Reagan on Forever Stamps

In Simi Valley, California, the United States Postal Service (USPS) released on February 10, 2011 the Ronald Reagan (Forever®) commemorative stamp. Valued at 44-cents, the stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland.

The issuance of the stamp marks the centennial of the birth of Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), who was America's 40th President. The stamp issuance is among a number of centennial events that will take place in the United States this year to commemorate Reagan's life and legacy.

The stamp art by Bart Forbes, Plano, Texas, was created in oil wash on board and was based on a photograph of Reagan taken in 1985 during his presidency, at "Rancho del Cielo" (Ranch in the Sky), near Santa Barbara, California.

A Visit to a Fellow Stamp Collector

It is a rare occasion to get invited to a house of a stamp collector and see all his beautiful collections. Yesterday was one of those times.

Together with Edmund Gruenbaum, Cebu Stamp Club's official representative to Germany and Europe, we went to Cebu Stamp Club Board of Trustee Eyan Yu's house in Talamban, Cebu City to see his treasures.

Eyan Yu gave us an extra-ordinary treat to view his various collections of stamps, coins, die cast cars, model airplanes and choppers.

It was a very interactive morning as he talked about his collections, how he acquired them and what his expensive collections are.

A few hours after the interesting conversations on stamps and coins, it was time for us to leave. Of course, we didn't go home empty handed. Eyan gave me some U.S. stamps to add to my American Presidents on stamps collection. He also gave both of us a copy of the Kenmore Collectors Catalog 2009 Edition.

Photo #1 shows me with Edmund Gruenbaum at Eyan Yu's house, while photo #2 features Edmund and Eyan Yu.