It is fascinating for most people to learn how nations evolve, and even more so for stamp collectors, who can document a nation’s changes through its postal issues. New Guinea is a good example.

A set of five Bulgaria stamps with the printed dates of 1915-1916 was not issued until 1921. One might call them error stamps, although they reflected errors of politics rather than printing. Exhausted by defeat in the Second Balkan War in 1913, Bulgaria’s czar, Ferdinand I, at first avoided involvement in World War I. But in 1915, Ferdinand decided to join the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey). His reward was to be the land of Macedonia, which was then divided between two Allied countries: Greece and Serbia.

Two stamps featuring sailing vessels were voted as Aland’s most beautiful stamp issue of 2015. These stamps were issued Feb. 2, 2015, the first set in a planned six-year Sailing Ships of Aland series.

A vintage Jenny biplane nearly identical to that shown on the 1918 United States 24¢ Jenny airmail stamp (Scott C3) and its world-famous variety, the Inverted Jenny (C3a), will be on display at World Stamp Show-NY 2016. WSS-NY 2016 will take place May 28-June 4 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center located on 11th Avenue between 34th and 40th streets in Manhattan.

St Patrick’s Day proved to be the perfect occasion for members of The Royal Philatelic Society London to enjoy four fine displays on the theme of Ireland.

Squared circle postmarks originated in Great Britain in 1879 as an improvement upon duplex handstamps. In a duplex device, one part canceled the stamp, while the other recorded the date and post office. Unfortunately, duplex cancels could be awkward to ink, to apply, and to maintain.

Great Britain’s Royal Mail has introduced yet another security feature for its definitive stamps: an overprint on the backing paper. The overprint reads “ROYAL MAIL” in all capital letters in two sizes and is printed in a diagonal pattern across the backing paper of self-adhesive stamps. The overprint is showing on the backing paper on the right of the nondenominated second-class blue stamp pictured nearby.

On Feb. 14, 1977, Mexico issued a 1.60-peso Mankind Destroyed by Nuclear Power airmail stamp (Scott C533). The stamp commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Agreement of Tlatelolco banning nuclear weapons in Latin America. The striking stamp design features Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man shown as a skeleton against the background of a nuclear explosion.

The Pobjoy Mint is celebrating the stamp design by issuing a red colored coin, part of a series of colorful coins honoring famous stamp designs, like the Penny Black and Two Pence Blue stamp.

Ever since Great Britain pictured Queen Victoria on the world's first postage stamp issued in 1840, royalty has been a popular topic for postal commemoration. Several recent stamps honor European royalty.

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, renowned as a composer and music teacher, created Scheherazade and The Flight of the Bumblebee, which are considered among the greatest Russian classical works.

I recently had the opportunity to explore a fascinating book titled Extracts from the Dr. Arthur K.M. Woo Collections. Edited and published by dealer Brian Moorhouse, the book was printed in a very limited edition of just 50 copies. As the title suggests, the book presents highlights from a number of Woo’s collections, many of which contain world-class rarities and other choice gems.

Sixty-four members of Italian Parliament have thrown their support behind a bill that would eliminate the trade, sale, and overall circulation of postcards, stamps, coins, or medals that depict any fascist or Nazi symbolism, mottos, faces, or swastikas, according to an article in the Spring 2016 issue of Fil-Italia.

Proposed changes to the American Philatelic Society’s guidelines for judging philatelic exhibits at APS World Series of Philately national shows have been under discussion by the APS Committee on Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges (CANEJ). Among the changes proposed would be a focus on exhibit classes rather than divisions by type or purpose, and an increase in the number of medal levels available for awarding, from five to eight.

Canada Post will continue its series of commemorative stamps honoring Canadian photography April 13 with seven new designs on stamps in booklets, in souvenir sheets and on international-rate postal cards. Now in its fourth year, the five-part series continues Canada Post’s stated goal “to showcase the best Canadian photographers and photography of the past 150 years, as chosen by leading curators and gallery owners.”

In 1953, Angola issued one of collecting’s most attractive and popular African Wildlife sets (Scott 362-381). The animals featured on the stamps include elephant, lion, buffalo, kudu, giraffe, and hippopotamus. The sole reptile is the African crocodile.

The American Stamp Dealers Association is giving away yet another two-night stay in New York City duringWorld Stamp Show-NY 2016 at its show this weekend in the Chicago area.

Canada's 24th governor general, Ray Hnatyshyn, held that position from 1990 to 1995 after having served in the country's House of Commons for 14 years.

Alan Bean, the fourth man to walk on the moon, has also created paintings documenting American space travel. His artwork appeared on several stamps in 2009.

The upcoming Euro Cup soccer championship in Paris is honored on a pair of stamps from Northern Cyprus.