CAMBODIA PHILATELY

The Royal Palace Now and Then

2012-01-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

The Royal Palace is the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodians see it as a symbol of the entire nation while tourists see it as a showcase of the old Cambodian sophisticated style and taste.

It started in 1866 when the King's residence was built in Chatdomuk by the riverside, several buildings and houses were then added over the decade. Significant constructions include in 1870 the Throne Hall, Hor Samran Phirun for the King to mount elephants, Hor Samrith Phimean and the Chanchhaya Pavilion for dance, in 1873 the palace wall and in 1876 the Napoleon III Pavilion which was a gift from Napoleon III of France.

The Victory Gate in 1900s, it is the main entrance to the Palace.

The Victory Gate in 1930s, it has not changed since then.

The Napoleon III Pavilion is seen in the middle and King's residence on the right in this 1890s photograph.

This 1905 postcard shows the expanded King's residence. The building was torn down in early 1950s to make room for Damnak Chan, the High Council of the Throne.

Napoleon III Pavilion today with Damnak Chan in the back.

The old wooden Chanchhaya Pavilion shown on a 1903 postcard.

The old Throne Hall.

Elephants walked pass the wall surrounding the old Throne Hall, Hor Samran Phirun and
Hor Samrith Phimean in late 1900s.

HM King Sisowath coming out of the Throne Hall during his coronation, 1904.

In 1892 Wat Preah Keo which is now commonly called the Silver Pagoda was built next to the palace. Unlike that of the Grand Palace of Bangkok, the wat is not part of the Cambodian palace.

The palace compound in the front and Wat Preah Keo in the rear in 1890s. Except the Napoleon III Pavilion, all buildings in the palace compound shown in the photograph are now history.

The Palace underwent great changes in late 1910s and 1920s during the regime of HM King Sisowath, new buildings were added and many old structures were replaced. The Phochani Hall for dance practice was inaugurated in 1912, six years later the old Throne Hall, Hor Samran Phirun, Hor Samrith Phimean and the Chanchhaya Pavilion were rebuilt. Some old buildings were demolished to create a spacious and neat environment.

A birdeye view of the Palace and Wat Preah Keo in 1930s. The new Throne Hall and
other rebuilt buildings are seen, however some other structures are now demolished.

The Throne Hall and Hor Samrith Phimean as they are today.

The rebuilt Chanchhaya Pavilion shown on a 1997 stamp commemorating the 30th anniversary of ASEAN.

The Khemarin Palace was completed in 1931 to serve as the King's office. In 1950s two residences were built, one is the Sahametrei Pavilion where HM the late Queen Kossomak Nearireath lived, the other is Villa Kantha Bopha which now resides their Majesties King Father Sihanouk and Queen Mother Monineath.

The Khmerarin Palace serves as the King's office.

Currently half of all the palace ground is open to public. Closed areas include the Chanchhaya Pavilion, Damak Chan, all royal residences, the Serei Mongkul Palace, the royal chapel Vihear Suor, the gardens and other minor pavilions.

Villa Kantha Bopha.

Their Majesties in a palace garden.

The Serei Mongkul Palace.

Early Known Use of the 1980 Issue

2011-12-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

The very first stamp set printed after postal service resumed in 1979 is the April 1980 "National Liberation" issue. It consists of four values, denominations are in riels which reintroduced in mid March 1980.

Although the stamps were scheduled to be issued on 10th April, they were made available to the public before it.

Here is a postal cover from Phnom Penh to Geneva franked with a full set, the three CPO postmarks show 9th April 1980, a day ahead of the official issue date.

In Phnom Penh it is common that postage stamps and philatelic products are actually available earlier or way later than the announced date of issue. This may due to the fact that philately in Cambodia virtually does not exist, postal clerks find it unimportant to strictly follow the time plan of sales.

The phenomenon happened to the post 1979 first issue and many issues onwards, and it is still happening now.

Royalties Autographed Covers

2011-12-06T23:28:00.000-08:00

Autographed by HM King Sihanouk, HM Queen Monineath and HM King Sihamoni.

They are in the collection of Mr Min Zhu of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Philatelic Association.

Chinese Engineer Brigade in UNTAC Mission

2011-11-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

In April 1992 at the request of the UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the People's Republic of China sent 47 military Observers and 400 engineers to aid the rehabilitation of Cambodia during the UNTAC time.

Engineering units from 5 countries have participated in the mission: PR China, Thailand, Japan, Poland and France. PR China was the first time to join a UN peacekeeping mission and the brigade did not have their own field post. I have not come across any philatelic documentation on their mail, yet a 1994 book titled "Blue Helmets from China" by Zhengfeng Xu, a veteran from the mission, provides a very scarce peep at how the Chinese wrote home. Here is a rough translation on the relevant lines (original text in Chinese):

"... in the beginning it was difficult to send mail to China and very difficult to receive mail from China because of the mail route problem, there was no mail exchange between China and Cambodia.

"According to UNTAC, mail to China was to be handled by the Force Communications Unit run by the Australian contingent. However we had no PO Box in China ... and so things did not work. To solve the problem, the former Engineering Corps Department arranged ... to assign the Beijing Box 3947 at 46 Taiping Road for use, the postcode is 100857 ...

"... in August 1992 ... the UNTAC HQ assigned Air France to take Chinese mail twice a week, postage is paid by UNTAC. The mail route is Phnom Penh - HCM City - Bangkok - Beijing. Each week the Beijing International Post and Telecommunications Office picks up mail at the aiport from Air France, then through the 3947 box, the mail is delivered with military post cachet applied. And so the mail is by special delivery, it has no postage stamps, it only has the blue UNTAC datemark along with the red triangular (Chinese) military cachet.

"Now it is convenient to write to us, just send the mail to Beijing Box 3947 with 20-cent stamp franked would do ..."

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was so proud of the Brigade in such a way that in 1993 which was the 66th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, China Post issued a commemorative cover (serial PFTN-1) to hail the Brigade for their contribution to the UNTAC peace mission. Print run is 10,000, an unknown amount of them were postally sent from Beijing to the two Chinese Engineers Brigade camps in Phnom Penh.

Those which were sent have the Beijing 1st August 1993 postmark, it was the date marking the 66th anniversary of the PLA foundation. The UNTAC 16th August postmark tells the arrival date.

A special handstamp cachet with a stylised pigeon and the inscription "In commemoration of the participation of Chinese Engineering Brigade in UN Peacekeeping Mission in Cambodia" was also issued for stamping.

France'98 World Cup Essays

2011-11-06T03:04:00.000-08:00

The stamp above is from the FRANCE'98 World Cup 6v and 1 S/S set which was officially issued on 10th January 1998.

And this is an essay of it.

One of the first materialized essays for the 6v are all in this format, a French Tricolour ribbon crosses the top left corner, a national flag placed vertically on the lower left, and a large picture of player on the right.

These are the flags chosen:

200r - Italy
500r - Brazil
900r - Germany
1000r - Argentina
1500r - the United Kingdom
4000r - Spain

Football fans easily spot the reason of selection and a foolish mistake. Except UK, all the countries were in the top 5 seeds. UK does not compete as a single entity, England and Scotland are represented by their own home nation teams.

The 5400r vertical souvenir sheet essay features a footballer with "World Cup Participants" in French at the bottom.

The finalized designs are all horizontal but not vertical, and the stamps are not specially devoted to specific national teams.

2011 Flood of Cambodia

2011-10-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

Currently the world's attention is focusing on the extensive flood of Thailand. High pressure over the north South China Sea has made the typhoons of this year hit the Indochinese Peninsula more frequent than usual, this multiplies the amount of monsoon rainfall over the northern and central parts of the Peninsula. Consequently the Mekong and the Maenam (the Chao Phraya River) swell which flood Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Cambodia has fallen as one of the victims of global climate change.
Postcard: flooded Phnom Penh in 1990s
Stamp: 2010 Combat Climate Change
Postmark: 05/06/10 Phnom Penh CPO.

In Cambodia nearly 250 lives are claimed by flooding since August whilst 18 of the 23 provinces are soaked. Agricultural land in Kampong Chhnang, Kandal and Svay Rieng provinces is waterlogged, fortunately Battambang, the bread basket of the country, is only little affected.

The beauty of Kampong Chhnang Province.
Postcard: Kampong Chhnang rural scene
Stamp: 2004 Khmer Aspect
Postmark: 14/05/05 Kampong Chhnang City PO

Areas affected by flooding. (Source: WMO)

Mail traffic is not seriously affected because traditionally from May to October it is the rainy season and so mail mostly travels by air rather than by land.

Bogus Stamps Showing Helicopters

2011-10-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

In the May 2011 issue of Indo-China Philatelist (ICP #198), philatelist Thierry Wiart called for attention of a Cambodian bogus issue featuring Charles de Gaulle.

There are at least two more bogus stamps not mentioned by Wiart, they are in the same presentation but depicting helicopters. Below shows the stamps in horizontal pair:

The selvedge suggests that they may be in bottom left corner position of a sheetlet, it is unclear if a 9v sheetlet exists, just like that of de Gaulle.

The de Gaulle series has used the country names of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. So far only Cambodia has the helicopters but not the other two Indochinese countries.

"Taxe Percue" of Cambodia

2011-10-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

Postage due stamps of independent Cambodia were first introduced in 1957.

In Cambodia no postage due stamps have been issued since postal service resumed in 1979, in fact it is unnecessary to have them because almost all mail senders take their mail to post office to pay and send, occurrence of postage underpayment by senders (I am not making myself stupid by stating "by senders", it can be done by POSTAL CLERKS) is rare.

However a "T.P" (acronym for French "taxe perçue") handstamp cachet is in use, it does not serve the purpose of postage due or postal tax, it tells postage is collected.

This 1991 cover gives a good illustration on the usage. During the inflation period of late 1980s and early 1990s, some post offices were short in postage stamps which caught up with inflation. This cover postmarked 30th November 1991 was franked with one obsolete 3r stamp only, the actual postage of 200r was paid right at the post office counter. "T.P" indicates postage has been fully paid at counter.

Below is a recent sample. On this 2009 cover only one 1500r stamp was affixed, the left out 800r postage was paid at the counter. "T.P" was used to mark full postage paid.

Sometimes "T.P" is used on official mail. Below is from the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications, "T.P" once again served as postage paid indicator.

1994 Cover Sisophon to Paris

2011-09-14T21:23:00.001-07:00

This cover went from Sisophon of Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia to Sceaux of southern Paris, France.

Three stamps paying 1700r postage were canceled at two different places, Sisophon and Phnom Penh.

The 1993 "National Development" 450r and "Fauna" 900r were canceled by a red ink meter of Banteay Meanchey Province, dated 3rd July 1994. The meter only served as a date indicator and postage stamp killer, no postage did it carry. The leftmost stamp, 1993 Bangkok'93 (waterfowl) 350r was uncanceled when it left Sisophon.

Phnom Penh is the mail hub of Cambodia, mail all over the country has to go to Phnom Penh first before heading to its destination. Usually a transit postmark is applied at Phnom Penh CPO. In this case the Phnom Penh black ink cancellation tying the 350r waterfowl stamp is actually a transit postmark.

The Phnom Penh postmark was dated 4th July 1994, the next day of Sisophon departure. Such speedy travel in the rainy season of Cambodia (from May to October) suggests that the cover did not go all the way by road, but by air from Battambang or Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Road travel during rainy season took at least four days or sometimes as long as two weeks.

To know more about Banteay Meanchey, please click here.

Guangzhou - Phnom Penh First Flight Cover

2011-08-29T14:02:00.001-07:00

First flight covers (FFC) were popular in the days when inauguration of new air routes was a major event. As traveling by air is getting as common as by land, new air route inauguration gradually loses its thrill and FFC face dying supply and demand.

Cambodian FFC created before 1975 were not hard to find. However, since civilian postal service resumed in 1980, new created FFC have become very rare. Two things happen which leads to this rarity, one is the significant drop of collectors interested in post-1979 Cambodian philately, the other is zero support from postal authority in new air route commemoration.

Little collectors interested in post-1979 Cambodian philately is due to heavy commercialization of 1980s and 1990s stamp issues as well as too little information and materials available.

Zero support from postal authority on first flight souvenirs is because in 1980s and most of 1990s there was no direct mail route to international destinations from Cambodia. For political reasons, all mail in and out of the country was via Viet Nam.

Here shows a cover carrying a handstamp cachet which marks the open up of direct air route between Guangzhou (Canton) of China and Phnom Penh of Cambodia. The cover was registered at Liuhua post office of Yuexiu District, Guangzhou on 28th February 1999. The next day, 1st March, the China Southern Airlines Boeing 737-500 made the maiden flight from Guangzhou to Phnom Penh.

On the back the cover is the Phnom Penh Central Post Office arrival postmark dated 5th March.

The postcard below features a 1964 Chinese handstamp cachet (left) which commemorates the opening of air route between Cambodia and PR China. The destinations are the same as the cover shown above, Guangzhou and Phnom Penh, but with a Hanoi stop over.

Bo Rai Border Camp (UNTAC Mail)

2011-08-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is a letter sent by a United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) staff located in Bo Rai in 1993.

Bo Rai is a border town in Trat Province of eastern Thailand. It had a Cambodian refugee camp which accommodated the people displaced by the 1985 fighting between the Vietnamese army and the Khmer Rouge along the Thai border.

Bo Rai camp occupants were mainly the refuging Khmer Rouge and their followers. Other than Bo Rai, there were four other similar camps, namely Huay Chan, Na Trao, Ta Luan and Site 8 (Phum Tmey). All these camps were administrated by the Khmer Rouge, Site 8 was the largest and most important one but Bo Rai was where Pol Pot actually lived.

Famous for its gemstone mines, Bo Rai was one of the geese which laid gold eggs to fuel the Khmer Rouge resistance against the Vietnamese backed Phnom Penh government in the second half of 1980s.

Location of border camps held by different factions.
(From John Rogge "Return to Cambodia" 1990)

1983 Olympics S/S Misperforation

2011-08-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

COPERFIL does not have a very good quality control system, perforation errors are quite common on 1980s and 1990s Cambodian stamps.

Common imperfection includes off-centre perforation and blind perforation. Double perforation, imperforate between and perforation shift happen sometimes but something like this is silly:

Michelle's Adventures at Phnom Penh CPO

2011-08-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Back in June 2009 I mentioned about Michelle's adventures at Phnom Penh Central Post Office, didn't I? For those who missed it, here is a repost, originally written on 22nd January 2009:

"Visiting the main Post Office here in Phnom Penh is always an amusing experience.

"First there are many counters to choose from - Letter, registered letter, registered packet, packet etc etc. There is never a queue of any kind [because no one uses the post for the reasons I am about to explain]. At the right counter you will be ignored by the two women behind it who are "busy" sorting their pencils or similar. When you have their attention they will proceed to "weigh" your letter/packet in a place where you cannot see the weight for yourself.

"They will then randomly pick a charge for the packet. You may manage to work out the cost yourself from a faded list they have stuck to the glass and manage to have a conversation about why they have asked for 12,000 Riel when the table says it should onlybe 8,000 Riel. If you are lucky they will shrug and reduce the price. Otherwise, they may just stare blankly (or still shrug) and you are stuck with the random price.

"Next challenge... you get the stamps... or do you? Often the (now helpful) clerk will state that they will now deal with the stamping and posting of your packet. Bad idea to accept this. The idea is that if you do not see the stamps being stuck on your packet then your letter will be binned/the contents of the parcel treated as a gift and the money not put in the Post Office till.

"So you have got the thing "weighed", you have paid the "fee", they have stuck on the stamps.... Next challenge, get the stamps franked (they have to be franked before you put it in the post box). This is where lots of had actions and drama is necessary to get the job done.

"Once you have the letter in your hand fully stamped and franked all that is left is the post box which is far less of a challenge (unless you are using the Post Office on Sihanouk Bvd where the slot is practicially narrower than a letter and looks like it hasn't been opened to collect the mail for a century). You can then inform the person (by email) the packet is on its way - only to be told 3 months later by them that it never arrived.

