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Why a one-cent stamp is set to sell for millions

An extremely rare stamp that was once bought for a measly one cent is set to sell for millions of dollars, breaking records at a US auction house. While to the untrained eye, the blue stamp seems like any old stamp, the 1868 one-cent Z-grill is actually the rarest stamp in America due to its unique history and rarity. On June 14th, the one-cent Z-grill will be put up for sale by Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, marking the first time the rare stamp has been on auction since 1998. Experts from the New York auction house say it could fetch $6 million to $7.5 million (AUD), which would make it the single most expensive US stamp ever sold. The reason for the extraordinary price comes down to the fact that out of the two known Z-grill stamp copies, the one up for auction is the only copy available for private purchase by collectors, while other historic copy is held at the New York Public Library. The Z-grill is unique due to its signature embossed paper, which was introduced to the US postal service after the Civil War to prevent stamps from being reused. Since 2005, the coveted stamp has belonged to billionaire investor and “bond king” Bill Gross. “It’s considered the trophy of collecting United States stamps,” said Charles Shreve, who has managed and built Gross’ extensive stamp collection for years and serves as director of international auctions at Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries. “There’s only one. If you want to brag, that’s the stamp.” Mr Gross' entire collection is estimated to be worth $22.6 million to $30 million AUD. The top 100 stamps from the collection will be auctioned off on June 14th, while the remaining stamps will be sold on June 15th. “There’s multiple stamps that’ll bring $500,000 or $750,000 (USD) but the (one-cent) Z-grill is the star of the show,” Shreve said. “I just know some people who are lusting for it, and we want to try to get as many people interested in it as possible.” Image credits: Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries

Money & Banking

Two amazing new stamps for QEII's jubilee

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's historic platinum Jubilee, two new postage stamps featuring Her Majesty have been released in Australia to honour the longevity of her extraordinary 70-year reign. The designs feature the colour platinum, in recognition of the Jubilee. The first of the two stamps will feature a portrait of the Queen from 1962 and costs $1.10. The photo was taken by Dorothy Wilding, the first woman appointed as official royal photographer. Images from the photo shoot helped to create the Queen's likeness on new coins, banknotes and stamps, including in Australia, to mark her Coronation. The Queen is wearing the St Edwards Crown, the most important and sacred of all crowns. It was worn at the Queen's coronation on the 2nd of June, 1953 and the next person who will wear the crown is Prince Charles, as heir to the throne. A photograph of the Queen from 2019 is the design for the second postage stamp, taken during an event to mark the centenary of British Airways in London. This one is $3.50 and will be used for international mail. The Queen wears blue and a diamond and turquoise brooch, once owned by the Queen's grandmother, Queen Mary. The brooch was a wedding gift from Queen Mary's in-laws, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the most featured person on Australian stamps, and we were the first postal authority in the Commonwealth to produce a stamp for the Queen's Birthday each year," Australia Post Group Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt said in a statement. Australia Post have previously released stamps to commemorate the Queen's golden and diamond jubilees. Images: Australia Post

Beauty & Style

Four new stamps issued in memory of Prince Philip

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Four new stamps have been issued by the Royal Mail in the UK to remember the Duke of Edinburgh. The four stamps are in black-and-white and showcase the life of Prince Philip. The first stamp, which is a portrait of Prince Philip as a young man was taken by the photographer Baron whereas the second stamp is Prince Philip attending the passing out of his son, Prince Andrew, at Dartmouth Naval College. The third stamp is Philip at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and the last stamp is a portrait taken by photographer Terry O'Neill. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We're proud to present a commemorative collection of stamps and collectibles honouring the life and work of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Explore the collection: <a href="https://t.co/hvTzqbqIdm">https://t.co/hvTzqbqIdm</a> <a href="https://t.co/vI0t9KRebm">pic.twitter.com/vI0t9KRebm</a> — Royal Mail (@RoyalMail) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalMail/status/1392766571035123713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2021</a></blockquote> Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: "Throughout adulthood, the Duke of Edinburgh dedicated himself to the service of this country, the Commonwealth and to the many causes he was involved with. "For more than seven decades he was at the centre of our national life. His passing is a key moment in our history which we mark with this set of commemorative stamps." The stamps are available for pre-order at a cost of £5.76 (NZD $11.27). </div> </div> </div>

