Sunday, March 22, 2015

Sunday stamps - islands



Today's Sunday Stamps topic is islands.

I'm going to cheat a tiny bit with my island choice of Hawaii (or Hawai'i), as it is part of the US and hasn't issued its own stamps since approximately 1900.

A set of Aloha Hawaiian Shirt stamps had its first day of issue ceremony in Honolulu, January 19, 2012. The 32c stamps were for the domestic postcard rate that year. I have received just one of the set.



I also have a pineapple prestamped postcard (slightly covered up, unfortunately, since the 26c is 8c less than the current postcard rate of 34c. Pineapples are a major export crop in Hawaii, having been introduced from their native South America in the 1800s by the Spanish.




And finally one from the Flags of our Nation series. Hawaii became the 50th (and to date the last) US state in 1959, the only state made up entirely of islands, and it's flag is the only US state flag to incorporate the Union jack. The eight stripes represent the eight major islands that make up the archipelago. On the stamp itself you can see a mountainous island in the distance. The stamp also shows ferns and an ohia tree with lehua flowers. Interestingly the stamp uses the spelling Hawai'i, rather than the official Hawaii. Locally, both versions seem to be used.


According to wikipedia, British explorer James Cook is one of the earliest, if not the first, European visitors to Hawaii. He visited more than once, and unfortunately upset the locals by kidnapping the King of the Big Island to bargain for return of his ship, and the king's supporters killed him.

I've never been to Hawaii, but I think you get a nicer welcome these days. Particularly if you don't kidnap any of the local officials.

11 comments:

  1. I had no idea of the Hawaii state flag. (and it looks like you could have had a bonus island with the next stamp - Guam) It seems this shirt is the most popular one - I have three of them, but none of the other two in the set of five.

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    1. True, I could have included Guam, as well as Puerto Rico, and I think the US Virgin Islands is in the flags set, as well as the Northern Marianas. And of course there's Rhode Island.

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  2. I've never seen any of those early Hawaiian stamps I'll have to have a look at what they were like. I love the shirts set.

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    1. I should have added some, shouldn't I? The shirts are fun, some places here have Hawaiian shirt Fridays where you can wear your best/worst shirt.

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  3. I'm surprised they have still retained the Union Jack as part of their flag.

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    1. I am really unfamiliar with the state flags, so it was a bit of a surprise to me, too.

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  4. Shirt stamps are so funny! Hawaiian shirts were really popular in Spain in the... '80?
    Love your post.

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    1. I wonder why they were such a trend in the 80s? Glad you liked the post - thanks for getting me hooked on Sunday Stamps, it is fun to see what I can find for each week's theme.

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    2. I like to show my received stamps in Sunday Stamps. But as most of them are in Spain, some weeks I can't find appropriate stamps.

      I don't know about the shirts, but even my Mom (?!) had one ;)

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    3. I always think I don't have anything appropriate, then when I look through my received stamps, or stamps that I haven't sent, there is something that fits.

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    4. The "problem" is to find stamps not previously uploaded! :)
      Believe or not, I send (and therefore receive) less mail now!

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