SINGAPORE.- Embark on an odyssey to relive some of history’s greatest moments and explore rich cultural legacies through the world of philately. This month, Singapore plays host to one of the world’s most high profile philatelic events – the SINGAPORE 2015 World Stamp Exhibition. The exhibition is held every 10 years under the full support and patronage of the Federation lnternationale de Philatelie (FIP) and under the auspices of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP). Singapore Post (SingPost) is the main sponsor of World Stamp Exhibition.

Being held from 14 to 19 August at the Sands Expo® & Convention Centre, visitors can look forward to a rare visual treat of over 2,000 frames of philately items from 450 exhibitors from 66 countries. Key highlights include a Court of Honour with award-winning collections from prominent local and international collectors, exhibits showing the development of Singapore's postal history and stamps over more than 180 years and in celebration of Singapore’s 50th Year of Independence.

Said Mr Richard Tan, Chairman of the SINGAPORE 2015 Executive Committee, “Singapore last hosted the World Stamp Exhibition in 1995 and the inaugural World Stamp Championship in 2004. Gathering the experience of both exhibitions and to commemorate the Nation's Golden Jubilee in 2015, we won the hosting rights of SINGAPORE 2015. We are honoured to have the opportunity to bring home iconic moments and stories of the world, documented through philately, as we celebrate a milestone in Singapore’s progress.”

Mr Woo Keng Leong, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Postal Services of Singapore Post, added, “As the national postal services provider with access to more than 150 years of heritage, we are pleased to be the main sponsor of SINGAPORE 2015 to coincide with Singapore’s SG50 celebrations. We want to play our part in promoting and growing philately in Singapore and around the world. An exhibition of such quality and scale doesn’t come by very often. It also gives SingPost the opportunity to showcase our innovation and creativity to stay relevant as we become more globalized and digitized.”

SINGAPORE 2015 showcases an extensive range of philately exhibits ranging from Traditional Philately, Postal History, Thematic Philately (topics include culture, technology and nature), Maximaphily, Revenue, Aerophilatey, Astrophilately, Youth Philately, Philatelic Literature , Postal Stationery and a recently introduced class of Modern Philately (of the 21st Century).

Philatelic gems from 27 FIP Grand Prix Members, including four prominent Singapore philatelists, are being displayed in the Court of Honour, a section that showcases award-winning exhibits. The estimated value of the items on display in the Court of Honour is over S$10 million.

Highlights of the Court of Honour include an 1854 “Ten Queens in Singapore” cover, Siam First Issue on Cover (an important item of the Siam Classics, and the highest value stamp of the first Siam issue), and archival materials related to the manufacture of Hong Kong’s 1877 16c stamp.

Mauritius “POST OFFICE” Printing Plate
The world famous Mauritius “POST OFFICE” Printing Plate is being displayed in SINGAPORE 2015. The Mauritius “POST OFFICE” stamps are among the world’s rarest stamps, with a "Bordeaux" cover with both the one penny and two pence stamps auctioned for the equivalent of $4 million in 1993. The words "Post Office" appear in the left panel of the stamps printed, but on the following issue in 1848, these words were replaced by "Post Paid." This is the first time in Asia, and the second time in the world, that the printing plate will be exhibited in public.

Rare Philatelic Errors
Stamps in Singapore are printed by well-established international security printers. Often considered a rarity in the philatelic world, a collection of rare philately errors of Singapore stamps is also being showcased at SINGAPORE 2015. The exhibition displays a selection of interesting stamps that marks Singapore as a distinct stamp issuing territory since its first issuance of stamps on 1 September 1948. Visitors can look forward to stamp exhibits such as imperforate stamp proofs of the first and second National Day Issue.

Celebrating 50 years of Singapore’s Independence with Postal Stamps
The exhibition features special collections from the Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) in celebration of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. Titled “Then and Now: Formative Years & 50th Anniversary”, 10 frames of stamp exhibits from the museum collection date from the 1960s and 1970s, and 2013 – 2015. Visitors can look forward to seeing rare philatelic materials such as the Republic’s first stamp, colour proofs of miniature sheets and even the first day cover addressed to the first Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in 1969.

The Special Attractions Gallery curated by SPM is family-friendly and suitable for families and casual collectors. The thematic exhibition, “Celebrating 50 years of Singapore”, tells the story of how stamps were invented and the use of stamps in Singapore from 1854. Visitors are able to find out that stamps depict the heritage and culture of a country.

• General Post Office: Visitors can view a 50-year timeline of key Singapore milestones marked with stamps and learn more about how the postage stamps that we use come about. Other highlights include unusual stamps such as those embedded with beads and embroidery as well as scented stamps.

• Shophouse setting: Learn more about Singapore’s unique heritage, multi-ethnic culture, food and traditional games. Visitors can take part in The Amazing Stamp Trail, ‘get physical’ with original stamp-themed games and do crafts such as making their own stamp badge and Merlion.

Singapore Post, the main sponsor for SINGAPORE 2015, showcases an exclusive collection of iconic Singapore stamps, including Singapore’s first Augmented Reality (AR) stamps, and commemorative stamps for SINGAPORE 2015.