the other smelled like...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-coffee-bean-austria</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aca08abb89f0f638e3f40dd</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2026 19:15:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_a4d2a4198615430fb5beb19aa12d9b4c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_718,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Heidi Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Winnie the Pooh (GB)]]></title><description><![CDATA[The next issue from Royal Mail issue will be released on 14th October and feature Winnie the Pooh. All of us will know about Winnie the Pooh and his friends Eeyore, Piglet, Owl, Tigger and Christopher Robin. This year marks the centenary of the publication of A.A. Milne's book,  Winnie the Pooh, which 100 years later is as popular as ever. I received a card from Royal Mail yesterday, which tells us that "this charming collection of special stamps celebrates the centenary of Winnie the Pooh...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-winnie-the-pooh-gb</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ac94976d3466ffa9b96ca59</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:22:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_0d3a40224015420d9ed9c821782da956~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_700,h_700,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Modern Irish Literary Fiction (Ireland)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ireland isn't a country that creates a huge sets (are you reading, Royal Mail?) and this issue of four stamps celebrates modern Irish literary fiction. I don't know a lot about Irish fiction. It's fair to say, I often don't know much about the subjects on commemorative stamps, which is why stamp collecting is so interesting - it teaches you so much about the world.  You might thing that the stamps show book covers but actually they don't. These are designs by  The books are:  That They May...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-modern-irish-literary-fiction-ireland</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abfd53cd486078ec776ed43</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 17:05:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_09807566ae754e85929c84d65ec90bbd~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: National Treasures (Isle of Man)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sometimes new stamps come out so quickly you can miss an issue. This happened with this issue. I was so looking forward to reviewing the Isle of Man's set about the life of John Harrison that I didn't notice that the Isle of Man Stamps and Coins had issued another set about National Treasures just ten days previously. It's easy to do when so many new issues come along at once. I know that I try to review every new issue from Royal Mail, The Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark,...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-national-treasures-isle-of-man</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab6d6b6a5a672108971fecd</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:18:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_3d4dc27e65c84bc285e32791ef0e4992~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_381,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issues: Scientific stamps (France, Åland, Netherlands, Croatia, Spain)]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the last few weeks there have been a few new European issues with a scientific theme. I am quite interested in science and I have decided to review all of them together partly because there is a shared theme and also because it is a really good thing to celebrate science.  France: 400th Anniversary of the National Museum of Natural History, Botanical Garden The Jardin des Plantes, the botanical garden that is part of the National Museum of Natural History (Muséum national d’Histoire...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issues-scientific-stamps-france-%C3%A5land-netherlands-croatia-spain</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab53c44531214060b53a1a1</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:18:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_8c58b1175cd34193b260449d865818d1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_357,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Heidi Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: British Grand Prix (Jersey)]]></title><description><![CDATA[The next issue from Jersey Stamps will be "British Grand Prix - 100 Years". It's a strange issue from Jersey Stamps, which normally focuses on local history and identity. This would be a much better fit for Royal Mail, which inexplicably doesn't feel 100 years of the British Grand Prix is worth celebrating, so I guess Jersey Stamps thought of the commercial possibilities...  Design quality: The cars should make this an exciting set, but the busy splashes of colour and crowded backgrounds make...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-british-grand-prix-jersey</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab41807536d88e3963d31a7</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:31:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_f90f75ad3bd54a9fb00d3dd3da3304fb~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_280,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: John Harrison (IOM)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here is the latest issue from the Isle of Man. This one celebrates the life and inventions of John Harrison (1893-1776). According to Isle of Man Stamps and Coins, John Harrison was a "self-taught Yorkshire carpenter and clockmaker whose extraordinary inventions transformed navigation.  "The designs feature a 17th century French cannon linked to the 1707 wreck of HMS Association, a portrait of Harrison, his H1 marine timekeeper, a replica of his 1713 wooden clock, his 1726 wooden regulator...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-john-harrison-iom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab40d5e536d88e3963d19b2</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:56:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_9fa1e429788547b5989b6897d02a3e3b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_847,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Blue Belt Programme 10th Anniversary (Tristan da Cunha)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Apologies for not doing a few more reviews in the last week. There have been some fantastic new issues from around the world so Xanthe and I will try to update you with them in the next few days. The first one is from Tristan da Cunha and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Blue Belt Programme. The programme has three "key pillars": Climate, Nature and People. The Tristan da Cunha Marine Protected Zone was established in 2021 and is an internationally recognised Blue Park. It covers almost...