COVER N. 352 - TAIWAN

Postmark: ? Taiwan R.O.C. 09.11.2023

Posted on the 9th November; received on the 17th November 2023

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The year is coming to an end, unfortunately not a very auspicious one, with all that is going on around, with millions of people suffering in ways that one would think not possible anymore, while we watch in abyssal impotence, but such is the nature of the beast we are....

There was a time when we could say we did not know... not anymore... we all get bombarded by images of people being bombarded by bombs, in conflicts that could well have been avoided if reason spoke louder than greed, egos, fanaticism, interests, revenge, ...

This is the year of the rabbit, according to the Chinese Zodiac, so I guess that since rabbits are good leapers, we would better leap fast forward into 2024, because we are now sure that there could be a much better year that this one that is coming to the last cross in the calendar....

2019 was the year of the pig... 2023 was a pig of a year...!

Thank you so much Maurice for a nice Year of the Pig cover!

A blue envelope makes for a change in the usual pattern of white C6 envelopes and it works fine against the yellowish and red dominants in both stamps.

- The souvenir sheet with a 12 Taiwanese new dollar stamp was issued on 03DEC2018, as part of a set which also included another three stamps, dedicated to the Year of the Pig, 2019. I am not at all versed in the  Chinese Zodiac, so I can't tell if the two images 

of pigs on the stamp have a specific signification besides their inherent representation of the animal.

- Steamboat Willie was the first commercially distributed film starred by actor Mickey Mouse. In it, Mickey is seen piloting a steamboat, which we later learn he his doing so unauthorized by the real captain of the boat, Mickey’s' archenemy, Pete.

Although the film shot in black and white, in 1928, Taiwan Post  used a colour image which was also used on an official 50th anniversary poster,  on the 5 NTD stamp , issued on 02AUG2005 as part of a set of four ( 2x 5; 2 x 25 NTD) honouring the most “famouse” actor in the world.