Monday, July 18, 2011

0060. Lithuania - Pervalka Lighthouse



Pervalka Lighthouse (also known as Lighthouse of Horses) is located on a small artificial island just off the Cape Zirgu Ragas on the North side of the Pervalka town.  The Pervalka town is on the east side of the Curonian Spit facing the Curonian Sound.

The Lighthouse marks the convergence of three channels - Klaipeda to North, Nida to South-West and Ventes Ragas to South-East.  The Lighthouse is accessible only by boat.

Lithuania Post  commemorated  the  Pervalka  Lighthouse  by   the  release  of 1 Litas stamp on 15-Mar-2003.

Built in the year 1948, the Pervalka Lighthouse:

  • Tower is ROUND cast iron
  • Tower is painted RED
  • Lantern is painted WHITE
  • Height is 14 metres
  • Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE

Sunday, July 17, 2011

0059. New Zealand - Cape Egmont Lighthouse (Government Life Insurance Office)



In New Zealand, over the years the stamps were limited to the pre-payment of postage on correspondence posted by the Government Life Insurance Office for delivery within the country.  But, on 27-Mar-1969, this condition was relaxed and the stamps could be used on mail to both inland and overseas addresses. 

1969, marked the centenary of the founding of the Government Life Insurance Office and a new series of stamps was issued to mark this occasion.  Lighthouses, the symbol of the New Zealand Government Life Insurance Department, were again the subject depicted on the stamps.

Cape Egmont Lighthouse was commemorated in the 1969 series of New Zealand Government Life Insurance Office 4c stamp released on 27-Mar-1969. 

The change in the name of the business from "Government Life Insurance Department" to "Government Life Insurance Office" was also marked from the 1969 stamp series.

Friday, July 15, 2011

0058. USA - Admiralty Head Lighthouse (US Coast Guard LH Series-1990)


Admiralty Head Lighthouse was located on the Western edge of Whidbey Island.  The first Admiralty Lighthouse (known as Red Bluff Lighthouse) was built on the headland during 1860.  The Lighthouse had a 2-story wooden structure and the lantern room contained a 4th order Fresnel lens.

The Lighthouse guides ships bound from Pacific to Seattle which pass along the San Juan de Fuca strait.  The Admiralty Lighthouse defines the entrance to Admiralty Inlet from the strait on the east. The Lighthouse is placed at the right place to guide shipping.

The present day Lighthouse was built in a Spanish style and included a 2-story keeper's house.  The Lighthouse was extinguished in 1922, as the modern vessels powered by steam hug the western side of the inlet.  The lantern was removed and placed on the New Dungeness Lighthouse.

USPS commemorated the Admiralty Head Lighthouse (State of Washington - US Western Coast) by the release of  25c stamp on 26-Apr-1990 in its Lighthouse Stamp Series-1990.

The 1990 Lighthouse Stamp series is to commemorate the US Coast Guard Bicentennial and US Lighthouse Service and also the series represented one Lighthouse from each of the main coastal regions in the United States.

Built in the year 1903, the Admiralty Head Lighthouse:

  • Tower is ROUND stucco-clad brick
  • Tower is painted WHITE
  • Tower attached to 2-story California Spanish style stucco keeper's house
  • Lantern and trim painted BLACK
  • Keeper's house roof is painted RED
  • Height is 9 metres
  • Original lantern and 4th order Fresnel lens moved to New Dungeness Lighthouse

Thursday, July 14, 2011

0057. New Zealand - Government Life Insurance Office



New Zealand Government Life Insurance Department in 1890 was allowed to use a distinctive stamp of its own.  This made the office unique in-so-far as no other Life Insurance Institution in the World enjoyed such a privilege. 

Over the years the stamps were limited to the prepayment of postage on correspondence posted by the Government Life Insurance office for delivery within New Zealand but on 27 March 1969 this condition was relaxed and the stamps could be used on mail to both inland and overseas addresses. 

1969 marked the centenary of the founding of the Government Life Insurance Office and a new series of stamps was issued to mark this occasion. Lighthouses, the symbol of the New Zealand Government Life Insurance Department, were the subject depicted in the stamps.

The 1981 series of Government Life Insurance Stamp Issue was released on 3-Jun-1981 with different denomination and colours:

5c - Pastel blue, light blue and mauve
10c - Light grey, light blue and red
20c - Cerise, yellow and brown
30c - Pastel brown, light blue and military grey
40c - Orange, yellow and dark grey
50c - Pastel green, light green and brown

Monday, July 11, 2011

0056. Latvia - Kolka Lighthouse



Kolka Lighthouse guides ships around the Kolkasrags (Cape Kolka), at the eastern entrance to the Irbe Strait from the Gulf of Riga.  The Lighthouse is located on a small artificial island 6 km North-East of the Cape.  The Lighthouse is accessible only by boat.  

Latvia Post commemorated the Kolka Lighthouse by the release of  60 (S) postage stamp on 17-May-2003 (1st of a series of stamps featuring Latvian Lighthouses)

Built in the year 1884, the Kolka Lighthouse:

  • Tower is ROUND stone
  • Tower is painted RED
  • Tower has double gallery
  • Lantern doom is BLACK
  • An Octogonal seawall encloses the Keeper's house
  • Height is 21 metres
  • Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
  • LIGHT character is 2 (two) FLASHES every 10 seconds

0055. Croatia - Porer Lighthouse



Croatia, a Central European country, has many islands, rockey isles and crags in the Adriatic Sea.  This demanded exceptional navigational skills.  There were about twenty night lighthouses along the coast of Croatia.  These lighthouses are referred to Adriatic Lighthouses.