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-blue-belt-programme-10th-anniversary-tristan-da-cunha</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab2d6fa5b400fe8fbcfffb5</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:13:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_b7a502496107434ca93cdeaaff9cb0d2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Heidi Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[An unusual piece of military history]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last year at Stampex I picked up this very unusual piece of military history. I meant to write about it months ago but didn't get round to it, so I apologise. But I thought it is better late than never, and this is such a great piece.  I bought this from Stephen Taylor, who is a dealer speciaising in US postal history. He had a lot of military themed items, especially from World War II, which I was interested in. I bought a few things from him, but I found this very interesting. It was priced...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/an-unusual-piece-of-military-history</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa83015c1c672fb673ff8e9</guid><category><![CDATA[History]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:29:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_6f111d4619424cfebfa39c474c6e1535~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_628,h_370,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ideas for future stamps - a reply from Royal Mail]]></title><description><![CDATA[A few days ago, we wrote to Royal Mail to suggest some ideas for future commemorative stamps. You can read our suggestions here.  Royal Mail has sent a response very quickly, and here is what they have to say (in a slightly abridged form):  "Thank you very much for taking the tiume to compile and share such a thoughtful and wide-ranging set of suggestions for the Special Stamp Programme. We know a great deal of research and consideration has gone into these proposals, and we are particularly...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/ideas-for-future-stamps-a-reply-from-royal-mail</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa66df8f688f98da0ef5be3</guid><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 09:54:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_b6a15f92ad0942c19ce7c8bc028fef77~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Love the Postbox (South Africa)]]></title><description><![CDATA[To mark World Post Day (9th October), South Africa has issued a set of two stamps called "Love the Postbox". What is not to love about postboxes? I have never been to South Africa but they clearly have red postboxes too. And, if you look at the First Day Cover, you will see that they have a mixture of traditional as well as modern postboxes just like in the UK. Some of these are from the time when parts of South Africa were colonies of the British Empire, so perhaps it is not surprising that...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-love-the-postbox-south-africa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa426525462f0629b9c5b63</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:46:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_974798a1081d417db2d0ec2b1fec564a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_736,h_473,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Heidi Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Duran Duran (GB)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I received this card today from Royal Mail. This new issue will be released on 17th September (next Thursday) and will celebrate Duran Duran. This is the latest in a series dedicated to Music Giants. In recent years we have had stamps for AC/DC, The Who, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, Queen and Pink Floyd. This design was first used for a special set celebrating The Beatles back in 2007. The card says that "few bands have shaped sound, style and visual culture quite like Duran Duran. Bold,...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-duran-duran-gb</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa4155d9e087d913e75d5a4</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:38:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_5cde471cce604bb2b016a8bdf29f3829~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_688,h_490,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Songbirds (Moldova)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Like the Falklands Islands' Summer issue, this is another issue I discovered when looking for something to buy. I am not sure exactly when they were issued, but the Free Stamp Catalogue has only listed them this week so they are quite recent. Stamps showing birds are always very popular but there are also an awful lot of them and they can sometimes feel quite "samey". These are a bit different and it is helpful that in this photograph we don't just see the stamps but the full border as well....]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-songbirds-moldova</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa1001c964dd94c03c78c43</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:48:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_0c9d54c936ba4c88808fbbb6ab84d592~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_681,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Summer (Falkland Islands)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have recently started a thematic collection of penguins. If you're into penguins then you may like stamps from places like the Falkland islands, Chile and the Antarctic Territories as they often create issues about penguins. After all, they have quite a lot of them! Recently I ordered a lot of stamps from the Falkland Islands Philatelic Bureau. Some of these were for my collection of penguins but not all. One of the sets I bought was this one, which is their most recent issue. Helpfully, I...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-summer-falkland-islands</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa05b41de6cabeb3fdee85e</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 07:05:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_101c0eb3d0a74726acc18842c1fd243e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_520,h_426,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Heidi Page</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Issue: Eminent Philatelists XII and XIII (Hungary)]]></title><description><![CDATA[So, this is a set that I just HAVE to review.  How many countries dedicate stamps to celebrate PHILATELISTS? Not many, although I have just discovered that Hungary has for many years and in 2017 Greece did the same with this interesting set (below). No women on there, I see... but fantastic to recognise philatelists. These stamps from Hungary are the latest in a serious of "personalised stamps" (I think a bit like the Smilers stamps some of you will remember) and they are basically a...]]></description><link>https://www.xanthe.blog/post/new-issue-eminent-philatelists-xii-and-xiii-hungary</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9eceb5ce54c576deb62442</guid><category><![CDATA[New Issues]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:18:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/427df8_3cf4db515d5f40dd9dcac2f0ef6a8006~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_560,h_262,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Xanthe Page</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>