50th Anniversary of WWF - their own newsfeed with animal videos

Comprehensive launch of WWF stamps by WWF UK with details of the animals concerned, and video clips of some on their newsfeed here http://t.co/QwKlODs

WWF stamps pre-released

We've been told by a contact in the Netherlands that he has WWF stamps used on mail to him already. That means they must have been sold at least a week before the proper date.  Sadly the photo doesn't show the date or place of posting:

Details of Machins in WWF Prestige Stamp Book

At last we have the Worldwide Fund for Nature stamps etc.  The colours used on the Machin pane in the prestige stamp book are interesting.

The 67p and 97p are very similar to those in the London 2010 Festival of Stamps Exhibition Sheet.  The colour of the 10p is completely different to the sheet stamps and the Exhibition Sheet, and similar to that in the Album Covers psb.  Specialists would certainly treat it as a different stamp, though which catalogues will distinguish it with a separate listing, even as a minor variety, remains to be seen.

The 5p - this time using the correct font as on the sheet stamps - is quite unlike the ordinary sheet stamps and the 5p on the Exhibition sheet; it's similar to the 5p in the Album Covers psb, but possibly even closer to the colour of the 54p!  Scanning and computer monitors don't always reflect the subtleties, so I'll leave readers to look at the real thing when you get it.


On the left, last year's Album Covers 5p, on the right the one from the WWF book (these were not scanned at the same time, and settings were probably different):


WWF PSB Pane:

WWF - friction between WWF International and WWF UK

Our original blogpost about the comment of the WWF Philatelic Agents has been edited on the request of the WWF in Switzerland. 

We said nothing incorrect or untrue and our fundamental comment remains the same.  Please read the revised blogpost, and the comments made.

WWF International Agent slams Royal Mail stamp issue!

This blogpost has been modified for reasons which will become obvious.

Most stamp issues related to the WWF require approval from the international organisation, and from the Swiss company Groth AG who have exclusive rights to approve the designs etc.

In an earlier version of this blogpost we quoted from the 15 February 2011 Newsletter of Groth AG, official philatelic agents for WWF International. The Royal Mail stamps for the 50^th anniversary of WWF were not arranged with WWF International in Switzerland, but with WWF's UK branch. Apparently deprived of their commission on this stamp issue, Groth's criticism in their Newsletter was evidently an embarrassment to both WWF International and WWF UK – and also, now, to Groth AG.

Groth's Newsletter (downloaded as a pdf) has now been edited to remove all reference to the Royal Mail issue and the criticism, and we have been asked by WWF International via Hans Groth if we would also remove the reference from our blog.

I have no wish to prolong the embarrassment by continuing its publication so I have removed the Newsletter quote from this blog as well.

This is what Groth say about their organisation:

Today, Hans is proud to say that the collection - the largest thematic collection in the world - is still selling well and that his company will soon be celebrating a quarter of a century of collaboration with WWF. It is projected that the Collection will continue to be produced at least until 2011 when WWF will celebrate its 50th Anniversary.

To date over one billion stamps and almost 400 issues have been printed and sold, generating more than 20 million Swiss francs in royalties - an important source of funding for WWF's conservation activities.

 

I am sure that there was a financial arrangement between Royal Mail and WWF UK for the use of the WWF logo: these things do not need the intervention of a philatelic agent. As I wrote in the original version of this post:

Royal Mail wanted to mark the 50th anniversary and should be able to do what they want for that both in numbers and animals.  Thinking about it, if the only way that people in the UK and US (for example) can be aware of endangered animals in Yemen and Siberia is by buying stamps from Yemen and Russia then that is unproducitve.  Far better I think for the big countries to highlight the work of the WWF by showing endangered animals worldwide? 

But the United States will not mark the 50^th Anniversary and have never issued a WWF stamp, and I'm told that Canada Post has not either. In fact, looking at the Groth AG site, it would seem that Spain, Norway, and even Switzerland have also managed to resist the impulse to deal with Groth.

 

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What do you think? - let us know by leaving a comment (also see comments section)

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50th Anniversary of WWF - and a nudge to Europa

Royal Mail is issuing a set of stamps, miniature sheet and prestige stamp book to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of WWF – the Worldwide Fund for Nature.  

Forests are the Post Europ theme for 2011 so the WWF Miniature Sheet depicts the Amazon Rainforest where the WWF are involved in a number of projects to protect and conserve the forest and its plants and animals. The 1st Class stamp will bear the Post Europ logo in addition to the WWF logo.

 
Other products include a Prestige Stamp Book, presentation pack, first day covers, stamp cards, and a coin cover.

Full details, eventually including special postmarks, will appear on our website.