"So the idea I had to post a good book to a friend at home was never a good one. The charge was incomprehensible to me - so I failed at the first hurdle. I was out-numbered. 2 clerks against 1 foreigner. The cost was $13 (more than the book itself)! Having been ripped off (I think) at this stage I was determined to get my stamps. This is when I was greeted by the ever present phrase uttered here ... "sorry cannot". "Sorry cannot"..... aghhhhhhhhh!!! I had paid my money I was trapped. "Sorry cannot" does not usually follow with an explaination here. However, "Late. [it was 5.30pm] Machine off. I will do" - ummmm. Perhaps being British I couldn't bring myself to challenge this explaination and accuse the women of conspiracy to de-fraud me of my stamps. I just said "please - do it tomorrow".

"I had no hope of the packet ever reaching the UK. $13 that would be more than a week's salary so the temptation too much.... On the upside when I went outside the PO I saw a whole family of monkeys - including tiny baby ones...walking across the main electric cables!

"But monkeys were not the purpose of the trip and so I sadly emailed my friend apologising for my lack of conviction in the Post Office to get the stamps stuck and cursed my wasted $13 (equaling 13 beers in happy hour). Then behold!!!!!!! Today, about ten days later, the packet arrived! Oh sweet JOY! and faith in the Cambodian postal system restored!!!! On reflection it was a book (Cambodian's don't generally read let alone read English novels) and I bet the stamps were far stuck on were far less than $13...."

Michelle is a briton living in Phnom Penh. The following are some selected replies to her original blog post:

dsingis said...
"The Phnom Penh Post Office is, indeed, a very funny typical Cambodian specialty. After shipping a lot small parcels, I thought I would know the system. Weighing the letter or parcel at home, look in the tariff list, how much it is, write it on the enveloppe. And go to the post-office.
Their scales were always better than my electronic scale, saying 200 gramms heavier or more.
Than they tried to charge the tariff for the most expensive Zone F (USA), even when the shipping was going to Asia.
The best way to get things done, is shipping by registered letter or parcel. Than they cannot cheat and You can be sure, Your shipping reaches its destiny in less than a week.
Tomorrow I have to go to this very nice place to ship 2.8 Kg to Europe. With a big smile in my face I will enjoy that adventure."
Monday, July 13, 2009

Paul said...
"Hi, lived here for 4 years now (from UK), and use the Post Office about 3 times a week (a sucker for punishment).
For the average tourist, you will be better (as another poster said) to use the registered service, as the paperwork has to be completed and rubber-stamped, in front of you.
If you use the counters round the back, the chances of your package reaching your destination are not that good.
I work for a big company here, and receive parcels very regularly, but only because they are adressed to a company,they dare not 'intercept' them.
I get very good service, partly because I 'speaka da lingo', and partly because I always drop a couple of thousand reil extra, onto the counter for the girls.
2000r is only about 30p (50c), but is good insurance for ensuring good service, and a welcoming smile when you arrive.
They also call me on the phone, as soon as the package arrives, to make sure I'm not having an unnecessary ride into town from work/home (9Km).
Bottom line is; spend a little bit extra, and go the registered route."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Caron Margarete said...
"I find the post office here infuriating, mostly because most offices close for a 3hr lunch between 11-2 and the front counter staff are the closest thing to useless, lazy and unreliable, and that's just those that can actually speak some English.
If you have any drama ask for Mr Mardy (small packets counter) who is undoubtably the nicest man ever because he knows his fellow employees are unhelpful on purpose.
Do not get upset or angry because the Khmer will laugh at you and ignore you. This is common throughout the country because of their custom for saving face.
Mr Mardy tells me that come January 2011 (which will more likely be March knowing this place!) that they're privatising the postal service so here's hoping that makes things better.
Definitely use registered post to send/ receive mail."
Monday, December 13, 2010

For Michelle's original blog page, please click here.

Cambodian Stamps in Private hands Go Obsolete

2011-06-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

Cambodia Post no longer accept stamps as postage prepayment.

Cambodia Post becomes a public enterprise starting from 2011. The first move that surprise stamps collectors is to make all stamps which have already sold obsolete.

First in February Cambodia Post declared three stamps invalid for postal use:

1997 Definitives "Tuk Chua" 2500r
1997 Definitives "Tuk Chua" 3000r
2001 Defintives "Takeo" 1500r

This is the corresponding action taken against a stamp theft at the CPO archive a while earlier. For the first time Cambodia officially declares stamps issued after 1979 as obsolete.

Then at the same time, postal clerks request all mail senders to pay at counter for their mail, equivalent cost of stamps are given for franking. Stamps franked prior are not accepted.

In other words, all mint stamps in private hands are obsolete in practice.

The new policy does not cause much impact on mail service users because people always send their mail by taking it to the post office to pay and send, it is not a common practice to buy stamps in advance for further use, nor to use letter boxes on the streets.

2011 AIDS Stamps Update

2011-06-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

It is confirmed that Cambodia Post scheduled to issue a set of 4v stamps on 5th June 2011 to commemorate "30 Years since the Start of AIDS Epidemic". At the end of the month the stamps will be officially launched.

Stamp designs are to promote safe sex, monogamy and faithfulness.

(Special thanks to Graham Shaw for the information supplied)

29th June Update: for further information, please visit Graham Shaw's page (click here).

1981 Postmark Year Slugs Inverted

2011-06-08T02:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the 1980 4v full set (the first stamp issue after Pol Pot regime collapsed) franked on cover to France in 1981. In 1980 and 1981 the full set was often used as propaganda signifying national rebirth.

The cover would have been boring if the postmark is not as such:

The year slugs "81" are inverted !

Save the Prey Lang Forest

2011-05-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

In 2010 Cambodia issued a 5v + S/S set to raise public awareness in combating climate change. Two stamps are devoted to forest protection:

Cambodia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world although HM King Sihamoni and HE Prime Minister Hun Sen have cried out for forest protection.

Last Wednesday 200 representatives from Prey Lang (Prey Long) protested in Phnom Penh calling for a Economic Land Concession (ELC) license suspension in Prey Lang. There are more protesters back in Prey Lang.

Protesters including Buddhist monks hope the government
can save Prey Lang. (courtesy: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily)

The representatives gathered at Freedom Park to hand officials a petition signed by more than 30,000 people opposed to land concessions in the Prey Lang forest.

Location of Prey Lang. The forest covers parts of Preah Vihear,
Steung Treng, Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces.

Prey Lang, situated in northern Cambodia, is an area of 360,000 hectares which is the largest of intact lowland evergreen forest remaining in all Indochinese Peninsula. It is home to the Kuy indigenous tribe as well as a whole diversity of wildlife including nearly a hundred endangered or threatened species of fauna and flora.

Rare Prey Lang fauna include Indochinese tiger,
Gaur, Asian elephant and Giant ibis.

In spite of these, provincial officials describe Prey Lang as a "dull forest". Many ELCs have been approved to explore. Projects include logging, mining, plantations and road network.

According to the government, ELCs are designed to "...increase employment in rural areas within a framework of intensification and diversification of livelihood opportunities and within a framework of natural resource management based on appropriate ecological system". However this is not what the people of Prey Lang have found.

The Prey Lang forest in Kampong Thom Province has lost 6,000 hectares to CRCK for commercial rubber plantation, another 1,000 hectares in Preah Vihear Province are awarded to PNT. The companies have started destroying forest to make way for rubber trees, local residents found more than 243,650 trees are cut in the primary forest. Two more plantations are planned to the north of this area, the government may already have awarded these concessions.

More than 200,000 people, mostly indigenous, live in or around the forest in four provinces and a significant number depend on the forest resources for their livelihoods. There are 339 villages around Prey Lang, forest destruction means a loss of home and survival.

Protesters reveal that the two ELCs are licensed to Vietnamese companies, the Vietnamese bulldoze Prey Lang without any environmental impact assessments, and take the best Cambodian timber to Vietnam. At the end of the day Vietnamese enterprises are benefited while Cambodians and the environment suffer.

More on Prey Lang:

A short extract of an hour long documentary by Ben and Jocelyn Pederick:
Prey Lang One Forest One Future. Full version will be available soon.

Learn about Prey Lang and updated news: Prey Lang – It's YOUR Forest Too!

Cambodia on Foreign Stamps (Part 2)

2011-05-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

The end of Cold War in 1989 reset the world power balance, it also broke the strong economic and political tie with the former Soviet Bloc.

One of the few remaining communist states - Cuba celebrated
50th years of diplomatic relationship with Cambodia in 2010

Under the new world order Cambodia rapidly embraced the globalized economy by developing whole new international and regional economic partnerships. In 2004 Cambodia became a member of World Trade Organization (WTO) which offers firm and predictable treatment for products and services of Cambodia in the worldwide market.

Cambodia on United Nations 2006 Flags and Coins series

Regionally a significant move was made in 1999 by joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Cambodian flag depicted on 2006 Malaysia,
2004 Laos and 2010 Vietnam ASEAN stamps.

Currently ASEAN has ten members covering all southeast Asia except East Timor. When first founded in 1967, the bloc aimed at improving trade cooperation within the anti-Communist nations of the region. ASEAN now has the goal of facilitating economic growth, social progress, cultural development and environmental improvement. However the organization does not always work well as expected, recently it fails to resolve Cambodian-Thai border conflict.

The border conflict basically focuses on Prasat Preah Vihear, a Khmer temple which straddles the border in the Dangrek Mountains. The ancient Khmer Empire had a vast territory which included all or parts of modern-day Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia, it has left numerous temple ruins scattered across the area, particularly in Thailand and Laos.

Laos 1997 Commemoration of Lao Admission to ASEAN. Built in 11th century,
Wat Phou is a Khmer temple in present-day Champasak Province of Laos.
The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a
shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring.

Laos 2003 World Heritage Site - Wat Phou 3v and S/S FDC.
The temple was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Thailand 1995 Thai Heritage Conservation - Phimai Historical Park 4v set.
It is Khmer heritage rather than Thai, built in the reigns of King
Jayavarman VI and VII of Angkor (1080-1219), Prasat Phimai is
located in now Nakhon Ratchasima Province of Thailand.
It was a Tantric Buddhist temple rather than Hindu.

Thailand 1997 Thai Heritage Conservation - Phanomrung Historical Park
1st Series S/S. Prasat Phanomrung is a Khmer temple complex set on
the rim of an extinct volcano in now Buriram Province of Thailand. It was
built in sandstone and laterite in 10th to 13th centuries. The complex
was a Hindu shrine dedicated to Shiva and it symbolises Mount Kailash,
Shiva's heavenly dwelling.

Thailand 1998 Thai Heritage Conservation - Phanomrung
Historical Park 2nd Series S/S

Amongst all Khmer temples the mega star is Angkor Wat. Built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat was the state temple of the Khmer Empire, and it also served as the première temple of Angkor Thom, capital of the empire during its height.

France 2011 150th Death Anniversary of Henri Mouhot

Angkor Wat was popularized to Europeans by French explorer Henri Mouhot. In his 1868 travel journals "Voyage dans les Royaumes de Siam, de Cambodge, de Laos et Autres Parties Centrales de l'Indo-Chine", Mouhot enchanced his description with illustrations and exclaimed that none of the ancient Greek and Roman buildings could be compared to the splendid Angkor Wat.

France 1993 UNESCO World Heritage

Vietnam 1993 Southeast Asian ancient architecture

Japan 2003 ASEAN-Japan Exchange Year

Mozambique 2000 World Heritage Sities - Asia

World tourists flock in Angkor Wat and surrounding ruins bringing in thousands of millions of US dollars. Although the money is big, in a country like Cambodia which everything rebuilds at ground zero, the piece of cake shared by social services is small. Education and health care for children is inadequate and it heavily depends on foreign assistance. If education can reduce poverty, Cambodia has a long way to go.

Andorra 2004 Children of the World - Cambodian children FDC

For part 1 of "Cambodia on Foreign Stamps", please click here.

HAFNIA 87 Special Cachet on FDC

2011-05-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

On the occasion of HAFNIA 87 international stamp exhibition held in Denmark, Cambodia issued a set of 7v and S/S thematic stamps featuring helicopters.

Above shows one of the FDCs of the full set of three. What makes it stand out is the special cachet right below the 1.5r stamp. This particular cachet was available only at the exhibition venue.

"Kampuchea" (name of Cambodia at the time) is never a popular country to collect for Danes. So I guess the one who bought this FDC set at the venue might just be a thematic collector.

Cambodia on Foreign Stamps (Part 1)

2011-05-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

Cambodia is best known to the world for two things, the ancient Angkorian civilization, and the Khmer Rouge era and its aftermaths. Since 1980 these themes has been featured on foreign stamps so often that they can give a one frame exhibition.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia. The most notorious action of the Chinese-backed Communist group is they moved the whole urban population to rural area to be peasants - most educated civilians were brutally killed, all social institutions dissolved, and communications with the outside world eliminated. It led to more than one fifth of the population vanished under their rule. In 1999 the Marshall Islands remembered this man-made disaster with a stamp in the "20th Century" series:

The regime of terror was toppled by the Vietnamese in 1979. A pro-Vietnam Communist government was installed, then for the next ten years Cambodia was basically under the shadow of Vietnam. In 1983 Vietnam issued a set of two stamps to mark the Laos-Cambodia-Vietnam Summit Conference held in Vientiane. The conference was to form a militant alliance of the three countries with Vietnam taking the lead:

The year 1984 sees two more sets of Vietnamese stamps feature Cambodia. The first is to celebrate Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia solidarity and friendship, the second is to commemorate the 5th anniversary of friendship and cooperation treaty between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Vietnamese domination of Cambodia is once again reflected on stamps in 1989. A 2v set celebrating the 10th anniversary of National Day of Cambodia was issued, the day marks the Vietnamese took over Phnom Penh in 1979:

Although the Khmer Rouge no longer ruled all Cambodia, they still held the seat at the United Nations because of support from anti-Soviet countries. In the 1989 "National Flag" series of UN, the three-tower Angkor Wat red flag of "Democratic Kampuchea" represents Cambodia:

The Khmer Rouge and subsequent decade of war made hundreds of thousands of Cambodians flee the country, some bitterly succeeded while some tragically lost their lives. Devoted journalists brought these refugees' hell like situation to world news audience as one of the biggest humanitarian disasters of 1980s. In 2005 the Netherlands celebrated the 50th anniversary of World Press Photo with a stamp sheetlet, one of the stamps honours a 1979 press photo taken by photojournalist David Burnett showing a Cambodian refugee who cradles her child while waiting for food to be distributed:

Rays of dawn passed through the mist in 1993 when the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was mandated to implement the 1991 Paris Agreements on the Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict. A general election was conducted which consequently formed a coalition government bringing Cambodia back to the road of peace, stability and development.

The operation involved 22,000 contributors of military and civilian police personnel from 45 countries. Below is a 1993 Uruguayan stamp which hails Uruguay joining the UNTAC peace mission:

For part 2 of "Cambodia on Foreign Stamps", please click here.

1984 Aerogrammes of Cambodia

2011-05-01T14:04:00.001-07:00

Aerogrammes (air letters) were first introduced in Cambodia in 1971. After 1979 the Phnom Penh administration issued new aerogrammes again but they did not gain popularity.

Civilians were first free to send letters after the post office operated again. Although international postage was not cheap in the following years, people least prefered aerogrammes. The postal stationery was not welcome in poverty-plagued Cambodia primarily because of the price.

Below are two aerogrammes issued in 1984, one depicted wild dogs and the other commemorate the Los Angeles Summer Olympics, each of them bear 6 riels postage:

Postage of mid 1980s can be observed from these covers:

March 1984 airmail to Czechoslovakia, 4r postage.

April 1985 airmail to USA, 4.6r postage.

World destinations are grouped into zones for easy postage calculation, in general the Americas have the highest rates, Europe comes the second. From 1984 till mid 1985, it took no more than 5r as the highest basic rate, obviously a 6r aerogramme did not serve its expected duty properly - aerogrammes are supposed to be a cheap alternative to regular airmail post.

In 1986, inflation started to kick off. Look at this June 1986 airmail to USA:

Stamps on front and back added up to be 43.3r, nearly ten times higher than the postage a year ago. In the following years riel kept ruthlessly depreciating.

The aerogrammes were too expensive to use when issued and then later in a flash they virtually became obsolete. It had to wait till more than a decade later when Cambodia issued another aerogramme.

Sihanoukville Post Offices

2011-04-17T12:34:00.001-07:00

Collectors who do not read Khmer would conclude that this mail was sent at the Sihanoukville post office, since they can only recognize the geographic name "Sihanoukville" on the two different postmarks.

