Ghassan “Gus” Riachi announced in his Dec. 28 Middle East Stamps column the publication of his magnum opus: a work of 16 years titled The Sultanate of Nejd: A Philatelic Manual. After my careful perusal of this scholarly treatment from one of the preeminent students of Saudi Arabia philately, I think it safe to assume that it will be regarded as the primary reference work of the stamps and postal history of the Nejd period for many years to come.

During the 40 years of its life (1840-80), the Two-Penny Blue line-engraved Queen Victoria stamp was issued in 10 distinctly different versions. The Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue assigns numbers 2, 4, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 29 and 30 to these 2d blue stamps. Several changes in design, two different perforation gauges, two distinct watermarks, white and blued paper, and combinations of these features determine the Scott number of each stamp.

A half dozen postal entities pictured stained glass windows on their 2015 Christmas stamps. In alphabetical order, they are Alderney, Brazil, Croatia, Guernsey, Jersey and New Zealand. Guernsey Post issues stamps for both Alderney and Guernsey. The seven stamps issued Nov. 6 for Alderney picture scenes from a stained glass window in St. Anne’s Church on the island. The 42-penny stamp shows Jesus blessing children, and the other stamps picture children from different parts of the world.

Great Britain’s Royal Mail is issuing eight stamps Jan. 7 reproducing photographs of Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. In 1914, Shackleton and his 28-man crew, including photographer James Francis “Frank” Hurley, set sail in Endurance on an expedition to cross the Antarctic continent. Although the expedition didn’t reach its goal, it is remembered as one of the greatest survival stories of all time. The story has been retold in books, films, television specials and in an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History in 1999.

Rutland & Stamford Mercury is reporting that the charity has raised over £10,000 for the deaf who aren't fortunate enough to have a seeing eye dog. These stamps are being recycled and put towards a greater cause.

With publication of Vol. 2 of The Philatelic Book of (even more) Secrets, Professional Stamp Experts of Newport Beach, Calif., continues its efforts to help stamp collectors become more knowledgeable. The book is a special edition of Stamp Market Quarterly, the expertizing firm’s official publication.

On April 23, 2003, Netherlands Antilles issued a set of 12 se-tenant Butterfly stamps (Scott 1005). The stamps were printed in sheets of 24, as two blocks of 12 separated by a central gutter. The 2016 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values a block of 12 se-tenant Butterfly stamps at $13.50 in mint never-hinged condition.

In May 2015, Canada Post issued a Love Your Pet booklet and souvenir sheet with delightful illustrations and common-sense tips on basic pet care (Linn’s, May 25, 2015). As background for the story, I compiled a chart of Canada’s stamps depicting pets, and was surprised to find that more than 70 percent of the face-different canine designs issued over the last 58 years have pictured working dogs.

A $25,000 grant from the TurningPoint Foundation will fund an enclosed 32-seat theater at World Stamp Show-NY 2016 in New York City.

Stamps from Hong Kong, Canada, and Liechtenstein won a competition for the best Year of the Ram stamps. The contest included stamps from 56 countries, or special administrative regions celebrating the Year of the Ram. The stamps were issued in late 2014 or early 2015. The Year of the Ram began Feb 19, 2015, and will end Feb. 7, 2016.

It’s that time of the year: We feel the need to make resolutions and set goals for the new year. In reflecting on my own goals, I have a few suggestions I believe might be of interest to you, our readers. First and foremost, resolve to have fun with this great hobby of ours.

One of the images in my Nov. 2 column, “Canada’s early 19th-century Numeral cancels by the numbers,” brought a response from a keen-eyed collector, noting “that the image showing the stated number 17 is, in actuality, number 47.” My critic added that “perhaps Mr. Baumann could notify Siegel Auction Galleries of a misidentification.”

A cluster of recent Christmas stamps from Brazil, the Netherlands, San Marino, and other countries feature a delightful cross-section of festive and iconic images.

The 2016 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values the set in mint never-hinged condition at $172.25. This set remains in demand and consistently sells at full Scott catalog value.

There was a record attendance of 210 at the meeting of The Royal Philatelic Society London on 10 December at which The Great Britain Philatelic Society celebrated its Diamond Jubilee.

Japan’s Winter Greetings pane of 10 stamps features snowy scenes.

The stamps of the Sultanate of Nejd are one of the most difficult areas of philately, and to help collectors, I recently completed a book that focuses on these stamps, titled The Sultanate of Nejd, A Philatelic Manual. The era of the Sultanate of Nejd heralded the rise of the great desert warrior, Ibn Saud, and his consolidation of the various areas of the Arabian Peninsula into what we know today as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Throndhjems By-Post (later Trondhjems By-Post) in the Norwegian city of Trondheim. Back in 1865, the Norwegian Post Office did not offer any local deliveries, and the local post was established to fill this void. Trondheim is one of Norway’s largest cities located on its West Coast. It is also one of the oldest cities in the country, having been founded in 997.

Bulgaria was a major empire from the ninth to the 14th centuries. Conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1396, Bulgarians spent the next 500 years trying to oust the Muslim conquerors and regain their independence. With Russian help, Bulgaria became an autonomous principality of the Ottoman Empire in 1878. Bulgaria issued its first postage stamps May 1, 1879.

A group of stamp collectors and postage enthusiasts from Chicago have set of goal of $17,000 to help fund the production of their stamp-focused documentary, "Freaks and Errors: A Rare Collection."