New Hong Kong Stamp - The "Year Of The Rat"

Say goodbye to the Year of the Pig, welcome the Year of the Rat! On January 26, 2008, the Hong Kong Post will be releasing a new stamp sheetlet set entitled the “Year of the Rat”.

This stamp set is issued in celebration of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. There are four stamps in the set. This is the ninth issue of the third Lunar New Year series. The rat’s personality is captured in each stamp with a beautiful background embellished with silver foliage. It features genuine 22K and 24 K gold as well as 99.9% silver. This exciting special edition will make a wonderful addition to your collection.

In Western cultures, the rat is considered a bottom-dwelling carrier of disease. It is not well liked by most. In Eastern culture, the rat is revered for its quick wits and clever skills. Rats are considered a symbol of wealth and good luck to all that encounter them.

People born in the Year of the Rat (1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984 and 1996) are considered to be hard workers who can achieve their goals, acquire possessions, and most likely are perfectionists. They are usually successful and have big ambitions. Rat people can be easily angered and are known for their thriftiness. They are also known for their charm and attention from the opposite sex.

Year of the Pig a Good Omen for Stamp Collectors

Children born in the Chinese Year of the Pig are thought to be happy and honest. To have a child in the Year of the Pig is considered a favorable omen in Chinese culture where the twelfth sign of the Earthly Branches, the Pig, is associated with fertility and virility.

The Chinese Year of the Pig has generated of whole host of commemorative stamps -- from the comic to the sublime. The People's Republic of China recently issued this colorful, comic souvenir booklet. It's available at County Stamp Center for just $2.66. Click the post title to order.

In Chinese culture there are five types of pigs, named after the five Chinese elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. On our website you'll find Year of the Pig stamps of every stripe and color. There are cartoon pigs, gingham pigs, rainbow pigs, fanciful pigs, realistic pigs, charming pigs, wild pigs, and ethereal stylized pigs. To portray the porkers, stamp artists have used block prints, silk screens, photographs, paintings, drawings, wood cuts, even gold foil. There is such great variety, you'll want to collect them all. Click here to view our complete collection of Year of the Pig stamps.

For the latest stamp issues, visit the County Stamp Center website. Come to us for all your philatelic needs. We carry quality collecting supplies as well as thousands of fascinating stamps.