The city of Sihanoukville has two post offices. The large postmark belongs to the branch office in Phsar Loeu (New Market), it is located in down town area. The geographic name "Phsar Loeu" is inscribed in Khmer within the upper rim of the postmark.

The small postmark belongs to the main office. The main office is near the City Hall which is in Weather Station Hill area near the Victory Beach.

This mail was sent at Phsar Loeu office, then taken to the main office and so received the main office arrival postmark, and then delivered to Phnom Penh to fly to Germany.

Postcode for the main office is 18000. Phsar Loeu postmark used to show 18200, now it becomes 18000 (see the large postmark).

Sihanoukville is a coastal city founded in 1960 to be the first deep water port of the country. Suffered from 30 years of war, picturesque Sihanoukville attained peace and stability only a decade back, she is now quickly picking up as the hottest holiday town and trade port of Cambodia again.

Specimen stamps of Cambodia

2011-04-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

Above is the 1999 8v issue to celebrate the China'99 Stamp Expo.

This particular sheetlet is available from a Holland dealer at a very low price. The bottom left corner stamp is torn off, on the gum side there is a red ink handstamp "MUSTER" which is the German word for specimen.

This specimen sheetlet is neither from COPREFIL nor Cambodian Post, it is the work of Global Philatelie GmbH, the philatelic agent of Cambodia. The Pirmasens based company served as the sole marketing agent of Cambodia and other COPREFIL client nations in the second half of 1990s.

Cover and inside of the Global Philatelie GmbH price catalogue for individual collectors.

Philatelic agencies sometimes send specimens to wholesalers, dealers and individual collectors to attract philatelic orders. In Asia Mongolia is very well known for her handstamped on gum specimens, Cambodia is way less heard of.

Interested collectors are advised not to spend much on these specimens as they have very low philatelic value.

1985 5th (KPRP) Party Congress Cachet

2011-03-16T23:49:00.001-07:00

This cover postmarked 7th October 1985 went from Phnom Penh to Cầu Ngang of Cửu Long Province, Viet Nam. It bears the "5th Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party Congress" hand stamped propaganda cachet in red ink.

The period of use is unknown. A reasonable guess is two weeks to one month before the congress.

Closer look of the Khmer-French cachet. It carries the hammer and sickle - symbol of Communism, and five-towered Angkor Wat silhouette - symbol of the nation seen on the national flag of People's Republic of Kampuchea.

In 1985 the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (French acronym "PRPK"), sole legal and ruling party of Marxist-Leninist Cambodia at the time, held its 5th Party Congress from 13th to 16th October.

1985 issue commemorating the 115th birth anniversary of Vladimir Lenin.

The first 5 Year Plan of People's Republic of Kampuchea was presented by General Secretary Heng Samrin at the congress which was to call for an economic reform boosting private economy and closer tie with Viet Nam and the Soviet Bloc. The plan labeled agriculture and forestry as the real force of national economy with highest priority given to agricultural production focusing the 4 sectors of food, rubber, fishing, and timber.

PRPK changed its name to the Cambodian People's Party in 1991, the group remains the ruling party of Cambodia till these days.

1997 Cambodia EMS 6v Birds Set

2011-03-05T23:21:00.001-08:00

Express Mail Service (EMS) was first available in Cambodia in 1995, it is faster than express service (red label) which has always been offered by the post office.

On 20th Feburary 1997 Cambodia Post issued a set of 6 songbird stamps, all of them carry the EMS Khmer Express logo in the background:

However the issue is not highlighted by advert as special EMS stamps, philatelic pamphlets just describe it as songbird thematic:

Front and back of the philatelic pamphlet.

As a matter of fact the denominations are awkward, they are too low for EMS yet too high for usual tariff, consequently it makes the set not competent for use and quickly end up at the philatelic counter as souvenir only.

The philatelic counter is more like a tourist souvenir counter, stamps are sold at multiples of face value for customers to collect or use postally. With no surprise the "souvenir" price of this EMS set is high enough which discourages people from consuming these birdies on mail, and therefore postal used copies are very rare.

A recent "out of period" use of EMS stamps on outgoing registered mail.

EMS Khmer Express has never used postage stamps for payment. Below is a typical EMS bag for letters and documents:

Overpriced Cover from Unprofessional Dealer

2011-02-28T23:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the front and back of a cover offered by a Bulgarian dealer.

Look at the item description by the dealer:

"A cover sent from Kampuchea Cambodia to Bulgaria in September 1991 during the last days of the pro-Soviet and pro-Vietnamese RPK regime that had no recognition by UN but de facto ruled Cambodia between 1979 and 1991 as opposed to the Khmer Rouge Pol Pot parallel regime supported by China and USA. The civil war and the isolation of Cambodia form the Westerns World ended in October 1991 with Paris Peace Accords and the introduction of the United Nations Advanced Mission in Cambodia.

"Postmark from 30.09.91 with a variation of the RPK/People’s Republic of Kampuchea postmark “Phnom Penh RP Kampuchea” different from the other postmark formats used through the 1980’s and into the early 1990’s “Phnom Penh RP” only.

http://articles.cambodiastamps.com/PPPmksPt3.html

"Variation of stamps both with Kampuchea and Cambodia inscription (the name of "People's Republic of Kampuchea" was officially changed to State of Cambodia in April 1989)."

There are 3 things highlighted by the dealer. Firstly the cover is from the last days of non UN recognized PRK, secondly the postmark is unusual, thirdly there is mix franking of People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) and State of Cambodia (SOC) stamps.

The cover sounds so much like a gem! I have repeatedly reminded fellow collectors to stay alert of dealers' trap, this is one of the traps.

PRK renamed SOC in April 1989 merely for the sake of international image, no one considers it a political or social milestone.

The Paris Accord was signed in October 1991, but the date did not mark the end of a regime. It was 1993 when Cambodia re-installed a monarchy, so basically the postmark date 30th September 1991 gives absolutely no significance of any kind.

Not to mention mixing franking of PRK and SOC stamps can be found on most covers of the period.

The dealer takes time to read Graham Shaw's website and makes it a reference of the postmark, the postmark on the cover is the same type as shown in figure 5 of Shaw's article. Personally I do not consider numbered postmarks as a variation, and it is certain that this postmark type is not unusual, according to my study the numbered postmarks are extensively used from 1987 to 1993. For further information see my blog entry "Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks Part 1".

I guess only very junior collectors would consider having covers from non UN recognized countries a fantasy. There are quite a number of non UN recognized countries around, such as Republic of China (Taiwan), Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Republic of Kosovo, State of Palestine .....

The dealer asks for 75 USD. The true market price, is just a few dollars.

Proofs of Cambodian Stamps

2011-02-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Post 1979 Cambodia does not release imperforate stamps, but for certain issues there seem to exist. They are actually proofs.

These what believed to be colour or plate proofs from the archive of COPREFIL are available on the market as imperforate stamp and souvenir sheet full printing sheets, or single pieces in case of colour proofs. For some issues, designer proofs are on market. Up to date these different kinds of proof of the following issues are found in private collections:

1985 JUVALUX'88 Cats
1986 Halley's Comet
1988 Apsara
1989 BRASILIANA'89 Butterflies
1994 FIFA World Cup USA'94
1994 Tourism - Public Gardens
1994 Beetles
1994 Submarines
1994 Chess
1994 80th Anniv of the 1st Flight of Multimotor Plane
1994 Indochinese Birds
1994 Dinosaurs
1994 National Independence Festival
1995 Butterflies
1995 Protected Fauna
1995 Locomotives
1997 Khmer Culture - Banteay Srei
1998 Chinese Year of the Tiger
1998 Defivitives
1998 Cats
1999 Butterflies

Current market price for most of the plate proof sets is 5 to 10 USD each.

They should not be confused with the de luxe sheets of three 1983 issues: 4th anniversary of PRK, Los Angeles Olympics and butterflies.

There are also printing wastes which found their way to the philatelic market. Collectors are reminded that printing wastes are worthless and forbidden to use as philatelic exhibition material.

Cancelled-to-order (CTO) Stamps of Cambodia

2011-02-05T02:32:00.000-08:00

From 1982 to 2001, Cambodia had most of her postage stamps designed and printed by COPREFIL, and to make more philatelic sales, all of these stamps have a certain quantity cancelled-to-order (CTO). Just as all other modern CTO, negative stereotypes and heavy generalization has made Cambodian CTO nothing more than gap fillers.

Personally I do not reject CTO. As a matter of fact, some modern CTO are so sought after that they fetch hundreds of US dollars. Although Cambodian CTO mostly end up in value packs for starters, with a closer look they do have little interesting information for collectors.

The Cuban printer sometimes included print run information on philatelic pamphlets, but it seems that the numbers do not include CTO quantity. Extra number of stamps were printed and then machine postmarked, this cancellation was not printed along with the stamp design.

Not all stamp printing sheets have serial number, but CTO are always on non-numbered sheets.

The machine postmark design has been revised a number of times during the two decades of CTO flourish, however only the very first one is identical to the handstamp postmark used in the Cambodian post offices, all others are nothing close. This makes collectors easy to tell CTO from postal used stamps.

The Date shown on cancellation is not first day, sometimes a week after, sometimes longer, yet it does not go further than a month. The following is a first day cover and a CTO of the 1993 BRASILIANA'93 S/S, note the cancellation and date difference:

It is very rare that the CTO date is before the date of issue. The 1991 World Cup issue makes the record, issued on 15th February, the CTO are dated 25th January.

For each stamp issue all CTO of it have the same cancellation date, but sometimes there are variations. The 1996 first definitive set gives a notable example. Issued on 30th January, the standard CTO date is 9th February, the variant shows 9th August:

The 9th August variant is rarely seen, in fact the date was meant for the second definitive set (issued on 30th July) CTO:

The COPREFIL contract ended in late 2001, since then Cambodia stops having CTO. From 1982 to 2001, only the surcharges, the 1988 Vietnamese printed Apsara 4v set, the 1993 Russian printed independence 3v set and the 2001 Vietnamese printed King's 80th birthday 13v set do not have CTO.

1991 Space Surcharges at Ridiculous Price

2011-01-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

An American dealer has caught attention of some collectors of Cambodia by offering a 1991 Space surcharges short set.

The original set comprises of 7 values, this short set is without the lowest value 100r on 2r (Sc1145, Mi1223) and the second last highest value 1500r on 20r (Sc1150, Mi1228).

All values are bulleye canceled 10th October 1991.

The seller asks for 1100 USD. What justifies his mad price is his following claims:

"Each canc., PNOMH PENH 10.10.91"", probably first day. Cert. Osper (2008): These are the only Loose stamps of this issue known to me, the two other values 100/2R., 1500/20R. are only reported on cover. The scarcest postage stamps of Cambodia."

These stamps come with a certificate of authenticity issued by German expert Osper BPP. The stamps may be authentic, but the remarks are questionable.

I am sceptical about the knowledge and authority of Osper BPP in the field of Asian stamps. Collectors of Cambodia well aware that loose surcharges, both mint and used, are offered by different dealers once in a while. If the remarks "...these are the only Loose stamps of this issue known to me" was made by Osper, basically Osper was a stranger in the field; if it was the stamp dealer who said it, he made a big fuss over his own ignorance.

Sample covers are not too difficult to find for reference, look at this:

The postmark shows 15th June 1991. Certainly 10th October cannot be first day.

On an average the seller is asking for 220 USD per stamp. Used copies of 1991 space surcharges are more common than MNH, when MNH would not ask for 220 USD, how much can used copies fetch? A certificate of authenticity does not add much value to this short set, I consider this cancel-on-request short set under one eighth of the asked price to be reasonably listed with bulleye cancels greatly honoured.

In my previous blog entries, I have said that 95% of dealers know nothing more than you do on Cambodian stamps, they love to make up stories and speak like experts for the sake of their pockets. This case is a classic example, the dealer provides misleading information, sets a ridiculous price, disrupts market liquidity, eventually this kills the hobby.

New 2011 HIV/AIDS Awareness Stamps for Cambodia

2011-01-15T09:15:00.000-08:00

Coat of Arms of Ministry of Health.

Minister of Post and Telecommunications of Cambodia announced that the country would issue 1 million stamps in 2011 to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, Xinhua News Agency reports.

"The stamps will be put in use from June." So Khun, the Minister said, adding that they will display images and messages aimed at educating the public about the disease.

Cambodia had her very first stamp issue to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in 2006. The 3v set was to celebrate the success of "Number One" condom social marketing program launched by the NGO Population Services International in 1994.

The National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology, and STDs estimates that currently about 56,200 people in the country are living with HIV/AIDS.

Cambodia at Shanghai Expo 2010

2011-01-08T01:33:00.000-08:00

In 2010 Cambodia joined the World Expo for the third time to show the world the glory of Khmer civilization.

Although the Cambodia Pavilion in the magnificent show-off parade in Shanghai did not have jaw dropping architecture or alien technology display, the cultural showpieces proudly won visitors' exclamation.

To echo with the Expo theme "Better City, Better Life", Cambodia's pavilion embodied the 3 stages of Cambodian urban development: stone built architecture in the Angkor era, wood construction in the Odong era, and cement, gravel and sand buildings in the Chakdomuk era.

Each pavilion had a "national pavilion day", Cambodia's was on 28th June. The following is a "National Pavilion Day" souvenir card made with a Chinese postage prepaid postcard.

Cambodia Post did not issue any commemorative items to celebrate the event, but there is a postcard souvenir authorized by the Expo officials to mark the occasion.

It is noted that the printed cachet features wrong spelling of the country name, the kingdom becomes "Camaibodia". This is not the case on the handstamp cachet available at the pavilion.

On 1st October HM King Sihamoni made a visit to the Cambodia Pavilion showing his support and appreciation, below is the relevant news report by the National Television of Cambodia (TVK). Collectors of Cambodian stamps will find many exhibition scenes and items have been previously depicted on Cambodian stamps:

Mail from the Cambodian Palace

2010-12-31T06:38:00.000-08:00

This is a cover sent in 2000 from the Royal Palace. The King's mail is usually taken to the Boengpralit District post office for dispatch.

The cover only carries 200r postage which was getting close to the bulk rate (300r) for going to France in 2000. There are also samples of the King's mail franking full postage or over.

The Price of Old Phnom Penh Starting Anew

2010-12-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

"Phnom Penh", composed by Norodom Sihanouk (OP: Rebecca Pan Productions)

In 1960s, Phnom Penh the "Pearl of the Orient" became so legendary that Prince
Sihanouk (now the King Father) wrote a song to show his passion and admiration
on her. Here is a live recording of the song performed for the Prince at a Cambodian
Red Cross event in 1969, vocal by Ms Rebecca Pan, the top cabaret singer of
Hongkong at the time.

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia and a city widely honoured and acclaimed for her beautiful and historical architecture and attractions, celebrated her 575th birthday in 2009.

Wat Phnom Daun Penh featured on a 1983 souvenir sheet with official first day
commemorative postmark, it is to celebrate the 4th anniversary of liberation from Khmer Rouge.
S/S print run: 21,750

Phnom Penh got her name from Daun Penh, an old lady who found some Buddha statues
in the hole of a tree trunk which she pulled out from water in a flood. Daun Penh built a little
hill and a temple on top of it to enshrine what she had found, the site is now Wat Phnom
Daun Penh, the holy landmark of Phnom Penh.

The city was formally founded in 1434 by King Ponhea Yat of Angkor who built his palace near the present Wat Phnom Daun Penh. Phnom Penh remained quiet until 1870s when the French Colonialists gradually built it into a modern French style city. In 1950s and 1960s Prince Sihanouk further expanded Phnom Penh under the New Khmer Architecture Movement.

The Chaktomuk Royal Palace, Phnom Penh.

Although the city is cultural rich, unlike counterparts such as Bangkok and Hanoi, Phnom Penh did not mark her foundation anniversary lavishly. Only a small celebration was done at Phnom Daun Penh, and no commemorative postage stamps were issued to reaffirm the national and cultural identity of the 575 years old royal capital.

A set of three stamps were issued in 1997 to celebrate
the 30th anniversary of ASEAN. Landmarks of Phnom Penh are themed:
500r Wat Ounalom, 1500r the Royal Palace, and 2000r the National Musuem. Stamp set print run: 124,350

Since peace returned in 1993 which provided a stable environment for national economic recovery, Phnom Penh has been facing a cruel fact, national and cultural identity cannot generate money directly, therefore heritage is the least thing for the city's officials to concern. The government visions skyscrapers as symbol of prosperity and advancement, this is shown by the city's tremendous economic boom with new buildings sprout up like mushrooms, lakes and ponds filled for land, historic French colonial buildings torn down for new modern glass wall monsters.

