Stamps issued Nov. 5 by three British overseas territories commemorate the discovery of Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance.

The People’s Republic of China 8-fen Year of the Monkey stamp issued Feb. 15, 1980, is the bellwether of the ever-volatile Chinese stamp market.

Shackleton’s ship Endurance was honored in November by three British overseas territories with new stamp issues.

Canada Post issued a set of five stamps Nov. 27 to celebrate five French-Canadian authors: Marie-Claire Blais, Jean Marc Dalpe, Dany Laferriere, Antonine Maillet and Marguerite-A. Primeau.

The illustrations on the stamps depict scenes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 14th-century Chinese historical novel.

The stamps of the Principality of Monaco have high design and production values and are generally known for their great eye appeal.

The peacock-themed hanukkiah features eight candles symbolizing the eight nights of the holiday, plus one candle, called a shamash, that is used to light the other eight.

The stamps, presented in four se-tenant (side-by-side) pairs, feature photographs of Churchill at defining moments of his life.

The stamps will be issued in six panes of four, with a single denomination and design for each pane.

These are the first Wales country definitive stamps to feature the silhouette of King Charles III.

The first stamp pictures facial profiles that intersect a multicolored blood drop emphasizing the importance of blood donations. The second stamp highlights the role that organ donors and their donations play in the preservation of life.

The stamps feature illustrations by Judy Joel, an artist who paints in the naive style, which is a style characterized by the lack of formal education and training in the artist.

One stamp illustrates a snowman skiing down a slope complete with ski poles, scarf and winter hat. The second stamp pictures a dog wearing a Santa hat while sledding downhill on a wooden sled.

The program will begin Jan. 17 with a pane of 10 stamps celebrating the Year of the Snake.

France issued its first stamps in 1849-50. The first set of definitives featured the Roman goddess Ceres in the design.

Do readers know of any countries that might have an international postcard rate higher than Denmark’s?

Canada Post introduced two stamp issues on Nov. 4 to usher in the Christmas season, continuing a tradition of issuing holiday stamps that began in 1964.

“This stamp issue reminds us of the enormous contributions made by ordinary Canadians who chose to give their all when their country called on them,” Canada Post said on its Perspectives blog.

In 1969 the UNPA opened a branch in Geneva and started issuing stamps denominated in Swiss francs. This followed the successful opening of the UNPA in New York in 1951.

The different arrangement concerns the show’s approach to the dealer, postal administration and auctioneer booths at the event.