Category: Global Oddities

FRANCE | The 4th World Rugby Championship

The 4th World Rugby Championship

Postage Stamp : The Bel Group since 1865
Date of Issue : April 19, 2021
Description : These creatively die-cut stamps celebrate the French multinational food corporation Groupe Bel, famously known for creating La Vache qui rit (The Laughing Cow) cheese. The stamps are deliberately shaped and styled to resemble the iconic foil-wrapped cheese wedges the company produces. The design features the corporate “Bel” logo, the text “Depuis 1865” (Since 1865), and an illustration of fresh grass and a daisy.

Postage Stamp : The 4th World Rugby Championship
Date of Issue : September 11, 1999
Description : This stamp commemorates the 1999 Rugby World Cup (the 4th World Rugby Championship). While Wales was the primary host, France was a co-host and reached the tournament’s final. The action-packed artwork depicts a French national team player (in the blue jersey) carrying the ball while evading a tackle. A standout design feature is the white dashed line circling the players, cleverly simulating a perforation in the shape of a rugby ball.

FRANCE | The 50th Anniversary of Tour de France on the Champs-Elysees

The 50th Anniversary of Tour de France on the Champs-Elysees Chinese New Year - Year of the Horse

Postage Stamp : The 50th Anniversary of Tour de France on the Champs-Elysees
Date of Issue : July 08, 2025
Description : This dynamic souvenir sheet celebrates a major double milestone for the Tour de France, marking 50 years since the race first concluded on the iconic Champs-Élysées in Paris, and 50 years since the introduction of two legendary rider jerseys (both debuted in 1975).

  • Left Stamp (€1.96): Features the racing peloton speeding down the cobblestones toward the Arc de Triomphe, commemorating the “Arrivée du Tour de France sur les Champs-Élysées”.
  • Right Stamp (€1.96): Highlights two cyclists wearing the iconic 1975 jerseys: the Maillot à Pois (the red polka dot jersey awarded to the “King of the Mountains”) and the Maillot Blanc (the white jersey awarded to the best young rider).

Postage Stamp : Chinese New Year – Year of the Horse
Date of Issue : February 09, 2026
Description : Part of France’s long-running Lunar New Year series, this stamp celebrates the 2026 Year of the Horse. The design features a beautifully painted horse’s head adorned with traditional red harnessing, accompanied by the Chinese character for “Horse” and the French text “Année du Cheval”.

AUSTRIA | Petit Point

Petit Point Austria

Postage Stamp : Petit Point
Date of Issue : September 17, 2010
Description : This is a “Petit Point” stamp, made from actual textile embroidery rather than paper. It features a Rose motif done in the traditional Viennese “Petit Point” style. This technique is incredibly fine, often involving over 1,000 stitches per square inch.

SWITZERLAND | Swiss Wood

Swiss Wood

Postage Stamp : Swiss Wood
Date of Issue : September 07, 2004
Description : This stamp is famously made from 0.7 mm thick Swiss spruce wood. It was the first of its kind in the world. The stamp was issued to celebrate the “Year of the Forest” and to highlight wood as a sustainable Swiss raw material. The circular lines in the design represent the growth rings of a tree, and because it’s made of real wood, every single stamp in the series has a slightly different grain pattern.

FRANCE | The 4th World Rugby Championship | 2004 Olympic Games – Athens, Greece

2004 Olympic Games - Athens, Greece The 4th World Rugby Championship Hiking Trails - The 50th Anniversary of the GR20

Postage Stamp : Hiking Trails – The 50th Anniversary of the GR20
Date of Issue : June 26, 2020
Description : This sheet celebrates the 50th anniversary of the GR20, widely considered Europe’s toughest and most iconic long-distance hiking trail. The central stamp shows a map of Corsica with the trail marked in red from Calenzana to Conca. The surrounding illustrations feature famous landmarks along the route : the Aiguilles de Bavella, the Passerelle de Spasimata suspension bridge, and a traditional mountain refuge.