To make room for development, original occupants of the land are forced to relocate outside the urban area, slum communities are displaced, neighbourhood is ruined, and hookers, beggars and street children are driven away or banged up.

During UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon's visit, villagers of Boeung Kak Lake
protest against forced relocation with unfair compensation, October 2010.
(Photo: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily)

Land problems regularly hit news headlines in such a way that they are getting boring to news readers. The officials come up with a simple solution, a new Freedom Park for free speech. The park is in fact a designated protest site, victims of social problems as well as policy dissenters are not allowed to gather in front of the Prime Minister's house or anywhere else. Officials say it is the Hyde Park of Cambodia, but critics argue that London's Hyde Park is not a designated demonstration area, and it is not to keep problems at bay.

My self designed commemorative cover celebrating the 575th anniversary of Phnom Penh.

Just as many great cities of the world which experience rapid changes, Phnom Penh is struggling hard to secure her centuries old heritage and speedy modern developement. The city is glowing with new neon electric lights, and at the same time, walking on thin ice of losing the old natural glowing Cambodian smile.

Diplomatic Mail of Kampuchean Embassy 1976

2010-12-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

On 9th July 2009 I wrote about a 1979 diplomatic mail from the Kampuchean embassy in Beijing of China (click here to read).

Here is a 1976 cover from the embassy for comparison:

Back of cover:

Postmarked 30th April 1976 in Beijing, this cover was sent to the East German embassy. It is the ink stamp on the back which catches my attention. The black ink Chinese stamp says "Telecommunication Receive & Dispatch Seal of Embassy of [spacing] Cambodia in China". Right after the three characters for the word "Cambodia", there leaves spacing of two Chinese characters.

The Chinese equivalent of the word "democratic" in "Democratic Kampuchea" takes up two characters, but they are put before "Cambodia", not after. A reasonable guess is that the two missing characters are "Wang Guo", which literally means kingdom; in Chinese grammar the word "kingdom" is put after the country name. And so the embassy used the old ink stamp of Sihanouk era but scraped off the characters for "kingdom".

The Khmer Rouge took power in April 1975 yet after a whole year its embassy in the capital of the Maoist group's best ally was still using a Sihanouk era old ink stamp.

Cambodia changed her name from "Kingdom of Cambodia" to "Khmer Republic" in 1970, and from 1975 to 1979 Cambodia was formally known as "Democratic Kampuchea".

Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks (Part 3)

2010-12-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

(continue part 2)

In 1998 Cambodia introduced machine cancels for the first time since 1979. Each machine cancel has a postmark dial and a cancel die. A series of blog entries have been done on the topic, please click here to read.

POSTMARK GENERATION III

2006 saw the use of a new generation of postmarks on CPO mail. These postmarks are bilingual - Khmer and English, and for the first time a postcode is featured.

Basically two kinds of usage for this generation are to be distinguished, they are for arriving mail marked by the letter A and departing mail marked by the letter D. So far only A1, A2, D1 and D3 are known, they are currently in use alongside with generation II postmarks.

Although generation III first appeared on CPO mail in 2006, Khmer and English bilingual postmarks had been in use in Cambodia way before it. Graham Shaw in his article "the Post Offices of Phnom Penh" reported that in 2004 Olympic District post office of Phnom Penh had been using a postmark in Khmer and English in the format of this generation III. In my collection a 2003 cover from Poipet of Banteay Meanchey Province was cancelled by a generation III postmark as well.

RUBBER POSTMARK

CPO information source says that during the UNTAC era (1992-1993) some rubber postmarks similar to generation III but without the postcode were prepared, they were to satisfy collectors' needs. With reasons I remain sceptical on the story, and we all know CPO information is often unreliable as well. Nevertheless these bilingual (Khmer and English) offbeat cancellations mostly made their appearance in mid 2000s. A variety of size and fonts exist, the following gives two examples:

This ends the Phnom Penh CPO postmarks (1980-2010) series.

Click here to read Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks (Part 1)
Click here to read Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks (Part 2)

Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks (Part 2)

2010-11-16T01:29:00.000-08:00

(continue part 1)

Cambodia experienced high inflation from late 1980s to the first half of 1990s, subsequent high denomination postage stamp shortage eventually led to the introduction of meter stamps in 1992. These meter stamps did not only serve as postage payment indicator, they were postmark and killer. A brief introduction on this has been done before in my blog, please click here to read.

From 1992 to 1994, the majority of letters sending from Phnom Penh CPO were canceled by meter stamps. At the same time Lon Nol era style postmarks (1970-1975) continued to star on mail especially in 1993 and 1994. Things only came to a change when a new postmark generation appeared in 1995.

The 2 Lon Nol era style postmarks shown above were particularly popular on 1993 and 1994 mail. They are characterized by thick rectangular border date dial and large fonts.

POSTMARK GENERATION II TYPE A

In 1995, a new generation of postmarks was born. It is bilingual (Khmer and French) just like generation I, the layout is very similar but now the country name in French is changed from "Kampuchea" to "Cambodge".

The change in country name was made by the government in 1989 but it was not reflected on hand-applied postmarks until 1995.

A notable difference from generation I is that all postmarks now bear acronyms which indicate the usage. This acronym is located above the acronym "RP." at the lower edge of the postmark.

"COD" is "Courrier Ordinaire Départ" which is for all originally outgoing mail. "CA" is "Cabine Arrivée" and "CD" is "Cabine Départ", they are the arrival and outgoing postmarks for registered mail and official mail.

POSTMARK GENERATION II TYPE B

In 1996 there was a replacement on all generation II postmarks. This new type B has comparatively short font height, and the spacing between the scripts and postmark edge is considerably wider than before. Another significant change is the arabic numeral font, it is now very much slimmer than that of the old type.

Dots are used to separate day, month and year. This is not the case in type A.

Just as type A, there are acronyms to indicate usage:

Type B is still in service now and it is a bigger family than type A. Other than the acronym postmarks, type B has numbered postmarks - RP2, RP4 and RP5. RP2 is exclusive to philatelic counter:

(to be continued)

Please click here for Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks (Part 1)
Please click here for Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks (Part 3)

Cambodian Stamp Design Cloned

2010-11-06T10:13:00.001-07:00

I will carry on with the Phnom Penh postmark series later. This time let's have something light.

Here is a set of 1999 Afghanistan Cacti 6v:

If you are a collector of Cambodia, you will find the stamp design very familiar, it is the virtually identical to the 1990 Cacti 7v set:

This is not the first time when two countries coincidentally share the same design in non-joint or omnibus issues, but it is a first on Cambodia.

Both sets were produced by COPREFIL, however as stated in UPU International Bureau Circular #345 of 21st August 2000, from 1990 the Kabul administration did not commissioned any printers to produce stamps, so the Afghanistan set is illegal. Afghanistan issued stamps again in 2002.

Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks (Part 1)

2010-10-28T22:19:00.001-07:00

After the Khmer Rouge lost to the Vietnamese in Janurary 1979, the new Phnom Penh administration encouraged people to take up their former work again so to set things back on track as soon as possible. Unfortunately the Phnom Penh Central Post Office found only 1/4 of its former staff back to work (See ICP #41 "Cambodia").

Postal service resumed but initially only for official use, later it was made available to public. A lack of information leaves the type of postmarks, if any were used in 1979 unconfirmed. A reasonable guess is, the Lon Nol era (1970-1975) postmarks were the resort before a brand new "la République Populaire du Kampuchéa" (RPK) postmark appeared in 1980.

This "Phnom Penh CPO Postmarks" series is aimed to give a quick review on Phnom Penh Central Post Office postmarks on letters from 1980 to 2010.

Philatelist Graham Shaw has also written a series of articles on Phnom Penh postmarks. Please click here for his website.

POSTMARK GENERATION 1

The first RPK postmark appeared on the FDC of a 4v set issued on 10th April 1980. It is single ring edged, inscription reads "PHNOM PENH RP. KAMPUCHEA" in French on the lower half of the postmark inner edge. "RP" is the acronym of "Recette Principale", the main post office of a city or an area, in here refers to the Phnom Penh Central Post Office. In Khmer there is only the post office name on the upper half of the postmark inner edge.

This postmark type ruled from 1980 to 1994. It comes in a very big variety of sizes and fonts, in here I am not going into details.

Some postmarks are numbered. The most distinctive one is number 3 which was the first to put in service, and it has 2 versions. The first version has the number 3 in both Arabic and Khmer numerals (Khmer numeral after the Khmer words "Phnom Penh", Arabic numeral between the French words "PHNOM PENH" and "KAMPUCHEA), and the French acronym "RP" right after "Phnom Penh" in Khmer is left out. The other version is with the number 3 only in Arabic, "Phnom Penh Post Office" in Khmer appears under the upper ring edge of the postmark.

The number 3 Khmer numeral version first came in service in early 1980s, it is from the mail handling centre co-operated with the postal training centre. The one only in Arabic numeral, together with others such as 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, joined the family in around 1987 or later. It should be noted that the numbers are not in connective sequence.

The following illustrates "Phnom Penh 3" (top right) of 1982, and three other numbers (1, 6, 9) from late 1980s to first half of 1990s:

Here is number 3 - Arabic numeral only version, the wide Arabic numeral "3" after the Khmer words "Phnom Penh" is faint but eligible to read:

Lon Nol era postmarks were used alongside with the generation 1 postmarks until mid 1990s. Below shows a 1980 and a 1989 usage:

(to be continued)

Please click here for Phnom Penh CPO Postmark (Part 2)
Please click here for Phnom Penh CPO Postmark (Part 3)

Maximum Cards of Cambodia

2010-10-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Maximaphily is not very popular among collectors of modern Cambodia as most collectors are actually outside the country who are unable to make their own maxicards.

The most common maxicards on the market are the WWF sets of 1986 wild cattles and 1997 Indian elephants. They are a dime a dozen. It should be noted that although they claim to be "official", they were arranged by Groth AG and COPREFIL, the official agencies of WWF and Cambodian stamps, Cambodian postal authority seems not informed. They have never been sold in Cambodia.

The following shows the WWF 1986 wild cattles and 1997 Indian elephants maxicard sets:

In 1999 Cambodia issued a sheetlet of 8 stamps and a label celebrating China'99 Stamp Expo. To spice things up, COPREFIL made a set of 8 postcards and 8 corresponding first-day pictorial postmarks available only at the Expo venue, collectors could make their own maxicards right the way. Some Chinese collectors took the chance to use their own postcards to compile distinct maxicards. The first maxicard shown below features the standard postcard, the second a private one:

These are the only 3 "official" maxicard sets ever available. If you want more maxicards, you have to compile your own.

Maximaphily is an advance hobby which demands great creativity and knowledge. There is no greater satisfaction than matching up the postcards, stamps and postmarks, I always prefer self compiled cards to official issues, what is your preference?

Kingdom's Post to go Public

2010-10-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

Phnom Penh Post, 7 June 2010 by Nguon Sovan

Phnom Penh's central post office is shown on Sunday. A new sub-decree by the Council of Ministers has approved a plan to privatise the Kingdom's postal service to improve efficiency and and transparency ahead of a potential listing on Cambodia's forthcoming stock exchange.

Officials say privatising Cambodia’s postal service will increase transparency

CAMBODIA’s postal system will be become a public enterprise early next year in a bid to prepare for eventually listing on the domestic stock exchange, officials said Sunday.

Moving control from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) to operations at arm’s length will increase transparency and grow revenues, MPTC secretary of state Sarak Khann said.

“The government has targeted listing it on the upcoming stock market, so it will become a public enterprise to increase transparency in account standards and financial statements,” he said. “When it is transparent enough and generates sufficient revenue, it may be listed on the bourse.”

The Council of Ministers approved a draft sub-decree establishing Cambodia’s postal office as a public enterprise, according to a press release issued Friday.

Prepared by the MPTC, the sub-decree moves the postal system to a public enterprise to reform the management system, the release said. It added that the system would take advantage of modern information technology to track postal consignments, along with expanding service in remote areas.

Cambodia’s postal services were poorly developed, said Sarak Khann, who also leads a joint committee composed of MPTC and Ministry of Finance officials in evaluating the properties and capital of the system.

“We want to generate revenue from this sector like developed countries, not just around US$2 million a year it earns nowadays,” he said.

Some 20 local and foreign companies are licenced to do business in postal services, but only half are presently in operation, he said.

Transport and logistics firm TNT Express Worldwide Cambodia and Laos general manager Sjaak de Klein said they welcome increased openness in the postal system.

“We always welcome fair competition in a level playing field in a liberal postal market. We believe that the ultimate user benefits from these developments,” he said.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said the move to a private enterprise would improve financial responsibility as well as increase effectiveness and provide more autonomy in technology and finance.

“With the switch, we hope Cambodia’s post offices will provide better service and compete fairly with private enterprise,” he said.

Cambodia’s postal system presently includes 700 employees working at 80 post offices in 24 cities. Employees working for both the postal system and government ministries will have to choose one employer when the move to a public enterprise takes place, Sarak Khann said.

After becoming a public enterprise, he said, the post service’s board will be composed of representatives from the MPTC, the Ministry of Finance, the Council of Ministers, a government appointed CEO, and a staff representative.

The Cambodian Securities Exchange is scheduled to launch by the end of the year, and any qualified private firm or public enterprise is eligible to list, Cambodia Securities and Exchange Commission (SECC) director general Ming Bankosal said.

“All companies, not only Cambodia’s postal service, will be considered for listing if their financial soundness and corporate governance meet the criteria set by the SECC.”

A firm interested in listing on the SECC must be transparent in its accounting and governance, according to the stock market’s rules. To issue an initial public offering (IPO), it is required to have minimum capital of 10 billion riels, or $2.35 million, an annual profit of 1.5 billion riels, or $352,941, and net profits for three years totaling 3 billion riel, or $705,882.

Domestic Postal Rates for Letters

2010-10-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

In 2008 Cambodia Post made a postage uprate. According to the new postage guidebook published by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, domestic letters up to 10g rose from 300r to 500r, 10g to 50g cost 800r. Then rates are calculated at 50g intervals:

050g to 100g - 1300r
100g to 150g - 1800r
150g to 200g - 2300r
200g to 250g - 2800r

The list goes on till 2kg. The charge is flat despite the dispatch distance. Illustrated below is a Phnom Penh postcard to Takhmau, the provincial capital of Kandal, bearing the basic 500r postage. Postcards and letters share the same postage rates.

This Phnom Penh intracity cover bears the 10g to 50g postage of 800r:

Registered service is available at 800r extra, it is only available at selected post offices, primarily the capital, provincial capitals and certain sub branches. Below features a registered cover from Takhmau to Phnom Penh with 1300r stamps for 500r under 10g domestic postage and 800r registered fee.

Below is another cover from the city of Battambang to Phnom Penh, 1350r paying the 500r domestic rate and 800r registered fee. Strange enough many post offices have stamp stock which fails to compile the exact postage for customers, the solution is just to get close to it, in this case there is a 50r surplus.

Unknown to most postal historians and philatelists, senders still pay 1300r to the postal clerk, not the face value of stamps. Sometimes post offices cheat customers but that is another story.

Some post offices do not have domestic registered ID labels, the substitution is S10 code registered ID labels which are originally meant for international mail. This Stung Treng to Phnom Penh cover gives an example:

According to the face value of stamps, the letter has a postage surplus as well, but the actual payment can be a different case.

Cambodia Post also offers EMS service. EMS charges at very moderate rates: letters under 25g cost 6000r, 25g to 50g is 8700r, 0.5g to 1kg is 12000r. This is the reason why local businesses prefer EMS to usual delivery which is slow and unreliable.

Philatelic Pamphlets of Cambodia

2010-09-29T01:55:00.001-07:00

Although philatelic service in Cambodia is some amateur staffs selling stamp sets as tourist souvenirs at no official price (there is official price but no one follows it), the postal administration does have something serious, there are philatelic pamphlets to promote new stamp issues and attract orders. These pamphlets are stuck on the post office walls and counters, overseas clients also receive them upon request and availability.

