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The Postmaster General, Mr Allan Chiang, announced today (September 8) that a set of Waterbird stamps depicting four species of wetland birds will be issued on Saturday, October 4 (a public holiday).
This is a joint stamp issue between Hongkong Post and Sweden Post and is the fourth joint stamp issue that Hongkong Post has organised with other postal administrations. The four species of waterbirds depicted are: Pied Avocet ($1.40), Horned Grebe ($2.40), Black-throated Diver ($3) and Great Crested Grebe ($5). These four species are representative of wetland birds as they show their specialised morphological adaptations to wetland environments. All four species are found in Sweden, and with the exception of the Black-throated Diver, they have been sighted in Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay areas of Hong Kong.
The stamps were designed by Mr Arde Lam and engraved by Mr Czeslaw Slania. This issue is printed in intaglio with lithography by Sweden Post Stamps.
Information about associated philatelic products of this issue and the sales restriction starting from October 4 are as follows:
Product: Mint Stamps (4 denominations)
Unit Selling Price: $1.40, $2.40, $3, $5
Sales Restriction (per customer queuing): 10 sheets of stamps of each denomination (250 sets of stamps)
Product: Presentation Pack (with full set of stamps)
Unit Selling Price: $20
Sales Restriction (per customer queuing): 5 packs
Product: Souvenir Pack (with 2 sets of stamps (2 x 4 stamps) issued by Hongkong Post and Sweden Post respectively)
Unit Selling Price: $58
Sales Restriction (per customer queuing): 5 packs
Product: Serviced First Day Cover with Hong Kong stamps
(with full set of stamps cancelled by special postmark, only available at 39 philatelic offices on October 4)
Unit Selling Price: $15.30
Sales Restriction (per customer queuing): 5 covers
Product: Serviced First Day Cover with Hong Kong stamps
(with 2 sets of stamps (2 x 4 stamps) cancelled by special postmarks of Hongkong Post and Sweden Post respectively, only available at 39 philatelic offices on October 4)
Unit Selling Price: $50.00
Sales Restriction (per customer queuing): 5 covers
Product: Prestige Stamp Booklet (with 2 sets of Hong Kong stamps)
Unit Selling Price: $23.60
Sales Restriction (per customer queuing): 5 packs
The stamps will be displayed at the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Sha Tin Central Post Office from September 13. Official First Day Covers at $1 each will go on sale at all post offices on the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided souvenir covers will be accepted at all post offices from September 13 to 19.
Hand-back service will be provided at all post offices on October 4 for official and privately-made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. A special postmark will also be introduced.
The GPO-1 postmark, the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmarks will also be available for hand-back service at all philatelic offices on that day.
All post offices (except mobile post offices) will open on October 4 from 9am to 1pm. The public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau will also open from 9am to 1pm for datestamping covers with the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark, the GPO-1 postmark as well as the special postmark.
End/Monday, September 8, 2003
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