Postage Stamp : 2004 Olympic Games – Athens, Greece
Date of Issue : August 02, 2004
Description : Issued for the XXVIII Summer Olympiad in Athens, these stamps blend modern athletic silhouettes with ancient Greek artistic motifs. The designs feature various sports including Tennis, Equestrian, Kayaking, and Track and Field, set against a background of orange and blue “ancient pottery” style imagery.

Postage Stamp : The 4th World Rugby Championship
Date of Issue : September 11, 1999
Description : This unique oval-shaped stamp (designed to resemble a rugby ball) was issued for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted primarily by Wales but included matches in France. The design features a high-action illustration of a rugby player in a blue jersey making a tackle.

JAPAN | Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

Postage Stamp : 2025 World Exposition in Japan (Osaka-Kansai Expo) – Large Roof Ring
Date of Issue : April 11, 2025
Description : This stamp features the Grand Ring, designed by architect Sou Fujimoto. It is recognized as one of the world’s largest wooden structures, with a circumference of approximately 2 km. The design uses traditional Japanese timber construction methods (specifically the kakezukuri technique seen at Kiyomizu-dera Temple) combined with modern technology. The roof serves as the main circulation path for visitors, offering views of the sea and the Expo pavilions.

Postage Stamp : 2025 World Exposition in Japan (Osaka-Kansai Expo) – Myaku-Myaku Riding a Houseboat
Date of Issue : April 11, 2025
Description : This oval-shaped stamp features the official Expo mascot, Myaku-Myaku. Myaku-Myaku is a “mysterious creature” whose body is made of cells (red) and water (blue), representing the “pulsing rhythm of life.” In this specific illustration, the mascot is shown on a traditional Japanese boat decorated with red lanterns, celebrating the rich culture of Osaka, known historically as the “City of Water.”

Postmark Date : The date on the postmarks is 8. 2. 12, which refers to February 12, 2026 (Reiwa 8).
Postmark Location : Hayama Post Office (葉山) in Kanagawa Prefecture

THAILAND | Valentines Day

Valentines Day 2024
Valentines Day
Date of Issue : February 07, 2024		The 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with Hungary
Date of Issue : November 29, 2023

The Blue Sapphire Rose – Swarovski Crystal Embellished Stamp

Denomination : 20 Baht

Postmark : The “67” in the date refers to the year 2567 in the Thai Buddhist Calendar, which corresponds to the Gregorian year 2024.

Special Feature: This stamp features applied synthetic crystals (specifically Swarovski crystals) to mimic the sparkle of the real sapphires and diamonds in the jewelry piece it depicts.

FINLAND | Building a Nation

Building a Nation

1809 – The Birth of a Nation
200 Years of Finnish Autonomy (Gold Folio Edition)

Date of Issue : January 22, 2009

Special Technique : The stamps feature Gold Folio printing (visible in the ornate uniform details and borders), giving them a metallic, reflective quality.

The Portraits (from left to right)
The figures depicted are the key architects of this new Finnish autonomy :

  • Tsar Alexander I of Russia : The Russian Emperor who granted Finland its autonomous status and promised to maintain its laws and religion.
  • Georg Magnus Sprengtporten : A Finnish-born military officer and politician who became the first Governor-General of the Grand Duchy of Finland.
  • Carl Erik Mannerheim : A statesman who played a major role in the Diet of Porvoo (and the great-grandfather of the famous Marshal Mannerheim).
  • Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt : A highly influential diplomat and advisor to Alexander I, who was instrumental in the “Old Finland” restoration.
Piyush Jain
Hello Friends, i am collecting covers/FDC's with clear cancellations and mint stamps in complete sets. If you would like to exchange than contact me: jain.globalstamps@gmail.com

My Wishlist

Mint Complete Sets
  • --- Unusual Stamps
  • --- Se-tenant
  • --- Joint Issue
  • --- Sports
  • --- Space
  • --- FDC with clear Cancellation
July 2026
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