Legal

Princess Mary looks pretty in purple as she reveals annual Christmas stamp

It seems like time has flown by and with Christmas less than two months away, Crown Princess Mary just kickstarted the official countdown. Stepping out in her home country on Tuesday, the Danish royal launched the annual Christmas stamp - an iconic moment which takes place every year in the Scandinavian country marking the start of the festive season. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0B2mAgAks/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0B2mAgAks/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Lanceringen af årets julemærke fandt i dag sted på Julemærkehjemmet Liljeborg i Roskilde. Her afslørede Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsessen sammen med kunstneren Tomas Björnsson årets Julemærke, der har titlen 'Jul i Fællesskab'. Julemærket er i år en kærlig hilsen til 100-året for genforeningen af Danmark og Sønderjylland samt en hyldest til det fællesskab, som børn på Julemærkehjemmene bliver en del af.⁣ ⁣ Kronprinsessen er protektor for Julemærkefonden, der hvert år hjælper omkring 1.000 børn i alderen 7-14 år til en bedre tilværelse på de fem Julemærkehjem.⁣ ⁣ Den 16. november 1904 blev verdens første Julemærke præsenteret i Danmark. Motivet forestillede en fotografisk gengivelse af Christian 9.s hustru Dronning Louise omgivet af en ornamental ramme bestående af kroner, våbenskjold og juleroser holdt i violet. Siden da er der hvert år blevet præsenteret et nyt Julemærke, der har til formål at indsamle penge til børn på et af Danmarks fem Julemærkehjem. På hjemmene kan 1.000 børn årligt tage ophold og modtage hjælp til at bekæmpe ensomhed, mobning, social isolation og overvægt.⁣ 📸 Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix©️</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/detdanskekongehus/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> DET DANSKE KONGEHUS 🇩🇰</a> (@detdanskekongehus) on Oct 26, 2020 at 9:10am PDT </div> </blockquote> And Christmas can’t be celebrated without the perfect holiday outfit, and Princess Mary delivered in the style department. The Princess opted for a full purple ensemble featuring a loose fitting top with a keyhole neckline as she joined guests at Julemaerkehjemmet Liljeborg in Roskilde. She paired it with a set of wide-legged trousers and kept her hair straight and simple. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0Z4C4gDyj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0Z4C4gDyj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Samfundsansvar, bæredygtighed og klima var på programmet, da Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsessen i dag uddelte CSR Prisen til Arla Foods, A.P. Møller-Mærsk og Ørsted på Børsen i København.⁣ ⁣ Det var syvende år i træk, at Kronprinsessen overrakte CSR Prisen 2020 til de virksomheder, der har udgivet Danmarks bedste rapporter om samfundsansvar.⁣ ⁣ Bag prisuddelingen står revisorforeningen FSR – danske revisorer. Med CSR Prisen ønsker de at anerkende store danske virksomheder, som i deres årlige rapporter skaber gennemsigtighed og troværdighed om virksomhedens samfundsansvar, og som på den måde kan være en inspiration for andre.⁣ ⁣ 📸 Carsten Lundager og Martin Høien / Aller Foto & Video©️</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/detdanskekongehus/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> DET DANSKE KONGEHUS 🇩🇰</a> (@detdanskekongehus) on Oct 26, 2020 at 12:40pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Later on, she attended another event to present the Corporate Responsibility Award, a recognition of companies that have kept social responsibility top of mind in their practices.

