Special Stamp Issues - "Year of the Rat" and "Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals – Pig / Rat"

A set of special stamps on the theme of “Year of the Rat” will be issued on 26 January 2008(Saturday). A series of associated stamp products will also be put on sale on the same date.

Year of the Rat
This is the ninth Lunar New Year special stamp issue in the third series released by Hongkong Post. The first and second sets of special stamps for the Year of the Rat were issued in 1972 and 1996 respectively.

Each lunar year in China is named after an animal, running in twelve-year cycles. As the Rat is the first animal in the sequence, the cycle will begin again in 2008. In traditional Chinese culture, the Rat is a symbol of intelligence and agility. People born under this sign are considered to be sharp-witted, cheerful and amiable, they make friends easily.

The four stamps come in denominations of $1.4, $2.4, $3 and $5, and depict four cute and smart rats. To enhance the gradation of light and shade and accentuate the three-dimensional effect, five-colour printing is used on the stamps to highlight the image detail of the rats against a background embellished with silver foliage.

The First Day Cover design presents an interesting combination of paper-cutting and computer aided drawing. The paper-cut pattern gives a note of festivity, and the cute rat in the front heralds the Year of the Rat.

Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals – Pig / Rat
As symbols of wealth and status, gold and silver have always been treasured by all people. Gold and silver philatelic products, therefore, make perfect gifts and express our wish for success and prosperity during the Lunar New Year.

The eighth issue in Hongkong Post’s Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals series presents the Pig and the Rat. The two stamps are in a denomination of $50 and both are embossed and hot-foiled – the Pig with genuine 24-carat gold and 99.9% pure silver, and the Rat with genuine 22-carat gold and 99.9% pure silver. A certificate of authenticity is included, making the sheetlet a precious gift for the Lunar New Year.

The Chinese Lunar Calendar marks the years in a twelve-year cycle, with each year of the cycle named after an animal. It is believed that people born in the Year of the Pig are honest and straightforward, while those born in the Year of the Rat are sociable and sharp-witted.

A gradation of light and shade is used to accentuate the details of the Pig and the Rat against their brick red and sienna backgrounds, and to produce a strong three-dimensional effect.

Information about associated philatelic products with these issues and the sales restrictions per queuing customer starting from 26 January 2008 is as follows :

Remarks:

1. The above philatelic products are included in the 2008 Local Standing Order Service / 2008 Overseas Mail Order Service.  Order form had already been issued to 2008 Local Standing Order Service / 2008 Overseas Mail Order Service customers. For local customers, please contact Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau Hotline for enquiry at 2785 5711 or fax at 2191 9296.
2. For overseas customers, please ensure there is sufficient balance in your account to pay your advance order. Otherwise, your order will be processed only when the stock is still available after all orders have been fulfilled. For any enquiries, please contact Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau (Overseas Mail Order Service Unit) Hotline at 852-2928 7211 or fax at 852-2850 6552.

Official First Day Covers for the "Year of the Rat" special stamps, together with the Official Souvenir Covers for the "Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals – Pig/Rat", will be put on sale at $1 each at all post offices as from 12 January 2008. The stamps, stamp sheetlet and the associated philatelic products will be displayed at General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Shatin Central Post Office as from the same date. Advance orders for servicing self-provided covers will be accepted at 37 philatelic offices from 12 to 18 January 2008.

Hand-back Datestamping Arrangements
A hand-back datestamping service will be provided on 26 January 2008 at all post offices (excluding mobile post offices), for official and privately-made covers, bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. Two special postmarks  will also be introduced. They will be available, together with the "GPO-1" postmark, the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmark, for hand-back datestamping service at 37 philatelic offices on that day. All counter offices (excluding mobile post offices) will extend their business hours. For the 37 philatelic offices, the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office and Airport Post Office will maintain their normal full-day operating hours and the other 33 philatelic offices will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. As for Yuen Long Post Office, it will open for business from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The remaining non-philatelic offices will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. whereas the Lamma Post Office will open for business at 8:30 a.m. as usual.

Also on 26 January 2008, the public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau on 1/F., Trade Square, 681 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, will open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for datestamping covers with the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark, the "GPO-1" postmark and the special postmark.