Site Map

News

28 June 2004
Special Stamp Issue- "Sports"

The Postmaster General, Mr. Allan CHIANG, announced today (28 June 2004) that, with the 2004 Olympic Games approaching, a set of special stamps on "Sports" featuring five Olympic sports will be issued on Tuesday, 20 July 2004. The five sporting events are relay race, highboard diving, volleyball, cycling and badminton. The stamps are printed in sheets of twenty $1.40 stamps comprising five identical strips of four different stamps with each strip depicting a sporting event in motion. This is the first time that a set of twenty special stamps in one singe denomination is issued by Hongkong Post.

This set of stamps is designed by Mr. Bon KWAN and printed in lithography by Banknote Corporation of America, Inc., USA.

Information about the associated philatelic products of this issue and the sales restriction starting from 20 July 2004 are as follows:

Products	Unit Selling Price	Sales Restriction Per Queuing Customer
Stamp Sheets A set of 5 sheets, each sheet depicts one of the five sporting events, i.e. relay race, highboard diving, volleyball, cycling and badminton. Each sheet consists of 20 no. of $1.40 stamps produced in 5 identical strips of four different stamps, each strip depicts the sporting event in 4 different motions.	$28 per sheet	10 sheets of stamps of each design (i.e. 200 sets of stamps)
Mini-pane A sheet with 20 nos. of $1.40 stamps produced in 5 strips. Each strip depicts a different sporting event in 4 different motions.	$28	5 panes
Presentation Pack Comprises 5 strips, each with 4 no. of $1.40 stamps. Each strip depicts a different sporting event in 4 different motions.	$40	5 packs
A set of 5 serviced First Day Covers, each affixed with a strip of 4 stamps depicting one of the 5 sports (only available at 39 philatelic offices on 20 July 2004)	$45.50	5 sets

The stamps will be displayed at the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Shatin Central Post Office from 2 July 2004. Official First Day Covers at $1.00 each will be put on sale at all post offices on the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided souvenir cover will be accepted at all post offices from 29 June to 5 July 2004.

Hand-back datestamping service will be provided at all post offices on 20 July 2004 for official and privately-made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. A special postmark will also be introduced.

The GPO-1 postmark, the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmarks will also be available for hand-back datestamping service at all philatelic offices on that day.

On 20 July 2004, the public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau will open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for datestamping covers with the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark, the GPO-1 postmark as well as the special postmark.

For more information on this set of stamps, please refer to the text of the First Day Cover.

The enclosed photograph shows the specimen impression of the special postmark to be issued on 20 July 2004 on the theme "Sports".

The enclosed photographs show the mint stamps to be issued on 20 July 2004 on the theme "Sports".