Postage stamps more than just paper

An interesting essay about stamps and stamp collecting appeared in yesterday's Nigeria Daily Independent.

In Postage stamps: Beyond face value, reporter Abdulwahab Matepo writes, "Every postage stamp tells a story...it preserves arts and culture from antiquities to modern. Arts and culture are, unfortunately, two aspects of human life being destroyed by time, civilisation, and conflicts. Recent conflicts in Afghanistan under the Taliban and in Iraq have wiped out several notable monuments, some of which can now only be seen in stamps."

He goes on to say, "The role of postage stamps as educators and carriers of information is enormous. As promoters of national images, postage stamps are ideal – judging from the penetrating effects they have across boarders, cultures, beliefs, and levels of socio-economic and political development. This explains why government officials in some countries always include stamp albums in gift packages for visiting VIPs."

To read the entire article, click here.