Throughout 1980s and 1990s, COPREFIL prepared pamphlets for each Cambodian issue they printed. The pamphlets are all colour printed on chalky paper, written in Khmer, French and English, usually single sided, decorated with a header design based on the Cambodian national flag. In most cases all key information including the date of issue, values, the design of first day pictorial postmark, name of designer and printing technical details are provided. Sometimes when there is too little space to squeeze in all information, back of the pamphlet is printed as well.

In 1989 the country changed her name from "People's Republic of Kampuchea" to "State of Cambodia". The pamphlets made a relevant alteration in the national flag part, for the rest it remained much the same.

In early 1990s COPREFIL introduced a pamphlet design revolution for their clients. The pamphlets are bilingual, French and English in the case of Cambodia, have water colour painted illustration, and each stamp design has a little paragraph to introduce and explain. They are more informative and attractive.

The other side of the pamphlet:

Sometimes the pamphlets are designed to be single folded, in most cases they are two fold.

Back of the pamphlet:

In the latter half of 1990s, pamphlets are no longer printed on chalky paper, but in B6 size on xerox paper. Text is in English and they were prepared in Germany by Global Philatelie GmbH rather than COPREFIL of Cuba.

Since 2001 Cambodia has been fully responsible for her own stamp issues. In most cases the stamps are printed in Vietnam and so are the pamphlets. The bilingual pamphlets are in Khmer and English on A4 chalky paper. Information on the designer and pictorial postmark is no longer available.

Instead of the philatelic agency contact address, now it features the Phnom Penh CPO address and the logo of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Cambodia.

"Diplomatic Cover" to Czechoslovakia

2010-09-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

This cover is available from a dealer located in Beijing of China. It is franked with 2 Cambodian (1983 fauna 2r and Khmer culture 1.5r) and 1 Czechoslovakian (1965 50h) stamps tied by 2 Takeo postmarks in 1984. The back of cover is blank. He asks for more than 30 USD.

The dealer said that it is a commercial airmail cover, so I tried to find out how a "commercial airmail" without an addressee justifies the price.

I questioned where the receiver's address was printed, he pointed to the two black ink cachets.

Probably he thought I was western language illiterate or retarded or something so would believe in him. The word "Takeo" in Latin alphabets is very easy to read on the cachet, and the Khmer cachet just say the same thing, "Takeo". Takeo is the name of a Cambodian province and capital of the province.

A single word "Takeo" is not an address.

When realizing I was not dumb, the dealer made his second attempt by claiming it was a diplomatic cover sent by the Czechoslovakian embassy.

What? It was postmarked in Takeo, Takeo did not have any embassy. Most of all, a diplomatic cover would still have an address, or the cover should have the contents to prove the identity. The new claim obviously did not help. When I asked further, he kept silent.

It seems only to be a souvenir cover compiled by Czechoslovakians in Takeo who were in the support projects there. Such souvenir may sell at 1 USD if someone buys it, 30 USD is insane. As I have said before, when selling Cambodia most dealers love to make up stories and talk like expert, all for the sake of their pocket.

Below is an authentic commercial airmail from Takeo sent by a Czechoslovakian:

Princess Bopha Devi

2010-09-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

A self-designed commemorative cover celebrating
HRH Princess Norodom Bopha Devi's 60th birthday in 2003.

When talking about the world famous Cambodian classical dance, Princess Norodom Bopha Devi is undoubtfully an icon of the art.

Bopha devi means "flower queen" in Sanskirt. Princess Bopha Devi, the daughter of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, is not only beautiful like flowers, she is the dancing flower. At the age of 5 the talented Princess was chosen by grandmother Queen Sisowath Kossamak to become a dancer. At the age of 15, she was the premiere dancer of the Cambodian Royal Ballet and three years later she was granted the title of prima ballerina.

In the old days the Cambodian Royal Ballet was only performed at religious ceremonies or to entertain royalties. Together with Queen Sisowath Kossamak, the Princess has vigorously brought the dance beyond the palace walls to commoners and world audience. Her graceful and sophiscated celestial Apsara Dance performance during a tour in France in 1964 simply took arrogant Paris by storm.

In the genocidal years from 1975 to 1979 when the classical dance was banned and artists killed, the Princess went exile in France to continue teaching new dancers. After the Khmer Rouge regime fell, she went to the Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand to train dancers for a revival of art and culture, and to give spiritual support for survivors after the 4 year tragedy.

The devoted Princess served as the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts when it was found in 1997, since then she worked close with UNESCO, NGOs, as well as overseas and local art institutions and individuals to revive Khmer fine arts. Now at the age of 67, she still plays a major role in the cultural sector of Cambodia.

The Princess and the King after a dance performance at the Chaktomuk Theatre.
The King is a famous (western) ballet dancer and the Princess Khmer classical dancer.
(Photo by Andy Brouwer 2009)

Bangkok-based British photographer Martin Reeves has produced for the History Channel a short documentary on Cambodian Royal Ballet. It includes a glance of the 1965 movie "Apsara" which features the young Princess dancing. Please click here to view.

Kep City Postmark without Krong

2010-08-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

On the coastline of southwest Cambodia, just a few kilometres from the border with Vietnam is Kep.

Famous for its vivid mountains, raw beaches and fresh seafood, the hundred years old French built seaside town used to be the most popular beach resort of Cambodian elites and foreigners before the civil war, and it is also HM King Father Sihanouk's favourite. The King Father's affection to Kep is so strong that in early 1990s when peace returned, His Majesty built a royal villa on top of the hill northwest of Kep Beach, unfortunately for reasons it remains unfinished and now becomes a tourist spot.

On 22nd December 2008, HM King Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree which changed the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provinces. Province is the 1st level administrative division while municipality 2nd.

Before the change, Kep was "Krong Kep" on postmark, "krong" is the Khmer word for "city":

When raised to the status of province, Kep updated her postmark in a very simple fashion: chiseled away the Khmer and English words "Krong", and everything else left the same:

The altered postmark looks strange, but for developing countries like Cambodia, this is to maximize utilities in the most economic way which is a wise act.

For a view of Kep post offices, fellow collector Graham Shaw has some nice photo shots, please click here to enjoy.

Location of Kep.

HM King Father Norodom Sihanouk is a well known music and cinema enthusiast, in 1960s he wrote a song devoted to Kep, titled "Beauté de Kep". Please click below for beautiful music Cambodia has to offer.

Scenic view of Kep.

The Book of Memories

2010-08-06T04:27:00.001-07:00

The day before there was a TV programme of a Hongkong senior journalist talking about his work and experience.

The journalist was in Phnom Penh in 1989 to report the withdraw of Vietnamese army from Cambodia. In the five minute short programme he told a touching story of a lady whom he met in Phnom Penh.

Just as many other Cambodians, the lady lost her husband and family during the Khmer Rouge era. The tiny bit of luck was, after the regime fell a kind friend provided shelter and food for her so she was not left to be beggar. When the lady learnt that the journalist was from Hongkong, she revealed to him that before the war she had a younger sister married to a Hongkonger but now lost contact.

Cambodians were totally cut off from the outside world during the Khmer Rouge era. This letter postmarked 9th April 1975 to Paris. 13th-15th April were the Khmer New Year, and then the airport closed because of severe rocket bombing till the fall of the city on 17th April.

With a deep sympathetic concern for her, the journalist invited the lady to write her sister a letter again. He thought he could bring the letter to her sister's hand in person but he then realized the address just gave diminished hope, it was a crowded old public housing estate which had already been demolished and all occupants moved out.

When back to Hongkong, the devoted and kind hearted journalist decided to trace the letter addressee although the chance of success was next to none. Since the old residential blocks were no longer there, he tried his luck by asking the people in the area for clues.

Heaven often breaks the law of non-intervention so to remind us of his kindness. Round the street corner the journalist saw a street hawker, instinctively he approached and chatted with the hawker for information. The hawker was shocked when she heard the journalist say her name, she was right the younger sister of the lady!

In tears of joy and sorrow, the younger sister at last heard about her missing family after fifteen years.

However stories are not inevitable to have an ending, three decades after the regime fell many Cambodians still have no information of their loved family members and friends.

A 1982 aerogramme sent to Phnom Penh from Khao-I-Dang Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand. It was a Chinese Cambodian writing to his uncle, telling the extreme hardship of his way to the Cambodian-Thai border (he arrived at the camp in 1981), the daily lives in the refuguee camp, and asking for information of his other relatives. Sadly this aerogramme did not reach his uncle for unknown reasons, left unopened till I acquired it more than 25 years later. In late 1970s and early 1980s, hundreds of thousands of Cambodian refugees fled to Thailand, Malaysia and other nearby countries, many of them did not make it and lost their lives.

The Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam) is now compiling a book titled "the Book of Memories" which is a collection of names and brief information of those died or went missing under the Khmer Rouge regime. Many of these people are still not known by their relatives.

The book will include a section for family tracing purposes. Currently the database has up to a million names of those perished under the Khmer Rouge.

Two thousand copies of the book will be available free to the public to help them locate their lost relatives and friends. The book also serves as an acknowledgment of the suffering of those who died, each with name and photo and details about his or her last days.

If you would like to have your relatives who died or went missing under the Khmer Rouge to be listed in the Book of Memories, please visit DC-Cam at #66 Preah Sikanouk Boulevard, Phnom Penh or contact Mr Kok-Thay ENG at 012-955-858 or by email truthkokthay@dccam.org.

You may like to know more about the work of DC-Cam, please click here to visit their website.

Angkor-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2006 Cachet

2010-07-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

With the end of the Cold War, major trade partners of Cambodia have changed from the Soviet Union and allies to USA, east Asia and ASEAN countries. The Phnom Penh government has since pursued a drastic reform of openness through regional integrations, and this is notably reflected on stamps in 2000s.

From 2001, Cambodia has one sixth of her total stamp sets and commemorative handstamp cachets devoted to ASEAN, Japan and diplomatic relations with major Asian trade partners. One of the most commercial commemorations is the 2006 Angkor-Gyeongju World Culture Expo cachet.

From 21st November of 2006 to 9th January 2007, Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor, joined with Gyeongju of Korea to hold the Angkor-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2006. Gyeongju is as ancient and cultural rich as Angkor, it had served as the capital of the Korean Silla Kingdom for a thousand years.

The not much cultural and so much commercial Expo highlighted Cambodian and Korean products and allowed visitors to take in exhibits and cuisine from both cultures. Although the authority called it an international event, the fair was actually targeted to boost tourism by wooing South Korean visitors.

Korean folk dancers let Korean visitors experience a homely sensation in a foreign land.
(Photograph from Somongkol Teng)

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen toured around Angkor with
Korean President Roh Moo-Hyu after the Expo opening ceremony.
(Photograph from Somongkol Teng)

Recently South Korea is getting significant as major trade partner of Cambodia, last year the country ranked the 8th on the list, or 7th if one doesn't count EU countries as a single entity.

This October the Korean group INTERCITY will start pouring 470 million US dollars in Siem Reap to build a full scale gaming resort, called the Angkor Park Resort. It is going to be located 20km away from Angkor, composing an 18 hole golf course, a casino, a waterpark, a shopping mall and some luxurious hotels. The first phase construction work is scheduled to finish by 2012.

The resort is destinated to draw Asian gamblers looking for an alternative to more established gambling centres, visiting Angkor ruins will just be their half day entertainment.

Another Dumbest Fake Cover on Earth

2010-07-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

On 17th July I posted a fake cover made with a CTO S/S, and amusingly, some retard bought it at 5.5 USD.

Here comes another! This time it is the CTO S/S of Cambodia 2001 penguins:

This is the original CTO S/S, which basically worthes a dime a dozen, noted that the cancellation is exclusively used on CTO, Cambodia post offices has never had such postmark:

The seller asks for 2 USD now, let's see if another retard would buy such world-most-obvious fake.

Dumbest Fake Cover on Earth

2010-07-17T10:06:00.001-07:00

How dumb can some people be?

Look at this dumb thing:

2001 S/S of Cambodia depicting Rudolph Valentino and Marilyn Monroe.

You can reproduce the exact thing: stick a 2001 "Hollywood Anniversaries" cancelled-to-order(CTO) souvenir sheet of Cambodia on an envelope, write a German address, and stick an airmail label of Australia Post on the top left corner.

The cancellation on the S/S is only seen on CTO, all local post offices in Cambodia have never had postmarks which look anything close to it. In other words, this dumb thing is merely a postal cover wannabe.

Obivously the dumb one who made it up has the intention to cheat collectors who are dumber than him.

"Me no dum-dum. You dum-dum. You bring me gum-gum?"

22nd July update: Dum-dum really brings gum-gum! Someone retarded bought this fake at 5.5 USD.

First & Last UNTAC Mail in Cambodia

2010-07-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) era is exciting for military mail collectors as well as modern Cambodia specialists. Just finding out the first and last day of UNTAC mail in Cambodia is already bit of a game.

Throughout the operation, including that of the forerunner the United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC), UNTAC mail in Cambodia either went through the Cambodian civilian postal system, or delivered by the military mail service of individual troops. Some were carried to Thailand for dispatch but this happened mostly at the northwest border.

The French were one of the earliest who set up military post office in Cambodia, they did it before UNAMIC came into operation.

From the UN source, UNAMIC became operational officially on 9th November 1991 when Mr A.H.S. Ataul Karim (Bangladesh) assumed his functions as Chief Liaison Officer of UNAMIC in Phnom Penh.

Brigadier-General Michel Loridon (France), Senior Military Liaison Officer, assumed command of the military elements of UNAMIC on 12th November and, on the same day, an air operations unit contributed by France arrived in Phnom Penh. However a week before all these, Bureau Postal Militaire 211(BPM 211) had been created on 4th November in Phnom Penh to serve the French detachment. Below shows a BPM211 cover dated 10th November, that was the 2nd day when UNAMIC officially operated:

It is quite hard to determine the last day of UNTAC mail. Although UNTAC scheduled to completely withdrew by 15th November 1993, later the UN Security Council decided to extend to 30th November for UNTAC's Mine Clearance and Training Unit, and to 31st December for elements of the military police and medical components of UNTAC. Except for those units, UNTAC's military component withdrew by 15th November.

When we thought 31st December 1993 would be the very last day then, in fact it wasn't.

On 26 September 1993, the Royal Government of Cambodia requested the UN Secretary-General to consider the possibility of keeping 20 to 30 unarmed UN military observers in Cambodia for 6 months following the end of UNTAC's mandate. This military liaison team were to maintain close liaison with the Royal Government and report to the Secretary-General on matters affecting security.

The request was approved and the United Nations Military Liaison Team operated in Phnom Penh from 15th November 1993 to 15th May 1994.

Strictly speaking the Liaison Team was not part of UNTAC, however in a letter by the Pouch Unit of UNTAC in Phnom Penh to the US APO (cover shown below) postmarked 9th May 1994, it mentioned that UNTAC Headquarter would completely close down on 15th May 1994. This shows at least the UNTAC mail and the UNTAC headquarter operated throughout the Liaison Team's mandate.

A close up of the meter cancellation, the ink is very blur, but it is easy to read the date by the press mark:

Background of UNAMIC and UNTAC

The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was a United Nations operation from 1992 to 1994. It was to implement the Agreements on a Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict signed in Paris in 1991, which commonly known as the Paris Peace Accords. UNTAC was the 1st time the UN took over the administration of an independent member state, and organized and ran an election as opposed to monitoring or supervising in all its previous peace missions.

After the collapse of Pol Pot regime (Khmer Rouge) in 1979, Cambodia quickly plunged into a new round of fighting between different factions. In 1989 peace efforts began in Paris, and 2 years later the UN was given a mandate to enforce a ceasefire, deal with refugees and disarmament, and hold general elections.

The first advance mission sent to Cambodia by the UN was the United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC), it assisted the Cambodian parties in maintaining ceasefire, and later initiated a mine-clearance programme.

Flag of UNTAC

Upon becoming operational on 15th March 1992, UNTAC absorbed UNAMIC. Next year after the general elections were held and in September the Royal Government of Cambodia was inaugurated, UNTAC orderly withdrew from the country.

The operation cost US$1.62 billion. 22,000 contributors of military and civilian police personnel from 45 countries were involved.

1988 Khmer Culture Dance Error Stamps

2010-05-10T01:41:00.000-07:00

In my last blog entry, I tell how the stamp catalogues mislead collectors into over spending on the 1986 "Plane over Angkor" and 1988 "Apsaras" stamps and franked covers.

This time it is the lack of information which misleads collectors into thinking they have found treasure.

