Sandy Island - 2021 issues
All stamps issued under CPEA auspices display the blue CPEA logo with the Southern Cross constellation.
Commemorative Issue "Events 2020/2021"
In the years 2020 and 2021, both the CoVid 19 crisis and the Climate Crisis sent shockwaves through the world which also severely affected Sandy Island. The CoVid crisis is leading to much death and suffering all over the world. Although it was expected that Sandy Island, due to its isolation, would be spared this suffering, this was proven false by end of 2020, when Postmaster Fabio Vaccarezza fell ill and succumbed to the virus. Sandy Island Agency has decided to honour the late postmaster with a stamp depicting a black-and-white drawing showing his portrait (1.10 Rupees)
A consequence of this sad event was the taking over of Sandy Island postal services by CPEA in November 2021. This is celebrated by a 1.65 Rupees stamp. The stamp depicts a "Postal Delivery Combine", consisting of a car and a canoe, enabling the mailman to reach smaller settlements and islands. In the background, the Central Post Office in Mott City is shown.
Sandy Island Agency supports the CoVid 19 vaccination effort with a Commemorative issue depicting a syringe above a structure which on first glance resembles a CoVid virus with its spikes - actually it is based on the processed image of a Caribbean Agave plant, on which empty eggshells have been placed, a peculiar Grenadian tradition. The late postmaster surely would have supported the ongoing vaccination effort - sadly the vaccine came too late for him.The stamp has a value of 1.80 Rupees.
The fourth stamp of this issue, with a value 0.55 Rupees, is dedicated to the worldwide Climate Crisis which, through rising seas and dying coral reefs, very much affects our island. Sandy Island has both volcanic highlands and extended sandy plains. Mott City, our capital, is located on such plains and will have to be moved to higher lands in the next few decades, while the livelihoods of our citizens are in danger due to fish and agricultural lands loss. On 2021.02.29, Sandy Island was directly hit by Cyclone Niran , a category 5 cyclone, which, if not caused by the Climate Crisis, was surely boosted by the rising sea temperatures.
Sandy Island Agency has decided to dedicate the stamp to the cultural dimension of the Climate Crisis - the city of Venice, Italy, will be the culturally most important object to fall victim to the rising seas at some point in the 21th century. The stamp depicts the "Canale Grande", where the most famous palaces of the city are located, together with a diagram showing the rising global temperature.
The specifications of the stamps are:
- Printed on ungummed matt paper
- Line perforation
- Designed by J.Schwarz
- Colour laser printing by Chan Hui Shudian Printing S.A., Minaue, Waikoa Island
- Printed in single motive sheets containing 10 stamps each.
- Combination sheetlets with all 4 motives are also issued, containing 2 stamps of each motive and 4 of the F. Vaccarezza stamp, with a tete-beche pair.
- Printing run 140 stamps for each motive
- Issue date 2021.12.12
- Values: 0.55 / 0.85 / 1.10 / 1.65 Rs
- Currently valid
- Order Number SI-202101 - full set of single stamps (CW 4.15)
- Order Number SI-202101-MS - combination sheetlet (CW 12.30)
Definitive Issue "Shells I"
As the postal exchange between Sandy Island and especially the Federated Micronations has been growing since CPEA took over the postal service, the necessity to create Definitive stamps has been accepted by the Sandy Island Agency. It is planned to issue only 2 or 3 values per year in the next few years, to cover important local and overseas postage fees. The Definitives will be printed by yourstamps in Balangrad City to ensure short turnaround times for the CPEA administration, located in the same city. As a motive, shells were selected as there is a huge number of different shells found on the beaches of Sandy Island.
- 0.85 Rupees - Tritonium flandricum australis, from a 1910 lithograph by Eberhard Fraas. (Local standard letters)
- 1.10 Rupees - Lambis truncata (Giant Spider Conch), from a 1985 etching by J.Schwarz. (Overseas light letters < 10g)
The specifications of the stamps are:
- Printed on gummed matt paper
- Fixed small format perforation
- Colour laser printing (Kyocera) by yourstamps, Balangrad City, Federated Micronations
- Printed in single motive sheets containing 35 stamps each.
- Combination sheetlets with all 4 motives are also issued
- First printing run 280 stamps for each motive
- Issue date 2021.11.21
- Values: 0.85 / 1.10 Rs
- Currently valid
- Order Number SI-202102 (CW 1.95)
|