This is the inaugural stamp issued by the Royal Mail Service immediately
following the declaration of independence last year. The design was suggested
by His Royal Majesty, and contains the symbol of royal authority (a gold
crown overlaid by a sword) on the Kingdom's traditional black and red
colors. First issued on June 10, 1362, at the price of 15 Orb'als
per stamp. Good for use on any letters or postcards mailed within the
Kingdom.
The second stamp issued by the Royal Mail Service was this one, known as
the "Flag Stamp." The design was suggested by the Eastern Zartanian
Vexillological Institute (VITZ) as being reminiscent of the Eastern
Zartanian national flag, and therefore could be used to help draw the
people of the Kingdom closer together in support of their government. The
stamp was first issued on June 21, 1362, at the domestic mail price of
15 Orb'als per stamp. Sales through the first two months, though,
were not promising, so the stamp has been removed from regular sales.
There are still hundreds of thousands of sheets of this stamp still unsold,
so buy now if you are interested.
In August of 1362, a third stamp was issued by the Royal Mail Service for
domestic use to make up for the low sales of the "Flag Stamp." This stamp
is the first in the planned series of art stamps featuring artworks by
prominent Eastern Zartanian artists. The artist chosen to be on the first
stamp in the series was Kelly Briana, a royally acclaimed and renowned
artist whose artworks grace the Ministry of Foreign Relations Building in
Imperial City and several of the Kingdom's overseas diplomatic missions
thanks to her current engagement to Foreign Minister Randall Young. The
artwork featured on the stamp is Miss Briana's latest, entitled "Lighthouse."
The stamp went on sale on August 17, 1362, and has been an instant
success. More stamps in the series are planned for this year.
[The artwork shown on the above stamp really was done by my
fiancee. She drew it one afternoon using the MS Paint program on my computer.
If you'd like to see the original, click
here!!]
Shortly after the founding of the Department of the Royal Mail Service it
was decided that mail being sent to contiguous states (those bordering the
Kingdom of Eastern Zartania) would be given a discounted rate from the
usual foreign mail. The first of the "Contiguous Stamps" to be printed was
this one shown here. The design was suggested by Melissa Rust, Deputy Foreign
Minister. There is no real significance to the yellow background. The design
in the upper left corner is a display of the national symbols of Eastern
Zartania, Whitlam, and Northern Gronk. Issued on July 7, 1362, for a price
of 3 jah-dir, the first of the Contiguous Stamps was a great success,
and the first of an expected bananza for the Royal Mail Service.
On September 26, 1362, the Royal Mail Service issued its first stamp for
mail being sent to states on the Old Continent other than the contiguous
ones. The design is a rather simplistic one, with a white map of the Old
Continent shown on a black background. Future designs for this stamp are
being kept under wraps, and it is unsure at this point when a new stamp
design might be forthcoming. This stamp can be purchased for 4 jah-dir
2 pieces.
The Royal Mail Service has issued a special stamp for mail being sent to
overseas states. The design, suggested by commander-in-chief of the air
force Commander-General Nikolas Vogle, has a light blue background,
indicating the sky in which the mail will be travelling. On the background
is a white falcon flying toward a gold globe, symbolic of the Royal Mail
Service's commitment to deliver the mail anywhere in the world with speed
and efficiency. First issued on June 30, 1362, at the price of 1 Crown,
the Royal Mail Service has said that it's not planning on issuing a new
one for several years.