For the 2025 children's stamps, PostNL created a special postmark at the request of the Association for Children's Stamps and Maximaphily. This was announced in the January issue of the monthly magazine Philately. You could also have your own envelope stamped with it. That is what I did...
In late 2025, Deutsche Post issued a stamp about 'stumbling stones' featuring the text: Nie wieder ist jetzt (Never again is now). And: Ein Stein; Ein Name; Ein Mensch (a stone; a name; a person). This will be a poignant...
400 years ago, in 1626, Jan Steen was born in Leiden. I came across this remarkable painter three times in the stamp catalogue. Although the name Steen does not refer to the Stone Age, his name does have something to do with 'stones'...
Years ago, I met a philatelist who collected stamps from Austria. Every year he went on vacation to Austria, and then he would try to take identical photos of images that appeared on his stamps. I wondered at the time whether multiple...
Leiden University is celebrating its 450th anniversary this year. But there is always someone better. My friend Hero Wit gave me postal information about the University of Leuven, which has existed for 600 years. But why is there a chair on it...
Belgium may be a small country, but it played a very important role in aviation. For example, in 1925, three Belgians were the first to fly across the Sahara, although this undertaking took 51 days. The French had never managed that. And rightly so...
On March 21, I read that this was 'World Down Syndrome Day'. Why on March 21, I wondered. The answer was quickly found. Someone with Down syndrome has three instead of two chromosomes of chromosome...
Leiden University turns 450 on February 8. I am preparing a city walk for the occasion and came across a Leiden student who is depicted on a Japanese postage stamp. That really is something very special. Would...
Of course, I am proud of my wife, my two daughters, and three granddaughters. But which women would deserve to be depicted on a stamp? I leafed through the stamp catalog and came across quite a few. But...
Together with my wife, I went cycling in the Veluwezoom. We stayed in the charming village of Ellecom and cycled to Dieren, Doesburg, and the village of De Steeg. I don't exactly consider 'De Steeg' a name for a village,...
Deventer is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. Together with my wife, I visited this 'cookie city'. After all, our first association when we think of Deventer is 'Deventer cookie'. During our stay, however, we noticed that Deventer...
Leiden is not only the Key City but also a City of Courtyards. Leiden has 35 of them. As a Leiden city guide, I am regularly asked to lead a walking tour of the courtyards. I am always happy to do so. Courtyards are special. There are already 14 personalized stamps...
While leafing through my Leiden mail, I came across an envelope sent from Japan bearing a date stamp of 8.1.26. You would think that this envelope was postmarked on January 8, 1926. However, that is a wrong assumption, because...
Leiden is the Key City, the City of Discoveries, and the City with the oldest university in the Netherlands. It is therefore inevitable that many remarkable people have lived in Leiden. I will introduce you to 10 of them....
It doesn't happen to me often, but it did this time. I saw this stamp and immediately thought: 'What a beautiful stamp this is. I see a head with hands in front of the face, but despite that, I see a face.' My curiosity was piqued....
This year, Interpol turns 100. In 1973, when Interpol turned 50, this was commemorated philately by 46 member states with the issuance of a commemorative stamp. The Dutch postal service did not participate at the time. I wonder how many Interpol stamps...
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