Porer Lighthouse is located on a tiny scrap of land in the Northern Croatia, marking the southern tip of Istrian Peninsula.   The lighthouse is accessible only by boat.  Boat transportation is made available only in the morning;  landing at the lighthouse is difficult in the evening due to the west winds.   The lighthouse is 2.5 kms South-West of Rt.Kamenjak.

Croatian Post commemorated the Porer Lighthouse by the release of  5 kn (Croatian currency kuna) postage stamp on 14-Sep-2007.

Built in the year 1833, the Porer Lighthouse:

  • Tower is ROUND CYLINDRICAL masonry
  • Tower is built on Keeper's house
  • Tower is un-painted cream coloured stone
  • Lattern is GREY METALLIC roof
  • Height is 31 metres
  • Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
  • LIGHT character is 3 (three) FLASHES every 15 seconds

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

0054. Germany - Dornbusch Lighthouse


Dornbusch Lighthouse is located in the Hiddensee, a barrier island on the west side of Rügen and accessible by ferry from Stralsund.  Dornbusch Lighthouse is built on a Beacon Hill; the hill covered with thorn bushes, for which the light is named. 

The tower of the Lighthouse was originally round.  In 1927, the Lighthouse was strengthened by building the present 12-sided outer wall.

Germany commemorated the Dornbusch Lighthouse by the release of :

1. 25 Pf - Pfennig stamp on 13-May-1975 and
2. 55 Euro Cent stamp on 2-Jul-2009

Built in the year 1888, the Dornbusch Lighthouse:

  • Tower is originally ROUND masonry; strengthened by the present 12-sided outer wall
  • Tower is painted WHITE
  • Lattern roof painted RED
  • Height is 28 metres
  • Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
  • LIGHT character is 2.4 seconds ON ; 7.6 seconds OFF

Monday, June 27, 2011

0053. Germany - Warnemunde Lighthouse


Warnemunde Lighthouse is a best known landmarks of the Rostack area.  The lighthouse is located in a public square in the downtown Warnemunde from the west bank of the river Warnow. 

The Lighthouse can be climbed by a spiral staircase.  Upto 1978, the Lighthouse was watched by a Lighthouse keeper.  Now, the service is centralized and managed by Sea traffic control centre.

Germany commemorated the Warnemunde Lighthouse by the release of :

1. 15 Pf - Pfennig stamp on 7-May-1974 and
2. 45 Euro Cent stamp on 3-Jul-2008

Built in the year 1898, the Warnemunde Lighthouse:

  • Tower is ROUND TAPERED brick
  • Tower has 2 gallaries, one in the top and the other in the centre
  • Tower is UN-PAINTED very light grey brick
  • Darker bricks used in the lower half of the tower
  • Lattern dome is un-painted green copper
  • Height is 31 metres
  • Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
  • LIGHT character is 4 (four) FLASHES every 24 seconds in 3+1 pattern
  • Light flashes occur at 0, 3, 6 and 15 seconds in the cycle

Sunday, June 26, 2011

0052. Germany - Greifswalder Oie Lighthouse



Greifswalder Oie is a small island in the Baltic Sea.  The Island is located east of Rugen on the German Coast and the island covers an area of about 54 hectares.  The Lighthouse is located at the North-Eastern Cornet of the Island.  The Island has a protected harbour at the other South-Western end.

A beautiful but rarely visited Lightstation in the North-East.  From 1937 to 1945, the Island was a launch site for the German Missile Development Program.  The East German government continued the use of the Island as a Military base.

Nowadays, the islet is an un-inhabited sea bird reserve, save for a single man who works the Lighthouse, manages the small emergency Yacht harbour.

Germany  commemorated the Greifswalder Oie Lighthouse by the release of :

1. 40 Pf - Pfennig stamp on 7-May-1974 and
2. 45 Euro Cent stamp on 8-Jul-2004

Built in the year 1855, the Griefswalder Oie Lighthouse:

  • Tower is OCTOGONAL brick
  • Tower is raised on a 1-storey base
  • Tower has double gallery
  • Tower is UN-PAINTED and Galleries painted BLACK
  • Height is 38 metres
  • Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
  • LIGHT character is a FLASH every 3.8 seconds

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

0051. Indonesia - Semarang Lighthouse



Semarang Lighthouse is located at the Tanjung Emas Harbour of Semarang, the capital city of Central Java Province and major port of Central North Java.  This lighthouse plays significant role to guide Marine traffic entering the harbour since it was built in 1879.

Indonesia commemorated the Semarang Lighthouse by the release of stamp of value Rp 1500 on 17-Aug-2007.

Built in the year 1883, the SEMARANG Lighthouse:

  • Tower is 12-sided cast iron
  • Tower is painted WHITE
  • Height is 30 metres
  • Colour scheme of the LIGHT is WHITE
  • LIGHT character is 4 (four) FLASHES every 20 seconds

Followers