Special Stamp Issues - "Year of the Pig","Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals - Dog / Pig" and "Flock Stamps on Lunar New Year Animals - Monkey / Rooster / Dog / Pig"

Year of the Pig - Mint Stamps	Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals - Dog / Pig	Flock Stamps on Lunar New Year Animals – Monkey / Rooster / Dog / Pig

A set of special stamps on the theme of Year of the Pig will be issued on Sunday, 4 February 2007. A series of associated stamp products will also be put on sale on the same date.

Year of the Pig
This is the eighth Lunar New Year special stamp issue in the third series released by Hongkong Post. The first and second sets of special stamps for the Year of the Pig were issued in 1971 and 1995 respectively.

Each lunar year in China is named after an animal, running in twelve-year cycles. People born in a certain animal year are believed to share some of the animal's characteristics. Chinese folklore says that people born in the Year of the Pig are honest and straightforward. They seek harmony with the world around them. Thanks to their tolerance and sincerity, they get along well with almost everyone.

The Pig is also a symbol of wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture. The four stamps come in denominations of $1.4, $2.4, $3 and $5. The distinctive design of this issue features four pleasantly plump pigs and a piglet - a propitious omen for the coming year. To capture the gradation of light and shade and to accentuate the three-dimensional effect, five-colour printing is used on the stamps to enhance the image detail of the pigs against a background embellished with silver foliage.

The paper-cut pattern gives a note of festivity, and the spirited piglet in the front heralds the Year of the Pig.

Acknowledgements: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals - Dog/Pig
Hongkong Post's annual Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlets on Lunar New Year Animals are highly sought-after by philatelists for their special printing technique, which incorporates genuine gold and silver hot stamping, and for their symbolic significance.

The seventh issue in the series presents the Dog and the Pig. The two stamps are in a denomination of $50 and both are embossed and hot-foiled - the Dog with genuine 24-carat gold and 99.9% pure silver, and the Pig with genuine 22-carat gold and 99.9% pure silver. The sheetlet comes with a certificate of authenticity.

According to Chinese tradition, each lunar year is named after an animal, running in twelve-year cycles. People born in each animal's year are believed to share some of the animal’s characteristics. People born in the Year of the Dog, for example, are loyal and trustworthy, while those born in the Year of the Pig are honest and straightforward.

Similar to previous issues in the series, the contrast between light and shade is used to accentuate the image detail of the Dog and the Pig against their dark green and sienna backgrounds, producing a striking three-dimensional effect.

Flock Stamps on Lunar New Year Animals – Monkey / Rooster / Dog / Pig
Hongkong Post introduced the first set of flock stamps in 2003. This innovative issue was warmly received for its rarity and ingenuity. To carry on the success of the first issue, Hongkong Post now releases"Flock Stamps on Lunar New Year Animals – Monkey/Rooster/Dog/Pig" as a sequel to the"Dragon/Snake/Horse/Ram" issue.

To echo the upbeat mood of the New Year, the flock stamps are rendered in vibrant colours in celebration of this time-honoured festival kept alive from generation to generation.

The issue features the Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig, four members of the Chinese twelve-year animal cycle, on flock paper using four-colour printing, adding an aura of affluence that matches perfectly with the beginning of a prosperous year.

Acknowledgements: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

Information about associated philatelic products with these issues and the sales restrictions per queuing customer starting from 4 February 2007 is as follows :

The stamps and sheetlet will be displayed at the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Sha Tin Central Post Office from 15 January 2007. Official First Day Cover of the Year of the Pig, together with Official Souvenir Covers for the flock stamps and for the Gold and Silver stamp sheetlet, will be put on sale at $1 each in all post offices on the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided covers will be accepted at 39 philatelic offices from 15 to 23 January 2007.

All post offices (excluding mobile post offices) will be open on 4 February 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office and Airport Post Office will maintain their normal Sunday business hours from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Hand-back service will be provided at all post offices (excluding mobile post offices) on 4 February 2007 for official and privately-made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. Three special postmarks will also be introduced and available for hand-back service at all post offices. The"GPO-1"postmark, "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmarks will be available for hand-back datestamping service at 39 philatelic offices on that day.

In addition, the public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau on 1/F., Trade Square, 681 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, will also open on 4 February 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for datestamping covers with the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark, the "GPO-1" postmark and the three special postmarks.

Stamp, Stamp Sheetlet and Mini-pane Printing Details

Year of the Pig
Souvenir Sheet	Imperforated Stamp Sheetlet	Presentation Pack
Serviced First Day Cover affixed with a set of 4 Stamps	Serviced First Day Cover affixed with a Souvenir Sheet	Serviced First Day Cover affixed with an Imperforated Stamp Sheetlet
Picture Cards		Serviced Maximum Cards
Special Postmark
Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals – Dog / Pig
Special Postmark	Presentation Pack	Serviced Souvenir Cover with a Stamp Sheetlet
Flock Stamps on Lunar New Year Animals – Monkey / Rooster / Dog / Pig
Special Postmark	Presentation Pack
Mini-pane	Serviced Souvenir Cover with a set of 4 Stamps

* Information provided in this link is subject to change.