In 1988 Cambodia issued a set of 3 stamps on Khmer Culture (Sc 912-914). The stamps show 3 folk dances:

0.5r Trot Dance (Danse Trott),
1r Chhayam (Danse Kantere), and
3r Peacock Dance (Danse des Paons)

This 3v set has unlisted inscription mistakes on the 1r Chhayam and 3r Peacock Dance stamps.

On the 1r stamp, the Chhayam is mistaken as Peacock Dance (Danse des Paons), both the Khmer and French dance names are wrong, and the Khmer script for "Post" is mirror-flipped and printed on the lower left of the design. The upper stamp shown on the right is the usual one, lower is the error one.

On the 3r stamp, again both the Khmer and French dance names are wrong, Peacock Dance (Danse des Paons) mistaken as Chhayam (Danse Kantere). Other than that, the inscription "POSTES 1988" and the dance name in French are swapped in place.

Both the usual and error stamps are sold in Cambodia and abroad, they are common, common and common. Just to pay a little attention to the inscriptions when buying, collectors can catch the two versions easily at a dollar or two per set. In 1992 when the stamp set was surcharged by Cambodia Post, both the usuals and errors were used.

Knowledge is power, it protects you from being a gull. Unfortunately some people don't learn: last year I saw a German dealer sold each of the error at 100 euro, and just a while ago a big fat bunny bought online the 1r correct stamp at 149 USD from a French dealer. Surely the dealers danced the merry Chhayam on their way home.

Twenty-five percent of people in Phnom Penh live in slums and you buy a 1 USD stamp at 149 USD. May God bless you.

Exaggerated Claims of Rarity & Scarcity

2010-04-30T04:29:00.000-07:00

How much would you pay for this cover?

What would you take for reference? Most collectors rely on stamp catalogues.

The stars on this cover are stamps from two relatively high catalogue value sets - the 1986 "Aeroplane over Angkor" 4v airmail set (Sc C59-62), and the 1988 "Angkor Wat Apsaras" 4v set (Sc985-988).

If you are going to buy at the deposit for a Benz just because the catalogues or some dealers tell you to, I assure you that catalogue editors, and 95% dealers as well, actually know nothing more than you do on Cambodian stamps, they make up stories and speak like experts for the sake of their pocket. As these people are not to count on, it would be beneficial for you to learn telling facts from fiction.

Fiction #1: the stamps have high denominations for expensive postage, so should be expensive.

Fact: high denomination is just to cope up with inflation which kicked off in 1986, it does not mean they are very expensive.

Bolivia experienced hyperinflation in mid 1980s, Russian ruble also suffered considerable devaluation in 1990s. You don't stupidly stuck at the old exchange rates to buy their inflation period stamps, so no exception for Cambodia too.

In September 1987, the Cambodian riel was up to from 30r to 100r per USD. In October 1988, it rose to 142.7r per dollar. It was only a start, the value of riels kept going down since then: by the end of 1989 it was 218r per dollar, in May 1990 360r per dollar, in Christmas it was 606r. Two years later it landed at 3000r per dollar.

An airmail letter to western Europe cost around 40r, registration was around 100r. Interesting enough, postage stamp denominations did not catch up with it: an average 7v set in 1986 and for the next 2 years remained to be 9r. Certainly these low denomination stamps were not adequate for international postage at the time they were issued, eventually it led to the introduction of 1986 "aeroplane over Angkor" supplementary airmail set and 1988 "Angkor Wat Apsaras" set for franking on almost all outgoing international mail.

When the stamps appear on almost all outgoing mail, can they be "rare" and "scarce"? Even birdbrains can tell.

Catalogue editors as well as stamp dealers, with no information on the economy of Cambodia, thought that high denomination justifies high catalogue value. It is just "they think they know".

Fiction #2: outgoing mail was rare and scarce, and so are the stamps.

Fact: Cambodian mail is rare and scarce only in your pigeon box, silly boy.

UPU does not have statistics on 1980s mail traffic of Cambodia, so all kinds of rumours appear. Yet according to veteran postal staffs, in late 1980s the CPO handled thousands of outgoing items daily. Let's count the minimal, 1000, so in a year there were at least 365,000.

The "Plane over Angkor" and "Angkor Wat Apsaras" sets were still extensively used in early 1990s. One can then reckon there were in fact some hundred thousand items, yes, hundred thousand, bearing the stamps, definitely the stamps and covers with these stamps are too far from being "rare" or "scarce".

Another thing is, the catalogue values of mint and used Apsaras are the same, this does not reflect their true value. The set is not often seen in mint, it was mostly consumed on mail and no philatelic agency sold it to collectors, in such a way used copies should not deserve the same catalogue value as mint.

If you really look for rare and scarce usage, here is my advice: hunt for 1998 to 2001 pictorial stamps used within that particular 4 years, and if you think I am joking, take the challenge. Boeings and apsaras are for dupes.

Next blog entry will reveal another stamp set which bunnies love to chase after. Stay tuned.

Myron's Adventures at Cambodian Post Offices

2010-04-15T00:39:00.000-07:00

In my 19th June 2009 entry "Mail at Your Risk", I have highlighted the things which can possibly happen when using the Cambodian postal service.

Now we have another testimonial. This is what fellow blogger Myron wrote about his experiences at different post offices in Cambodia:

"...the Khmer Post, in stark contrast to the Khmer temples, is an extremely disheartening experience, one much worse than the Philippine Post, I must say. First off, when you reach the post office at Siem Reap you will see neatly laid in front of you the most beautiful array of Cambodian stamps you could ever imagine to ever see. All the Cambodian stamps with Khmer themes and depictions of the various temples and Khmer culture are laid out for you to pick. from The catch is, prices are not face value, which I thought was pretty strange since it was inside the post office itself (In some countries they charge more than face value, but the selling price is either printed or officially set, but that was not the case here). The "post office" was actually more like a stamp dealership. There were beautiful stamps, yes, but they came with extravagant prices. Some recent issues from 2008 could rack up as much s USD23 for an 8v set whose face value was little more than USD4!

"When I asked the lady (if you can call her a "lady" after the way she behaved) postal clerk about buying some stamps at face value so that I could stick them onto covers for my fellow collectors, she kept pointing at the stamps laid out on the counter. I kept asking her for "face value" stamps and I'm pretty sure she knew what I meant since I do not think I am the first person to ask her for such absurd a thing at her post office. After I kept insisting, she finally showed me some stamps, some ugly definitives that she kept hidden behind the counter. I asked her for other stamps, knowing that there had to be some better ones. It was like I was pulling a house out of an elephant's behind! Finally, she produced some better stamps, but they were not in full sets, which I think was her way of discouraging me from paying at face value. But I bought them anyway, and I had to give in to some of their "discounted" stamps (meaning they were not full sets) that they offered at 4 for USD1, which was double their face value.

"And it doesn't end there. When you try to send your letters and your postcards, there is no actual postal rate. It just depends on the whim of the postal clerk and whether or not she feels you have put enough postage. I am sure that there is an "official" rate lying somewhere, but when you ask the clerks what it is, they ask you to show them your stamps and then study them, deciding whether they are enough or not. And no, I'm pretty sure they were were not calculating the total in their heads. On one occasion I sent out a postcard for 2400 Riel while on another occasion I sent one out for 4000 Riel, and this was at the same post office! It's worse when you try to register because they get all frantic and panicky, asking around about what they should do.

"The post office in Phnom Penh was quite similar in terms of chaos, but the clerks were a little more friendly and accommodating. The post office at the Phnom Penh airport was , by far, the most terrible! First off, I was standing in front of the counter for a good ten minutes before the postal clerk literally emerged from the back of the counter - apparently she was taking her nap, and this was at 14h00, clearly not lunch hour (in the Philippines, most post offices close for lunch)! And when she finally decided to get to work, she took my letter, "weighed" it on the scale, and then declared: "four dollar" and then I haggled with her, knowing very well that USD4 or 16000 Riel was way too much. And it wasn't the weight because all that was inside was a blank sheet of paper. She then "converted" it to Riel and I guess she thought I didn't know the exchange rate so she said USD4 was 10000 Riel. I kept saying that it costs only 4200 Riel (because according to the central post office in Phnom Penh, that is the official rate), and she got all upset, insisting that I pay 10000 Riel! I got really so pissed with her ruse to drain money off foreign customers that I just up and left, making sure that she would be as annoyed, irked, and irritated as I was. At the end of it all, I do not know if these postal clerks have some kind of quota that they have to meet in order to pass some kind of absurd performance measure, but if they do, that just goes to show how sad the postal system in Cambodia is."

Salamat Myron for his permission of reposting the relevant paragraphs here. Please click here to read his full blog entry with illustrations of his pretty Cambodian postal covers.

Click here for the 19th Jun 2009 "Mail at Your Risk" entry.

Click here for the 18th Jan 2010 "Stamps Not at Face Value" entry for Rev. Charlie Dittmeier's experience at the post office.

Cambodia at China'99 First Day Postmarks

2010-04-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

If you think the 2003 "45th Anniversary of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties" issue having 2 different commemorative first day postmarks is a record (see hyperlink at the end), you have to see the 1999 China'99 Stamp Expo issue.

A sheetlet containing 8 stamps plus a label was issued in 1999 to celebrate the China'99 Stamp Expo. The official side product is a set of 2 FDC with a printed pagoda cachet which echoes the pictorial theme of the stamps - pagodas of Beijing.

The standard first day postmark depicts the Beijing Tienning Temple pagoda, and the stylized pagoda image is identical to that of the FDC cachet.

Most collectors think that is all. Much to everyone's surprise, 8 more different first day postmarks depicting the 8 pagodas shown on the stamp set were silently available at the expo venue:

200r - Dipankara Buddha Pagoda of Tongzhou County

500r - Tianning Temple Pagoda

900r - Veluriyam Pagoda of Summer Palace

900r - Biyun Temple Pagoda

1000r - Veluriyam Pagoda of Fragrant Hills

1000r - White Pagoda of North Sea Imperial Garden

1500r - Yunju Temple Pagoda

4000r - White Pagoda of Miaoying Temple

This makes Tianning Temple Pagoda have 2 different postmarks featuring it.

The stamps and postmarks are the work of COPREFIL of Cuba. The company also prepared a set of 8 postcards for this issue but not officially available in Cambodia.

Below shows China'99 stamps used on cover to Canada:

Please click here to read "45th Anniv of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties (II)".

(Special acknowledgement goes to Mr Wu Gang)

Cambodian Film Industry Salvation

2010-03-01T01:03:00.000-08:00

Three stamps of Marlene Dietrich, Jeannette MacDonald and Gary Cooper from the 2001 set celebrating Hollywood anniversaries are on this cover.

Can you imagine a country has only two cinemas in her two million population capital city? Cambodia is in this pathetic situation now.

Ciné Lux at Norodom Boulevard and Cinema Sorya near the Central Market are the two cinemas in Phnom Penh which are still in business at the moment. As little as 13 films were made in 2009.

Cambodian film industry has suffered heavily in the last 2 years. Critics point out that cheap bootleg DVD and VCD have left investors suffer great loss, cinemas poorly-attended and authentic products unsold. The low budget horror film flood also contributes to the downfall.

Cambodian movie industry had her heyday in the 1960s and the first half of 1970s. The now Kirirom Motel was then one of the tens of cinemas in Phnom Penh. (Photo: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily)

Before it is too late, measures are now taken to bring changes. The Royal Government has set up the National Committee for Intellectual Property Management for copyright education. Professional training programmes are also available to filmworkers so to raise film production standards.

In the meantime efforts are spared on the return of Cambodia to international film scene.

The film "Enemies of the People" directed by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath is having its Asian premiere at the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival in this March.

Five short films funded by Sport Social Affairs Company (SSA) for promoting sports in Cambodia are planned to show at Festival de Cannes in May. Cambodian medal winning athletes at the 2009 SE Asian Games and local pop stars are featured in the films helping to give rainbow colours.

Domestically on 20th-23rd October there is the Cambodia International Film Festival which will be a first in the country since 1970. The parade will show off classic and modern Cambodian films, films shot in Cambodia, youth-oriented films, international independent films and award-winning documentaries.

The events are hoped to attract foreign investment which Cambodian film industry urgently needs.

Contemporary Cambodian films are not mediocre. "Rice People" directed by Rithy Panh was at the 1994 Festival de Cannes, and submitted to the 67th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, the first time a Cambodian film submitted for an Oscar. His other works like "S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine" and "the Burnt Theatre" have also received worldwide acclamation.

Most contemporary Cambodian films are available on DVD, or VHS at least. Please show your support by purchasing authentic copies, show your respect to filmworkers.

1996 Greenpeace S/S Illegal Overprints

2010-02-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

In 1996 Cambodia issued 4v and a S/S to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Greenpeace.

Greenpeace, well known for its direct action, is an international non-governmental environmental organization which evolved from the peace movement and anti-nuclear protests in Vancouver in the early 1970s. Currently the organization is one of the largest environmental groups with offices in 41 countries worldwide. Its office in Indochina is located in Thailand.

Just like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Greenpeace authorized a philatelic agency to issue postage stamps for interested countries for publicity. Unfortunately Greenpeace had confrontation with many governments before and eventually Greenstamps, the sole licensee of Greenpeace stamps, found itself mostly receive cold faces when it knocked doors. Till the end of contract only a few nations have Greenpeace stamps and all were issued in the second half of 1990s.

Greenstamps overprinted most S/S for varieties to boost sales, the act has no sign of authorization from relevant postal authorities. The helicopter S/S of Cambodia is in the overprint list, it has two kinds of black pictorial overprints:

They were not sold at the Phnom Penh Central Post Office. This is the original S/S:

Cambodia 1999 Year of the Rabbit S/S Error

2010-02-15T03:26:00.000-08:00

Today is the 7th day of Chinese New Year. The Chinese tradition says this is the birthday of all mankind, so wish you happy birthday, good health and good luck in Year of the Tiger.

Cambodia does have something interesting on Chinese New Year stamps, it is an error which most collectors are unaware of.

A set of 6v and a S/S featuring different rabbits and hares was put into circulation in January 1999 to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac.

The S/S looks absolutely alright if you do not read Chinese.

Under the red and yellow stylized bunny are 3 Chinese characters, they are the Chinese year name. Chinese has a distinctive year naming system, called "Gan Zhi", which is in fact a combination of 2 anicent naming systems, "Gan" and "Zhi".

The "Gan" system is for ordering, it consists of 10 Chinese characters. The "Zhi" calendar system is based on the obital period of Jupiter, it has 12 Chinese characters for counting years, months and hours. In Chinese zodiac, the 12 "Zhi" characters are matched with 12 animals, rabbit is assigned the 4th.

For the ease of understanding "Gan Zhi", the "Gan" characters can be substituted with numerals 1 to 10 while the "Zhi" characters substituted with letters A to L:

When the 2 systems combine in recurrent order, it gives 60 different combinations, and therefore a 60 year cycle:

1A, 2B, 3C, 4D, 5E, 6F, 7G, 8H, 9I, 10J,
1K, 2L, 3A, 4B, 5C, 6D, 7E 8F, 9G, 10H,
1I, 2J, 3K, 4L, 5A, 6B, 7C, 8D, 9E, 10F and so on.

A new cycle started in 1984, so 1999 should be 6D, or in Chinese characters:

The very last character means "year".

What printed on the S/S, 4D, is actually 1987:

Apparently no one in COPREFIL (the stamp production company) read Chinese, nor in Cambodia Post, otherwise the error would have been found.

Cambodia has 3 other Chinese New Year sets, 1998 Year of the Tiger, 2000 Year of the Dragon and 2001 Year of the Snake. They do not bear the "Gan Zhi" year name.

The Chinese New Year stamp series did not survive a 12 year full cycle, it halted when the COPREFIL contract with Cambodia ended.

Below shows the 6v of the 1999 Rabbit set:

Registered Mail Codification

2010-02-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

For the ease of universal mail tracking and tracing during shipping, in 1996 the Universal Postal Union (UPU) encouraged a universal use of S10 standard for mail identification coding. Cambodia, as a member of UPU, quickly adopted the new system and joined the revolution in registered identifier label format.

A 1988 cover from Phnom Penh with an old registered ID label.

S10 defines a system for assigning 13 character identifiers to postal items. The ID starts with a 2 letter service indicator code:

(source: UPU)

Most countries start their registered mail service indicator with "RR", then "RA", "RB", "RC" and so on. However, some countries do not follow the sequence. France starts with "RK", Britain and her dependencies use "RJ" for international mail, Portugal starts wtih "RR", "RC", "RM" and some others.

