A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published Dec. 17, 1843, and in the 172 years since then the story has become a timeless classic, retold hundreds of times in a variety of films, television specials and plays, and faithfully read and re-read every year as part of many families’ holiday traditions. Another way to enjoy A Christmas Carol is by forming a topical collection of stamps that picture the characters from this story of redemption.

reat Britain’s Penny Black, the first stamp issued in the world, was at first printed in black. That, in itself, requires an explanation. Its creator, Sir Rowland Hill, was from the beginning worried that people could erase a cancellation and thus would be able to fraudulently reuse the stamp to prepay postage on more than one letter.

Collectors with global stamp interests will find an assortment of columns and features to serve their interests in Linn’s new section devoted to the international collecting scene and marketplace.

Canada Post will kick off 2016 on the second Monday in January (Jan. 11) with an estimated 14 stamps, including multi-stamp installments in two continuing series, a five-stamp inaugural release in a new series of Birds of Canada, and a new definitive depicting Queen Elizabeth II. The biggest surprise of this multi-stamp Monday may be the return of old designs in new denominations. The sites pictured on five $1.20 and $2.50 UNESCO World Heritage booklet and souvenir stamps issued May 16, 2014, (Scott 2739-44) will be back as nondenominated (85¢) permanent-rate stamps.

The Hungarian Soviet Republic headed by Bela Kun lasted only from March 21, 1919, until Aug. 1, 1919, but during that time the postal administration issued a set of large bicolor postage stamps in the style of contemporaneous political poster art.

Japan’s nearest neighbor to the west, the peninsula of Korea, is about 120 miles away, across the Strait of Korea. The two countries engaged in diplomatic and trading exchanges as early as the third century, and Korea was the conduit to Japan for many elements of Chinese culture, including food and religion. A treaty in 1876 launched the efforts to make Korea economically and politically part of the Japanese empire, and early in the 20th century, Japan accelerated the maneuvering to dominate its small neighbor.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are used to seeing holiday cards and stamps featuring snowy scenes. Our friends living in the Southern Hemisphere have a very different holiday season: their December means summer, not winter, and that season is reflected on their holiday stamps.

Although there was only minimal historical contact between the Knights Templar and Bulgaria, they are very popular in that country, with secret societies claiming to be their spiritual heirs. In 2008, Bulgaria issued a 1-lev 700th Anniversary of the Destruction of the Knights Templar stamp (Scott 4486), and in 2012, issued a 65-stotinki 700th Anniversary of the Disbanding of the Knights Templar stamp (4589).

The Dhaka Tribune is reporting that portraits of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi will not appear on the country's new postage stamps.

Each year, schoolchildren in the Netherlands sell postage stamps to raise money for the Foundation of Children’s Welfare Stamps (Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland), a charity that works to support the development of vulnerable children. This year’s semipostal stamps feature Little Golden Books, a series of books for children that were introduced in 1942.

Great Britain’s Royal Mail has timed the issue of its Star Wars prestige booklet to coincide with the Dec. 17 opening of the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the United Kingdom. The film opens in the United States the next day, Dec. 18.

Dogs bred and trained for various roles, from hunting to bomb detection, are pictured on recent stamps.

Polynesian culture throughout the Pacific has a rich and fascinating history. Until very recent times, scientists, archaeologists, linguists, oceanographers, anthropologists, and explorers were at odds with one another in the debate over the origin of Polynesians.

Postage stamps pay postal fees, but they also are intended to represent the country of their origin to the rest of the world. The stamps of St. Pierre & Miquelon vividly reflect that nation’s history and its setting.

It’s easy to strip stamps out of an old album obtained from the latest stamp bourse or auction and pay no attention to the album itself. After all, it’s the stamps you’re after. But have a second look at that album: It might be just as fascinating and rewarding as the stamps themselves.

Located in southwestern Yugoslavia, the regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina were a hotbed of political strife for centuries. The provinces were ruled by the Ottoman Turkish Empire until 1878, when they were placed under Austria-Hungary control. Bosnia and Herzegovina issued its first stamps a year later, in 1879.

The topic of music encompasses a great variety of stamps. You can find music composers, performers, instruments, and titles honored in this category.

On April 15, 1973, Bhutan issued a set of seven (five postage and two airmail) Phonograph Record stamps (Scott 152-152F). These weren’t just stamps commemorating phonograph records. They were actual phonograph records that can be played on any standard record player.

Since issuing its first two Christmas stamps in 1966 (Scott 478-479), Great Britain has shown about 240 different designs on its Christmas stamps. These designs have varied in quality, but a few have been excellent and memorable.

Recent stamps from Italy, Belgium and Mexico depict hot air balloons.