Beauty & Style

How to stamp out COVID-19 in New Zealand again

Auckland, and possibly other parts of New Zealand, almost certainly have more cases of COVID-19 in the community than the <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/media-releases/4-cases-covid-19-unknown-source">four new cases confirmed</a> yesterday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern activated a <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pm-comments-auckland-covid-19-case">resurgence plan</a> late yesterday, placing all of Auckland back under alert level 3 restrictions from today until midnight on Friday to allow time for contacts to be traced and tested. But until we can identify the chain of transmission, New Zealanders should prepare for restrictions to remain in place for longer. All four new cases are within one family in South Auckland, with no links yet discovered to quarantine or border facilities. But family members work in different places across different suburbs, which means the restrictions need to apply to the whole city. Get news that’s free, independent and based on evidence. Get newsletter When Melbourne found itself in a similar position a month ago, the city’s strategy was to lockdown specific suburbs. Unfortunately this failed to contain the virus. Quick return to restrictions Swift and decisive action is important, and we support the decision to place stricter conditions on Auckland and to return the rest of the country to alert level 2. We should all be very cautious. Everyone working at the border or in managed isolation will be tested and pop-up stations have opened across Auckland to carry out mass testing. But it is quite possible someone within the wider contact network of the cases has travelled outside Auckland. People who have travelled to Auckland in the last two weeks should act as if they are under level 3 restrictions and stay home from work. Whether we are in Auckland or not, we should all resume social distancing, working from home if we can, and wearing a mask if possible when we go out. If we do the right things now, there’s a good chance we will be able to contain this community outbreak before it spreads too much further. We’re going to need to do a lot of testing to work out how far the virus has spread. It’s more effective at this stage to target high-risk groups rather than testing people at random. People with symptoms or people who have been identified as close contacts of known cases should be prioritised for testing. If you are offered a test or you don’t feel well, you should get tested, but if you feel fine, just stay at home. Contact tracing Rapid contact tracing is going to be key to getting the virus under control. <a href="https://www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/2020/08/10/successful-covid-19-contact-tracing-systems-for-new-zealand/">Our recent modelling</a> shows that if we can trace and quarantine 80% of contacts within two days on average, it will go a long way to containing the outbreak. Contact tracers are also doing backward tracing – finding the source of infection so we know how many other cases are out there – as well as forward tracing, which means quarantining contacts so they don’t pass the virus on. For Auckland, moving to alert level 3 reduces the number of contacts most of us have. This will make the job easier for contact tracers over the coming days as they may only have to trace one or two contacts per person rather than ten or more. Everyone should now draw up a list of where they’ve been and who they’ve seen for the last two weeks. This is also a wake-up call to redouble our efforts to keep diaries of activities and to use the <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-novel-coronavirus-resources-and-tools/nz-covid-tracer-app">NZ COVID Tracer app</a> to keep a record. The Tracer app has the added advantage that the Ministry of Health can automatically notify anybody who has visited the same location as a confirmed or potential case. We encourage Aucklanders in particular to check their apps, diaries and bank accounts to compile as much detail as possible of places they have visited or people they have met over the last 14 days. What happens next What happens next really depends on the results of the contact tracing investigations already underway. There is a lot of luck involved in the early stages of an outbreak like this one. If we are lucky, many of those infected may not have yet have passed the virus on. But it’s also possible there may have been a superspreading event, for example at a workplace or social gathering. In that case, there could be a large number of cases already out there. Although the alert level is currently in place until Friday, we should be prepared for this to be extended, depending on how many cases we find in the next three days. Back in February, when we had our first cases of COVID-19, the situation was very different. We had an open border and most cases were international travellers or their close contacts. We were also getting around 80 new cases a day by the time we went into lockdown in March. This time we have locked down with a smaller number of cases and we still have strict border restrictions in place. This should give us confidence that if we all do the right things, we will be able to get the outbreak under control much faster than last time. Written by Michael Plank, Alex James and Shaun Hendy. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-is-on-alert-as-covid-19-returns-this-is-what-we-need-to-stamp-it-out-again-144304">The Conversation.</a>

Art

Queen Elizabeth celebrates stamp collector society’s 150th anniversary with a grin

Queen Elizabeth was in her element as she visited the Royal Philatelic Society to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Philately is the study of stamps, postal history and other related items. The Royal Philatelic Society, according to this Instagram post by The Royal Family, aims to “promote the science and practice of the study of stamps as well as maintain collections of stamps”. The Queen is an avid stamp collector herself, as she has a collection that’s estimated to be worth AUD $189,291,500 NZD $199,885,605 and had a huge grin on her face as she was shown around the new building. Her stamp collection, according to Telegraph UK includes a rare Mauritian stamp valued at AUD $3.7 million NZD $3.9 million and the stamp went on display for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. She opened a new headquarters for the society, which is the oldest in the world. The Queen also met with architects, administration staff, supporters and young collectors who are busy working hard to keep the tradition of stamps alive. The nearly 93-year-old wore an eye catching sea blue coat dress with contrasting navy velvet trip by her personal dressmaker Angela Kelly. The look was accompanied with a matching hat. Angela Kelly has revealed a number of secrets from her 20 years of working with The Queen and is the first tell-all book to be sanctioned by her Majesty. The book is titled The Other Side Of The Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe. Scroll through the gallery to see the Queen enjoy herself at the Royal Philatelic Society. Photo credits: Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5VN1P8H6Dn/">theroyalfamily</a>