After the service indicator is an 8 digit number and a check-digit, or the letter "X". The check digit is resulted from some calculation of the 8 digits. The 8 digit numbers can be reused after 12 months of previous allocation.

Since all ID labels are preprinted and distributed to different post offices in lots, it should be noted that ID numbers may not be assigned in ascending order, all depends on the number lot held by the particular post office and when the staff put them into use. For a clear illustration, if two senders mail at two different post offices at the same time, one mail may be numbered 00 000 260 while the other may be numbered 00 056 068. Then the next day a sender mails at a third post office, his item may be numbered 000 000 021.

The very last 2 letters of the code is the ISO country code to identify the issuing postal administration.

This 1996 registered letter from Phnom Penh has the new S10 identifier, "RR 00 016 427 3KH":

RR indicates that the item is registered. Cambodia starts with RR, and RC is concurrent in use now. No RA and RB is found. 00 016 427 is the 8 digit numerical identity, 3 is the check digit, and KH is the ISO code for Cambodia.

The above is a sample of the new registered ID label in S10 standard. It is a long arrow sticker with the 13 character identifier and barcode.

Initially a red cachet in French was used at the Phnom Penh Central Post Office (CPO) with the registered ID labels. It features a large "R" which stands for "Recommandé", and "Phnom Penh R.P." that indicates the mail is sent from Phnom Penh CPO. The barcode sticker is scissored short so can accommodate within the cachet.

Later the red cachet is omitted, only the cut short ID label is used. Another type was also in service with the letter "R" printed:

A variation can be found with "Cambodia Post" included above the barcode:

Recently a new type of ID label is used. The 13 digit identifier and barcode is larger on round corner rectangular stickers.

Just as most laws and regulations, S10 codification is not strictly implemented, sometimes the old style registered system is used at convenience.

S10 is not used on domestic registered mail, and the country does not use inward registered item identification.

Stamps Not at Face Value

2010-01-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

I said this time it would be on registered mail codification. Now I change my mind because I found something interesting and can't wait to share with you. Rev. Charlie Dittmeier, a Maryknoller who now works for deaf welfare in Cambodia, has written about his experience at the Phnom Penh Central Post Office, with his kind permission I would like to quote it here for your amusement:

"Today I went to the post office to buy stamps. I would like to ask our office manager to get them for me when he goes to the post office every day to pick up the mail (there is no mail delivery in Cambodia), but the counter clerks always want to charge him more than the the actual costs of the stamps. I told the clerk that I wanted ten 2600 riel stamps. 2600 riel is the amount for a letter to the United States. She didn't have any 2600 riel stamps--they don't print that value -- so I was expecting some combination that would equal 2600 riel. But to my surprise she gave me ten 1000-riel stamps and ten 1800-riel stamps and said just to use them even though it was putting too much postage on the letters. I only paid 26,000 riel for them but got 28,000 riel worth of stamps. It's no matter to the clerk. As long as there's enough on the letter, it's OK.

In any developed country to deliberately sell the wrong value of stamps for the amount received would cause all kinds of problems! Not in Cambodia!"

These are the stamps Fr. Ditteier bought at last.
(photo by Fr. Ditteier)

Fr. Dittmeier has very interesting writings and photos on the society and politics of Cambodia through the eyes of an American. Please click here for the homepage of his enlightening website.

Hit here for Fr. Dittmeier's original 7th June 2005 entry.

In my 19th June 2009 blog entry I mentioned a Briton blogger, Michelle, has her story at the Phnom Penh CPO, please click here to read if you miss it.

2001 Train S/S Miscut

2010-01-13T23:36:00.001-08:00

The blog entry revision work is almost done, a few entries are rewritten or with scans/photos added. In the next entry there will have a little peep at registered mail codification.

In the meantime let's have a little freak piece for entertainment.

Cambodia, just as all other countries, has errors, freaks and oddities. There are inverts, colour variations, colour missing, blind perforations, misperforations, miscuts, design errors and many others, although they don't flood, they are not hard to come by.

Above shown is a CTO S/S of the 2001 PhilaNippon'01 trains issue. The pictorial set keeps thematic collectors eyes open, Cambodia specialists just treat it as another wallpaper yawn.

Originally there is white margin on four sides of the S/S design, the single direction shift in cutting results in bottom and right margins missing while the top and left margins so wide that margin markings can clearly be seen.

This CTO S/S freak is not particularly scarce, but quite interesting to look at.

Amazing Musical Kites

2010-01-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts announces that the 3rd Cambodia International Kite Festival will be held in early January to celebrate the 2010 Victory Day (a day to commemorate the fall of the Pol Pot regime).

On 6th and 7th January, local kite flyers from all of Cambodia will flock to the southwest province of Koh Kong with contestants from PR China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, France, Italy and Sweden to compete in the kite flying games.

Cambodia is no stranger to the medal podium of kite flying competitions. In 2007 and 2008 Cambodia won the 2nd runner up in the Chinese and Indian competitions. In 2009 the Kingdom proudly took the championship.

Kite flying is a traditional sport in Cambodia to play in dry season with best wind after rice harvest (in January).

Tradtional Klèng Ek

Among all Khmer kites, Klèng ek (the musical kite) is the most distinctive. Once used in religious ceremonies, the paper or silk made klèng ek is equipped with a bow made from rattan, bamboo or palm leaf which vibrates in the wind, it can produce a distinctive musical sound of four to five different notes.

Kite flying culture was brought down by the Khmer Rouge but in recent years the Royal Government has been working hard to revive it. To learn more about the Khmer kite history and renaissance, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the Drachen Foundation (USA) have informative publications which may be a good start, please check out the hyperlinks at the end of this blog entry.

Cambodia Post has joined the revival effort as well. In 2001 a set of 5 stamps was released to promote kite flying culture, it is an exciting issue which most collectors miss the significance. Five of the many kinds of traditional Khmer kites are featured:

300r - khleng chak (tatoo kite)
500r - khleng kanton (pouch kite)
1000r - khleng phnong (i.e. kleng ek, musical kite)
1500r - khleng kaun morn (chicken kite)
3000r - khleng me ambao (butterfly kite)

Next time when you are in Phnom Penh, do visit the National Kite Museum within the National Cultural Centre and greet the majestic Khmer kites. Please click here for information.

Extent reading:
Ben Ruhe, An Expanding Asia Kit Scene Bringing Kites Back to Cambodia, Kite Journal Issue 7, the Drachen Foundation, 2001.

Sim Sarak and Cheang Yarin, Khmer Kites, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, 2002.

Ready for 2009 SEA Games

2009-12-02T03:19:00.000-08:00

This is a 1991 cover postmarked 11th March in Kampong Cham and arrived in Phnom Penh on 18th March. This was a bit long to travel in dry season. Kampong Cham (spelt k"O"mpong cham on postmark) is the capital of Kampong Cham Province, it is the third largest city of Cambodia located just 124km northeast from Phnom Penh.

Three 1992 Bacelona Olympics stamps issued in 1989 were neatly franked, one on the front and two on the back. In the 1980s and 1990s, Cambodia issued quite a lot of collectors targeted stamps on the topic of summer and winter Olympics.

The first international standard multi-sport event Cambodia joined after order retored in 1980 was the 1983 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). More than a decade later, in 1996 Cambodia played at the Olympics once again.

Sports are developing with hope in the rebuilding Cambodia. Although the country has not won any medals at the Olympics or the Asian Games yet, she has gradually gained success at the SEA Games. At the last 2007 SEA Games, Cambodian althetes surprised everyone by bringing home a total of 18 medals, including 2 golds.

This December Cambodia is sending a high morale delegation who will contest in 19 sports at the 25th SEA Games held in Vientiane, the captial of neighbouring Laos. The team is expected to do better than ever and win pétanque, athletics, tennis, wrestling, boxing, taekwondo and beach volleyball medals.

Cambodia has never celebrated the SEA Games philatelically. The country is scheduled to host the 2021 games, perhaps by then she would have her first SEA Games stamps to publicize the event. Here is the 25th SEA Games commemorative set by Laos:

Phnom Penh Machine Cancels (II)

2009-11-28T03:30:00.001-08:00

(Continue from Part 1)

Generation III

In early 1999 a new cancel was in use when generation II seemed to retire. This new generation III cancel looks similar to generation II, only contents in the die would tell the difference.

In the long rectangular die, the English names "PHNOM PENH" and "CAMBODIA" are now separated by hyphen and the Khmer writings are in comparatively narrow font with no sloped typeface. Inscriptionwise, a very notable difference is the Khmer acronym for "postal centre" is omitted, only city name remains.

The date dial arrangement is the same as generation II. However since 2000 it was getting common to have the order of date & month abbreivation and time swapped:

Philatelist Mr Graham Shaw, in his article "Phnom Penh Postmarks Part 4: 1993-2008" published in the September 2009 issue of journal "Indo-China Philatelist", pointed out that for this generation III cancel "...appears to have been only one time of the day for the formal collection of mail at the central post office, i.e. 9AM". Mr Shaw has a great observation which I did not realize before. I check my collection and would like to make an amendment to Mr Shaw's statement. There are actually 4AM as well, just not often seen. See this 29th June 1999 cover to Germany:

Gernation III was still in use in 2009.

Generation IV

Round dial was back on generation IV cancel which started to service in early 2005. Next to the dial are five wavey killer bars that curve in an upside down way of generation I. Another distinct feature differs from generation I is the new dial bears a single circular edge.

The dial inscribes the city name Phnom Penh in Khmer inside the upper edge and in French "PHNOM PENH. CAMBODGE" on the lower. There is a little mystery right under the date, it is the French acronym "C.A." (for Cabine Arrivée). Its appearance does not make sense as only incoming registered airmail would have cancelled "C.A.".

My wild guess is that generation IV was not intended to cancel outgoing airmail, somehow it joined the service to help out the busy generation III cancel machine, or there was a new location to process mail and so instead of making an additional cancel, it was used with a "no waste" spirit.

In 2007 an error in time indication happened. For quite an extensive period, the time "25h" was shown on the dial. It is not hard to find samples of it.

Generation V

This cancel is the least common. It appears to be in service only in or after 2006 for a brief period. The cancel composes of a round dial which is obviously larger than generations I and IV, and on the right five wavey killer bars, just the same as generation I.

The dial is again bilingual in Khmer and French. This time there is something new, it includes "COD" between the city and country names in French. "COD" is the acronym of "Courrier Ordinaire Depart", it explains the mail is an unregistered outgoing item.

This ends a brief guide to post-1979 machine cancels of Phnom Penh. Information will be updated if I come up with some new discovery.

Click here for part I of this article: "Phnom Penh Machine Cancels (I)".

Fleurs with Ailes

2009-11-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

This 7v bird issue of 28th June 1983 is one of the many COPREFIL pictorial sets disparaged by traditional collectors as wallpaper:

I know these bird FDCs are not particularly handsome, I feature them here simply because of the cachet.

In French the cachet at the bottom left corner says "Fleurs Native". Oops, just now did I mistake these native flowers as birds?

Phnom Penh Machine Cancels (I)

2009-11-02T02:28:00.000-08:00

Postal cancellation machine was invented in the late 19th century yet it was until 1948 when Cambodia first used machine cancels introduced by les Français. Then in 1975 Khmer Rouge made a heavy blow and everything was smashed.

The French introduced meter stamps to the country again in 1992, however it had to wait till 1998 when non-postage bearing machine cancels made their premiere appearance. This "Machine Cancels" series is only on non-postage bearing cancels, for meter stamps please see "1992 Meter Stamps".

All illustrations are digitally colour enhanced.

Generation I

The first machine cancel appeared in 1998 on outgoing mail. It consists of a round postmark dial and five wavey killer bars to its right.

Two concentric circular lines form the edge ring of the dial, the city name Phnom Penh in Khmer and "PHNOMPENH CD CAMBODGE" in French is inside the ring. "CD" is the French acronym of "Cabine Départ", it is unclear why this acronym, which should be for outgoing registered mail only, would appear on the cancel. My guess is that unconventionally here refers to "Courrier Départ", so it only indicates the mail is outgoing.

This cancel was in service from the first half of 1998 to the end of 2004. Here is a sample of early usage:

For unknown reasons, the dial has never been in perfect round shape, and it was poorly engraved in such a way that the inner ring edge had already broken on the left when first put in use (see the above sample). The cancel worn out quickly after a few months, by August the broken edge extented from the letter "P" of Phnom Penh up to the first Khmer letter "bho". See below a sample from September:

The following is a very late use which shows the broken edge ring did not get much worse since August 1998:

Generation II

In late 1998 saw the use of a new machine cancel.

The cancel consists of a slightly rectangular dial and a long rectangular die. All inscriptions are now in English rather than French.

The sloped Khmer words in the die are "Phnom Penh" and the acronym of "Postal Centre". Underneath are "PHNOM PENH" and the country name "CAMBODIA" in English.

The date dial shows the following information in big letters, in top to bottom order: the city name "Phnom Penh", date & month abbreivation, time, year, and lastly the country name "Cambodia".

Below gives a clear sample of the die:

No variation of this cancel is found, however cancellation shift sometimes gives interesting samples. A position shift when cancelling has made the cover below bear only the dial, then a second print of the cancel left only the die with sufficient ink, resulted in a cancellation of the die and dial position swapped as seen:

(to be continued)

Click here for part II of this article: "Phnom Penh Machine Cancels (II)"

Wonderful 25

2009-10-01T00:53:00.001-07:00

If you wonder what Cambodia, the Kingdom of Wonder can offer you, simply look at the machine postmark on this cover to Germany.

It is dated 23rd October 2007 at time 25hr. Cambodia offers you 25 hours (or more!) a day, this is the wonder.

Coming up is a series on Phnom Penh's postmarks. Stay tuned.
(I hate the scanning work !!!)

Vann Molyvann, Built Cambodia in Style

2009-09-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

On this 1000r stamp from the 1993 National Day set is a building which used to stand boldly at the Tonlé Bassac (a river name) riverbank - the Grand Théâtre Preah Bat Norodom Suramarit (King Norodom Suramarit Grand Theatre), or commonly called the Bassac Theatre.

Graced with frangipani gardens, stylish pyramid glass roof, indoor fish pond and triangular motifs, the unforgettable national theatre was inaugurated in 1968. It escaped from Khmer Rouge's vandalism in 1970s but a fire during renovation in 1994 tragically brought the structure to ruin.

In 2008 this performing arts headquarters and another landmark of Phnom Penh, the Council of Ministers Building, were razed to the ground in the name of city development. Coincidentlly both buildings are the work of the country's most famous and influential architect, S.E. Vann Molyvann.

A recent photo of Molyvann in front of his old work, the library of now
the Institute of Foreign Languages, Royal University of Phnom Penh.
The design is inspired by a Khmer palm leaf hat.
(Photo by the Cambodia Daily)

Born in Kampot province in 1926, Molyvann furthered his studies in Paris and returned to his motherland in 1956 as the first fully qualified Cambodian architect. During the Sangkum era from mid 1950s to 1970, the talented man became the foremost figure of New Khmer Architecture.

New Khmer Architecture was an architectural movement in the 1950s and 1960s Cambodia. This distinguish architectural style blended European modernist ideas with Khmer vernacular architecture, so brought a renaissance in Cambodian traditional ornamentation and planning strategies, like the use of loggias, ponds and moats, and column and wall panels. The movement was also characterized with the idea of what we now called sustainable architecture.

Masterpieces are numerous. Molyvann's Vimean Ekareach, also known as the Independence Monument, is no stranger to tourists and stamp collectors. Built in 1958, with a five story lotus shaped stupa design reaching 20m high, the stately monument has been one of the most popular tourist attractions in Phnom Penh and the subject of many post 1979 Cambodian stamps:

Other than the Independence Monument, many of Molyvann's work are Phnom Penh's most iconic structures, to name a few, the National Sports Complex (the "new" Olympic Stadium), Chaktomuk Conference Hall, State Palace, and the Teacher Training College (now Institute of Foreign Languages of Royal University of Phnom Penh). Before 1970 the architect was commissioned for more than a hundred projects throughout the country.

Chaktomuk Conference Hall, Phnom Penh.
It resembles the leaves of sugar palm, the national tree of Cambodia.
(Photo: National Museum of Cambodia)

Molyvann left Cambodia after the 1970 coup d’état, stayed in Switzerland and worked for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. He returned to Phnom Penh in 1991, his patriotic heart makes him call the now shabby and dusty capital home again.

