Closeup views of the five 50 cents stamps issued for the Golden Jubilee of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Stamps for Royal Brunei Armed Forces 50th Golden Jubilee
Last year the Royal Brunei Armed Forces celebrated its 50th Anniversary. I thought there will be stamps to commemorate the Golden Jubilee but there were not any. On 31st May this year, the stamps finally came out. The stamps are in a series of 5 stamps at 50cents each, $2.50 is the cost for the five stamps. There was also a miniature sheet with $50 stamp to commemorate the 50th anniversary. I have lost count of how many $50 stamps now issued by the Brunei postal authorities.
The new stamps are issued in sheetlets of 5 sets and the miniature sheet with a single $50 stamp as follows:
The technical details for the philatelist:
Name of Issue:
Commemorative Stamp to Commemorate Golden Jubiless of Royal Brunei Armed Forces
Date of Issue:
31st May 2012
Stamp Denomination:
50 cents x 5
Size of Stamp:
30 mm x 40.5 mm
Miniature Sheet High Value:
$50.00
Size of Miniature Sheet High Value:
110 mm x 150 mm
Designer:
Awang Haji Rosaimi bin Haji Lamit
Printer:
The British Security Printing Public Company Limited, Thailand
Printing Process:
Offset and Gold Foil Hot Stamping
Paper:
102 gsm
Perforation:
13 per 2 cm
Texts by:
Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence
Monday, May 14, 2012
Bangladesh Takas
I was in Bangladesh last week. Bangladesh is the 29th or 30th country that I have evern been to and its currency is one which I have never collected before. During the transit to Dhaka, I went to a money changer near Mustafa Centre in Singapore and I managed to get a number of 500 Taka notes like this one:
All the notes have the same holes. I was quite intrigued and of course that's the first question I asked when I was in Dhaka. Apparently the hole is caused by banks which punched through a set of notes and bind them together using a piece of string. If the note is new, the hole is hardly visible but with wear and tear, the holes got bigger. The other thing I also found is that people like to write on the notes.
Later on I managed to acquire this newer 1000 Taka note from our diplomatic mission's staff. At first glance, it looks okay. A closer examination will show the same hole and slightly torn and plus additional staple holes.
I tried purchasing older Bangaldeshi notes in Dhaka. I was told that this was not possible as most of the older notes are withdrawn and demonetise. I have to get them on the internet now.
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| 500 Taka note. That hole on the right side occurs on every single 500 Taka note that I have. |
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| 1000 Taka note. That same hole also appears on this 1000 Taka note plus additional staple notes. |
I tried purchasing older Bangaldeshi notes in Dhaka. I was told that this was not possible as most of the older notes are withdrawn and demonetise. I have to get them on the internet now.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Brunei Stamps 1906
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| The first stamps issued by the British Resident in Brunei were Labuan 1902/03 stamps overprinted with the word BRUNEI and the value of the stamps (photo credit: Rozan Yunos) |
In 1895, Sultan Hashim issued the first Brunei stamps under a PPP under the guy who got the franchise went round selling those Brunei stamps as fast as he could.
In those days, that was considered unfair and many stamp catalogues refused to acknowledge that as Brunei's first stamps. Even in today's Scotts Stamp Catalogue, you will not find the 1895 stamps listed. The stamps many cataloguers consider as the first official Brunei stamps is the set above widely known as the Labuan Overprint.
Brunei had its first British Resident administering the country in early January 1906. He set up the first Post Officce and ordered new stamps to be used. However those stamps for the new postal service. But those stamps did not arrive until 1907. Luckily for him, the Labuan Island's administration was moved under the jurisidction of the Federal Government and will not be using their stamps anymore. So the first Brunei stamps were those left over Labuan stamps and stamped with the word BRUNEI and the value needed.
Today these are worth around RM$2,400 as listed in Standard Stamp Catalogue of Malaysia Singapore and Brunei. Whereas the Scotts Stamp Catalogue at about GBP685. I managed to acquire it for much less than that.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Brunei's New Currency Notes
I was curious as to whether the local banks have the new currency notes in circulation. Most said next week, the notes will be available. But I found one local bank which has them now. Here are the first images of the Brunei new currency notes in circulations:
The $1 note. The blue colour I thought was much lighter than the previous currency notes. Other than the portrait of His Majesty and the new see-through, the bunga simpur, the national flower, has increased in size. The reverse has obviously changed from a scene from the forest to a scene of Bandar Seri Begawan, the Brunei capital.
The $5 note lost the pitcher plant and that was replaced by a Bunga Kunyit. The reverse too is now the picture of the Lapau, Brunei's former Legislative Assembly building.
The $10 note also lost its keladi plant and this is replaced by the rancah-rancah. The reverse now depicts the Al-Jame Asr Mosque.
The $1 note. The blue colour I thought was much lighter than the previous currency notes. Other than the portrait of His Majesty and the new see-through, the bunga simpur, the national flower, has increased in size. The reverse has obviously changed from a scene from the forest to a scene of Bandar Seri Begawan, the Brunei capital.
