CY@CY Says Welcome to my dreamscape. Where a Lim is also a Ling.
Pos Malaysia Berhad launched its latest stamp series “150 Years Sarawak Stamps” today in commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the issuance of the first stamp of Sarawak on March 1, 1869. Only 22,000 miniature sheets priced at RM5 each were issued and as expected, they are selling like hot cakes.
The First Day Cover issued in commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the issuance of the first stamp of Sarawak.
The miniature sheet features the images of some Sarawak stamps with the image of Sarawak’s first stamp printed in gold ink. The first Sarawak stamp featured a portrait of Sir James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak. The top left and right hand corners of that stamp feature the alphabet J and B respectively while the lower left and right corners feature the alphabet R and S. The alphabets JBRS stand for James Brooke Rajah Sarawak.
First Sarawak Stamp
I was at Miri Post Office just after 8am this morning and there was a small queue of people lining up to buy the first day covers. Each person was only allowed to buy 2. I managed to buy 2 and the first day covers and miniature sheets were sold out shortly after I had made my purchase. The post office staff told us only 30 plus first covers were available at the Miri Post Office. I find that unbelievable taking into consideration that 22,000 were issued. The first day covers were not available at the Boulevard Shopping Mall post office or the Lutong Post Office. I smelled something fishy. Everyone who purchased the first day covers this morning were unanimous in their opinions that the first day covers will be worth a lot in future.
The people queuing to buy the first day covers this morning were all senior citizens. It would seem that stamp collecting is a hobby of senior citizens. The young generation nowadays seems disinterested in stamp collecting. I find that to be a real pity as they are missing out on the joy of stamp collecting. And stamp collecting can be lucrative if you are lucky. The Golden Monkey Stamp or Gēngshēn Monkey is a postage stamp issued in China in 1980 of which 5 million copies were printed. Although not rare, the stamp has come to symbolise the strong market for collectable postage stamps in Asia. Demand for the stamp has made it one of the most sought after contemporary Chinese stamps. Although the stamp was initially common, a full sheet of 80 sold for 1.2 million yuan (USD180,000) in 2011 with a single stamp selling for 10,000 yuan (USD1,500), which was 125,000 times more than its original price of 8 fen. The stamp has a Scott Catalogue value of USD1,800 for a stamp in mint condition and a Scott Catalogue value of USD550 for a used stamp. There are people selling this stamp way above its catalogue value. If you don’t believe me, just go to this link: http://www.zeppy.io/product/us/2/132569554045/china-1980-t-46-gengshen-monkey-year-mnh-og-scott-1586-genuine-stamp-rare
China 1980 Monkey Stamp
For those of you curious about the price of the first stamp of Sarawak, it has a Scott Catalogue value of USD60 if it is a mint stamp and a Scott Catalogue value of USD240 if it is a used one.