In 2008 the shocking news of Council of Ministers Building and Tonlé Bassac Theatre demolished with Senate's approval yet without public consent has prompted a group of Cambodian and American architects and students to launch the Vann Molyvann Project. After the war no comprehensive record of Molyvann's work survived, the project aims at documenting his creation before they vanish forever in the chaotic postwar urban development.

Please click HERE to learn more about the Vann Molyvann Project.

You may also like to learn more about the New Khmer Architecture through the blog of a Vann Molyvann Project participant, Rémy Bertin. Please click HERE.

Appendix:
HERE is a photo gallery of Tonlé Bassac Theatre before and after the fire, by "fmka".

Theme for a Dream

2009-09-21T00:10:00.001-07:00

This is a sporty thematic cover, franked with Atlanta Olympics commemorative stamps, posted at the Olympic post office in Phnom Penh near the National Olympic Stadium, and postmarked on the first anniversary of the opening of 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Because of difficult situations Cambodia did not have the chance to join the Olympic Games after 1972. It was over two decades later when peace returned and To Rithya became the first Cambodian to play the Games again. Rithya is Cambodia's most famous marathon walker, in 1996 the proud athlete took the national flag to Atlanta and competed with all his might at men's marathon with top athletes in the world.

AP photographer Doug Mills captured the glorious moment when To Rithya finished the men's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, 4th August 1996.

Rithya struck once more at 2000 Sydney Olympics. Although he was one of the last ten finishers in both of his Olympic participation, he earned great respect from both counterparts and spectators. Rithta is remarkable who received no professional training because his country could not afford to provide it, who lived on a government allowance which even wasn't enough to buy half a pair of running shoes, and who enjoyed absolutely no generous sponsorship from big companies.

The 5'5" small built man battled bitterly alone and finally accomplished his dream on the track. He is now director of the Centre for Education and Sport.

Athletes trained by the marathon hero flew high at the 5th ASEAN ParaGames in Malaysia this August, courage and persistence has made the weak team bring as many as 15 medals home including a gold at 400m. Let's look forward to the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos this December. Cambodia has a theme to dream for.

PS Click below to learn more about Cambodia's latest Marathon hope, Hem Bunting, at:

Phnom Penh Post
BBC News

2006 Dolphins: Fishy Errors

2009-09-21T00:07:00.000-07:00

This is a knowledge test. Look at the FDC scans, please spot three mistakes on this issue.

Answer:

The cachet says FISH, posters at all post offices say FISH, the commemorative postmark says FISH too. Dolphins are not fish, they are mammals. This is the first mistake.

Dolphins found in Cambodian waters become stars on stamps in 2006, the species are:

500r Sousa Chinensis (Chinese white dolphin)
900r Neophocaena Phocaenoides (finless porpoise)
1400r Delphinus Capensis Tropicalis (Arabian long-beaked common dolphin)
2100r Stenella Longirostris Roseinventris (dwarf spinner dolphin )
3500r Tursiops Aduncus (Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin)

This is where you find the second mistake, on the 1400r stamp "Dolphinus" should be "Delphinus".

It makes everyone wonder why the close to extinct Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins (less than 90 now) living in Kratié and Stung Treng provinces are not featured. Here comes the third mistake.

On the 5400r souvenir sheet (s/s), inscription indicates that the featured dolphins are finless porpoise (Neophocaena Phocaenoides). Check carefully, finless porpoise have no back fins, those in the drawing have back fins, they are in fact Irrawaddy dolphins! Finless porpoise and Irrawaddy dolphins look similar except the fin thing.

The illustrator ambitiously promotes ecotourism and Irrawaddy dolphin sightseeing, the inscripter spoils it.

Probably this is the first time in Cambodian philately for having three uncorrelated mistakes in one stamp issue .

45th Anniv of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties (II)

2009-09-16T01:36:00.000-07:00

(Continue from Part 1)

The 2003 "45th Anniversary of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties" issue is not only about 2 stamps and a commemorative cover. There is some fun with the postmark too.

The following shows the standard commemorative postmark of Cambodia:

Surprising enough, not all the 50,000 covers produced are with this standard postmark. There is a variation found:

This postmark type II has an edge ring formed by two concentric circular lines. Both CNPC and Cambodia did not explain why an alternative postmark exists, but from the previous similar cases in the diplomatic series, it may be a sudden and hurry alteration during production which causes such variety.

The number of covers bearing this postmark type II is unknown, to my observation the number is very small. It is scarce and rare.

Just as the standard postmark, postmark type II features on 3 different franking covers, the Angkor Wat stamp cover, the Great Wall stamp cover, and the full stamp set cover.

The rarest of all is the full stamp set with type II cancellation. I have only come across it twice.

Postmark Type II covers are included in the 50,000 production, they all have print run serial number. Those 6,000 (or 4,000, please see part 1 of this article series) sent to Cambodia are only cancelled by the standard postmark.

All "45th Anniv of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties" commemorative covers are ready made. There was no hand-back datestamping service in China and Cambodia for this.

If you think all these cover vaieties are not interesting to you, here is the Cullinan diamond. Below shows a FDC messaged and autographed by HM King Father Norodom Sihanouk for the occasion. This FDC was done in Beijing and is the possession of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs philatelic association. (photo taken by yuzhu of China at a stamp expo).

Please click here for part I: "45th Anniv of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties (I)"

Appendix

Philatelist Graham Shaw has a well written article titled "45th Anniversary of Cambodia-China Diplomatic ties: Joint Commemorative Issue, July 19, 2003", please click here to read.

45th Anniv of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties (I)

2009-09-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Some knowledge on Chinese diplomatic covers is needed to understand the 2003 45th anniversary of Sino-Cambodian diplomatic ties issue.

China National Philatelic Corporation (CNPC) is the national philatelic agency of China, it produces and wholesales Chinese postage stamps, covers and other philatelic products.

In 1999, CNPC and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Philatelic Association started a series of commemorative covers called "wei jiao feng", literally means diplomatic covers, for celebrating Chinese diplomatic ties anniversaries and other diplomatic events. More than 180 issues are in the series now, each with 50,000 serial numbered print run.

Other than releasing diplomatic covers, in some cases China also print commemorative stamps as a gift to countries which she celebrates diplomatic ties annviersary with. Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, Morocco are just some of the many beneficiaries.

In 2003, the 133rd cover in the series was dedicated to the 45th anniversary of Sino-Cambodian diplomatic ties (WJ-133). In addition 300,000 two-stamp sets were printed in Beijing for Cambodia, they show the two countries' national monuments in a se-tenant way: Angkor Wat and the Great Wall.

A stamp from the set is on this commercial cover to Hongkong :

The standard format of diplomatic covers is one standard stamp and a commemorative postmark from each country. The Cambodian stamp used on the standard version is the Angkor Wat one.

Nevertheless, an unknown amount of covers has the Great Wall stamp instead. Both versions were distributed by the CNPC.

On top of the 50,000 regular production, some thousand extra covers (it is either 4000 or 6000, I cannnot remember the exact amount, reference lost when my old hard disk crashed last year) were made for Cambodia to distribute in Phnom Penh. They are almost the same as those sold in China, except the full set of Cambodia stamps is used and on the back no print run serial numbers added.

The print run serial number (bottom left corner) is absent on the Cambodia sold cover (lower one):

Please click here for part II: "45th Anniv of Sino-Cambodian Diplomatic Ties (II)"

Festival Angkor 2000

2009-09-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

For most people, Cambodia is Angkor Wat and Khmer Rouge. The country is much more than that, nevertheless one cannot deny the fact that Angkor attracts world's attention most.

Since 1993 tourism has been Cambodia's second greatest source of hard currency, and Angkor is the biggest tourist magnet. To further immortalize these ancient Khmer monuments, the Ministry of Tourism held "Festival Angkor 2000" when the old country moved into the new millenium.

The three day festival, from 30th December 1999 to 1st January 2000, was basically a parade of performing arts with Angkor Wat as a backdrop. It successfully attracted a hundred thousand tourists to flock to Angkor. (click here for the rundown)

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications joined to advertise the grand event by stamping a special cachet on outgoing mail. The illustrated cover to China postmarked 8th December 1999 bears this "Festival Angkor 2000" cachet.

Since it is to promote the event internationally, the cachet is all in English with only "Cambodia Posts" in Khmer. So far only red cachet is observed, no other colours found. A neat copy of the cachet is below:

This is not the first time for Angkor to graphically star on a cachet. Back in the mid 1950s when Cambodia just gained her independence, a "Visit Angkor" cachet in French was in use with the meter stamp to promote the nation:

Unlisted Stamps (II)

2009-08-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

The most exciting unlisted stamps of Cambodia are the surcharges. Since they were locally handstamped for postal use with no philatelic sales, overseas collectors have had a hard time identifying and collecting them.

After a long time of putting together bits and pieces of information, 19 surcharges have been recorded:

To spice it up, the original 1988 folk dance set has two stamps with a variety of inscription errors, they were surcharged alongside with the regular stamps.

Here is a genuine set of the folk dance surcharges with 1r variety.

More unlisted surcharges may exist, further research has to be done for a better picture.

Almost all 1990s surcharges have fakes - real stamps but forged surcharges. Some sources claim the CPO sold surcharges until late 2000s, if the CPO did, those are fakes too (YES, fakes from CPO). Fellow collector Jean-Marie Florent of Belgium is kind enough to scan some fakes for our reference, thank you Jean-Marie.

Please click here for part I of this article: "Unlisted Stamps (I)"

Unlisted Stamps (I)

2009-08-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

Catalogue unlisted stamps always thrill collectors. They may not be scarce or rare, yet they are like secrets, they stimulate everyone's curiosity. Cambodia's unlisted stamps give no exception, they have posted big challenges to serious collectors as much as postal history specialists.

In my previous blog entries, I have told the story of 1993 "40th Anniversary of National Independence" 3v set (click here to read), the authentic stamps are unlisted. In Michel, it states "Der Status von drei weiteren, motivleichen (Ansicht von Angkor Vat) Marken zu 400, 500 und 600 R ist ungeklat", Stanley Gibbons and Scott give no reference at all.

In the following year, Cambodia quietly sold a single stamp set without much public attention. Officially issued on 3rd December 1994, the 2000r stamp celebrates "Inauguration Station Terrienne Standard a Cambodge - Australie", the completion of a satellite antenna which was part of Cambodia's US$700,000 joint venture with the Australian telecommunication company OTC (Telstra). Denomination is indicated in Khmer numerals only.

The stamp was nearly unknown outside Cambodia, it had no international sales agencies, and it was rarely used on mail because of high face value.

Above is the stamp in block of four. The issue is recorded in the 1997 official stamp catalogue published by the Cambodian Department of Posts.

(to be continued)

Please click here for part II of this article: "Unlisted Stamps (II)"

Special Delivery?

2009-08-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

This not-in-my-collection cover is interesting as it has a red label which no one would miss. The label says "special delivery". It makes people wonder how special it could be.

As a matter of fact, there was no such service, even if there were, the label would not had been in English: the Cambodian postal authority used French as their working language till late 1990s.

1993 Independence Anniversary Stolen stamps

2009-08-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

The stolen 3v COPREFIL printed set.

In 1993 Cambodia enjoyed her first free general elections as scheduled by the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. The royal government was successfully formed in September and in November the new leadership led the celebration of 40th anniversary of national independence (from France in 1953). The Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications joined the feast by issuing a set of 3 commemomrative postage stamps.

The original set comprises of 3 values: 300r features the Phnom Penh Central Post Office building, 500r features Vimean Ekareach, the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh that is, and 700r features the national flag. For the first time, English was used on stamps instead of French.

Unfortunately some of the stamps were reported stolen during transit from COPREFIL, the official producer & printer in Havana, to Phnom Penh. Russia got the news and quickly offered a little gift to the new royal government - a new stamp set was promptly prepared and shipped to Phnom Penh replacing the missing issue.

The Russian set differs from the Cuban set in two ways. Unlike the Cuban set, all three stamps are now identical in design, they depict the world famous ancient Khmer architectural wonder, Angkor Wat. Most of all, denominations are changed to 400r, 500r and 600r.

The Russian printed replacement set in folder.

No official FDC was prepared for the new set. Nevertheless, a special folder was made as complimentary gift from the minister to foreign guests of the government. The folder is in English, printed in blue ink with a set of mint stamps stuck in. The ministry did not make it available to public, counterfeits exist in market.

The obsolete Cuban printed stamps were never sold in Cambodia and therefore no postal used copies can be/should be found. However mint sets and CTO can easily be bought in Europe and America, for COPREFIL's German agent had flooded the stamp market with these wallpapers in such a way that now even the major stamp catalogues think they are the official issue (Sc 1323-1325, Mi 1394-1396).

Commercial used copies of the replacement set are very common, while the stolen COPREFIL set sees absolutely no postal use.

Cambodia, Tuva, or Bust !

2009-08-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

Two airmail stamps from two different airmail sets are franked on this 1986 cover to Australia.

Since 1980 Cambodia has only issued two airmail sets, the first one in 1984 and the second 1986. Both share the same illustration but have different inscription, I guess the Cambodian authority was very proud of the unchanged design: how legendary to have a boeing over Angkor Wat (despite the fact that no boeing ever flew over Angkor) !

It resembles Tuva (Tannu Touva). Tuva in the 1930s and Cambodia in the 1980s were isolated and no common holiday destination. Philatelically in 1936 Tuva issued a few big sets which fully captivated young children with beautiful colour and exotic design, there included one stamp with a camel racing train, and another with a horseman watching zeppelin.

Stamps don't always give facts. There were no railway and zeppelin in Tuva, no boeing over Angkor. Illusion of advancement is always beautiful, isn't it?

Missent Postcard

2009-08-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Mail in and out of Cambodia were via Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in 1980s. This 1988 postcard from USA to the Netherlands was stamped "Missent to Phnom Penh" and "Missent to Ho Chi Minh City". I will leave you to guess which missent came first.

1991 Meter Stamps

2009-07-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Dr Gale J Raymond, in his article ""UNTAC Cambodia: Namibia Peacekeeping Forces" published in ICP #128 (The Indo-china Philatlist, journal of Society of Indo-china Philatelists), gave the information that two French meter postage stamp machines were brought to Phnom Penh in early 1992. They were supposed to solve the problem of high denomination postage stamp shortage. Below serves as a quick glance over their usage.

This outoging cover from Phnom Penh dated 29th February 1992 has an early use of French meter stamp. From samples available, meter stamp had been in use since December 1991 or earlier, usage can be generalized in four categories.

As inflation was making most stamps inadequate for international postage, postal clerks simply franked an obsolete low face value stamp on mail, then cancelled it by meter stamp which paid the actual postage. The cover shown above falls into this category, 950r meter on a 5r stamp.

Sometimes no stamps were used, only the meter stamp was applied. Maybe the postal clerks finally realized that mail could go without a postage stamp, or they were too lazy to find one. Here is a fine example of meter with no postage stamps, another cover from Phnom Penh to Washington DC.

Meter stamp was used in a supplementary way when "practically usable" postage stamps were handy. In 1993 and 1994 it was quite common that partial postage was paid by postage stamps, and the rest filled up by meter. This UNTAC cover features a 50r stamp with 480r supplementary meter postage.

The fourth usage is to serve as killer only. This happened most when high denomination postage stamps were in sufficient supply again in 1994. The 1995 cover below was franked with a 1500r stamp which paid all the postage, meter machine was for cancellation.

To my observation, all meter postage machines for letters ceased service in late 1999. Starting from 1998 Cambodia had some new machine cancellations, but they were merely killers without bearing postage.

Meter machines were available not only at Phnom Penh CPO. There are examples of meter stamps from other districts, cities and provinces. Within Phnom Penh there are meters of district post offices such as Daun Penh and Olympic. The UNTAC cover shown before bears a meter stamp of Chbar Ampeou, a commune in southeast of Phnom Penh. Below is a meter stamp from Kampong Cham Province:

If the CPO had 2 meter machines or more in use at the same time, there is no sign on the franking to distinguish them. Interesting enough, in 1995 there came a variation with a little cross in each side of the spacing between the French and Khmer words on the round datemark.

CPO has another meter machine which apparently is for parcel postage. No sample found on letters.