The $5 note lost the pitcher plant and that was replaced by a Bunga Kunyit. The reverse too is now the picture of the Lapau, Brunei's former Legislative Assembly building.
The $10 note also lost its keladi plant and this is replaced by the rancah-rancah. The reverse now depicts the Al-Jame Asr Mosque.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
New Brunei Currency Notes 2011
The Brunei Times 19th July 2011 had this news about the new Brunei polymer notes:
AL-HAADI ABU BAKAR
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
BRUNEIANS can now get their hands on the new $1, $5 and $10 polymer banknotes when they will be made available and circulated this week.
The new banknotes were issued by the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) yesterday to mark the 65th birthday of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
Hj Adi Marhain Hj Leman, assistant managing director, AMBD Monetary Operations Department, said that the issuance of the new polymer notes introduces eight "new and advanced security features" to combat counterfeits and will be circulated side by side the present notes, which all will remain legal tender in Brunei and in countries which accept them.
The new polymer notes contain a dynamic optical feature which alternates between gold and blue when viewed at varying angles, as well as a multicolour raised fine line printing of His Majesty's portait, Red Crest of Brunei Darussalam, the flower design and surrounding text.
Raised printing of the Braille '1', '5' and '10' numerals are also introduced to aid the visually impaired.
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque and the ceremonial barge, the Royal Ceremonial Hall (Lapau), and the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah form the complex clear window design on the $1, $5 and $10 notes respectively, each incorporating a shadow image and vignette of the corresponding numeral.
When raised to the light, His Majesty's portrait, initials 'HB' and a section of the mosque or Lapau design will appear, along with a flower design through a combination of front and back printing in registration.
The new banknotes also feature complex fine line background security patterns in multiple rainbow print with fluorescing elements illuminate under ultra violet light.
Serial numbers are printed in varying sizes and fluoresce yellow/green under ultra violet light.
The Brunei Times
+++
Other additional photographs from The Brunei Times and The Borneo Bulletin:-
AL-HAADI ABU BAKAR
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
BRUNEIANS can now get their hands on the new $1, $5 and $10 polymer banknotes when they will be made available and circulated this week.
The new banknotes were issued by the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) yesterday to mark the 65th birthday of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
Hj Adi Marhain Hj Leman, assistant managing director, AMBD Monetary Operations Department, said that the issuance of the new polymer notes introduces eight "new and advanced security features" to combat counterfeits and will be circulated side by side the present notes, which all will remain legal tender in Brunei and in countries which accept them.
The new polymer notes contain a dynamic optical feature which alternates between gold and blue when viewed at varying angles, as well as a multicolour raised fine line printing of His Majesty's portait, Red Crest of Brunei Darussalam, the flower design and surrounding text.
Raised printing of the Braille '1', '5' and '10' numerals are also introduced to aid the visually impaired.
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque and the ceremonial barge, the Royal Ceremonial Hall (Lapau), and the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah form the complex clear window design on the $1, $5 and $10 notes respectively, each incorporating a shadow image and vignette of the corresponding numeral.
When raised to the light, His Majesty's portrait, initials 'HB' and a section of the mosque or Lapau design will appear, along with a flower design through a combination of front and back printing in registration.
The new banknotes also feature complex fine line background security patterns in multiple rainbow print with fluorescing elements illuminate under ultra violet light.
Serial numbers are printed in varying sizes and fluoresce yellow/green under ultra violet light.
The Brunei Times
+++
Other additional photographs from The Brunei Times and The Borneo Bulletin:-
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Largest Ever Brunei Stamp
It's His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's 65th Birthday today. And what better way to celebrate the 65th birthday?Yes, a $65 miniature sheet which consisted of the highest ever face value for a Brunei stamp - $65! Size wise, the $65 stamp itself is probably the biggest size stamp that has been produced by Brunei.
In its 116 year of history, the Brunei postal authorities highest value stamp before this was a $60 stamp which was in commemoration of His Majesty's 60th Birthday. That has now been superseded. However it has to be noted that the 50th Birthday Miniature Sheet had 5 $50 stamp making that worth $250, thus making that the highest value for a miniature sheet.
If you can't afford the $65 stamp, don't worry. The postal authorities have the much cheaper miniature sheet containing all 6 of 65 cents each stamp.
Or you can always get the first day cover with all 6 of the 65 cents stamps.
And for those who needed the technical details:
Name of Issue
Anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, 65th Birthday
Date of Issue
15 July 2011
Stamp Denomination
65 cents x 6
Price of Miniature Sheet
$3.90
Price of Miniature Sheet High Value
%65
Designer
Pengiran Haji Mohd Yamin bin PSJ Pengiran Haji Abd Momin
Printer
Southern Colour Print, New Zealand
Size of Stamps:
30 mm x 40 mm
Size of Miniature Sheet
150 mmm x 140.5 mm
Size of Miniature Sheet High Value
160 mm x 120 mm
Printing Process
Lithography
Paper
110gsm
Perforations
13 per 2 cm
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