Art

Princess Mary and family pose for new stamp

The Danish royal family has wrapped up in their winter furs to pose for a new stamp for Greenland, in celebration of Crown Princess Mary and Prince Frederik’s 12th wedding anniversary. The shoot saw the picture-perfect royals swap tiara’s and evening wear for the autonomous Danish territory’s national costume. Mary looked particularly radiant in her traditional Greenland dress, wearing a brightly coloured beaded top as she posed between five-year old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. Also appearing in the photograph was nine-year-old Princess Isabella and 11-year-old Prince Christian, who is heir to the throne. The release of the stamp comes just days after Prince Frederik injured himself in a trampoline accident. The 48-year-old has sadly fractured his spine during a private gym session and will spend the next 12 weeks recovering. Scroll through the gallery above to see all the photos of the beaming family. Which of the children do you think looks most like our Mary? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/07/princess-mary-and-family-on-cover-of-vogue-australia/">Princess Mary and family grace cover of Vogue Australia</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/06/duchess-of-cambridge-and-princess-mary-at-royal-ascot/">The Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary at Royal Ascot together</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/06/crown-princess-mary-attends-award-ceremony-in-style/">Crown Princess Mary walks red carpet in style</a>

News

How to stamp and stencil napkins

If you’re interested in some craft that isn’t too difficult but looks fantastic, why not try stamping and stencilling? Whether it’s napkins, tea towels, cushion covers, tablecloths or even pillow cases, this is a simple way to add a personal touch to your linens. Stamps and stencils are available at most craft shops, though if you are after something specific you could look online. You will need: <ul> <li>Cotton or linen napkins (or any item you wish to use)</li> <li>Fabric paint</li> <li>Rubber stamps, or wooden printing blocks</li> <li>Stencils</li> <li>Paintbrush or roller</li> </ul> How to: Note: Wash the napkins and iron them well to ensure there are no creases. Stamping <ol> <li>Apply a small amount of paint to your stamp or block with a paintbrush or roller.</li> <li>Push down firmly onto the fabric, and remove carefully. Repeat the stamping until you have created your desired pattern. This might be around the edges of the fabric, or all over.</li> </ol> Stencilling <ol> <li>If you would rather use a stencil, simply place it onto the napkin and paint over it with a small amount of paint. Carefully remove the stencil to avoid smudging. Be sure to let the stencil dry between each use.</li> <li>Allow the napkins to dry, and then iron the reverse side to set the paint in place.</li> </ol> Do you do any stamping or stenciling? We would love for you to share your ideas in the comments section. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/the-secret-to-keeping-your-whites-white/">The secret to keeping your whites white</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/easy-diy-vases/">12 DIY vases that are easy to make</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/common-decorating-mistakes-to-avoid/">10 common decorating mistakes to avoid</a>

Home & Garden

John Lennon’s childhood stamp collection on display in New York

When Beatle’s star John Lennon was a young lad, he loved to collect stamps, filling his albums with stamps from the USA, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Ireland, and even Jamaica. While the stamps that Lennon collected in his youth aren’t exactly valuable, the fact that they’re Lennon’s stamps means the album is now worth quite a bit. When the National Postal Museum first purchased Lennon's "lost album," curator Wilson Hulme told the Smithsonian Magazine that the collection did not have any notable stamps. "Typically, young boys aren't interested in rarity," he said. "They tend to concentrate on geography and colours. If they come back to collecting when they have more time and money, that's when collections become exceptional." Lennon’s childhood stamps will once again be displayed to the public in New York City, from 28 May to 4 June at the <a href="http://www.ny2016.org/" target="_blank">World Stamp Show</a>. Scroll through the gallery above for a sneak peek. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/2016/02/chart-topping-song-list/">Songs that have defined the ages</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/2016/03/things-you-didnt-know-about-neil-diamond/">10 things you didn’t know about Neil Diamond</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/2016/03/rock-and-roll-hits-banned-from-being-played/">6 rock ‘n’ roll hits banned from being played</a>

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Why a one-cent stamp is set to sell for millions

Two amazing new stamps for QEII's jubilee

Four new stamps issued in memory of Prince Philip

Princess Mary looks pretty in purple as she reveals annual Christmas stamp

How to stamp out COVID-19 in New Zealand again

Queen Elizabeth celebrates stamp collector society’s 150th anniversary with a grin

Princess Mary and family pose for new stamp

How to stamp and stencil napkins

John Lennon’s childhood stamp collection on display in New York