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13 August 2003
Special Stamp Issue - Heartwarming Special Stamps

The Postmaster General, Mr. Allan CHIANG, announced today (13 August 2003) that a set of special stamps on Heartwarming which comes in two distinctive designs that colourfully reflect care and thoughtfulness will be issued on 10 September 2003 (Wednesday). The combined themes of the two stamps - "Care and Love" and "Celebrations" - generate a happy congratulatory message, making the stamps suitable for special moments and commemorative celebrations.

The "Care and Love" stamp depicts a growing tree with heart-shaped blossoms in warm and happy colours. It conveys the sender's heartfelt wishes, and delivers a message of caring and sharing on momentous occasions such as weddings, new births, anniversaries, etc. The "Celebrations" stamp features festive icons such as champagne and sparkles in bright colours, and conveys excitement and happiness and may be used to commemorate occasions such as graduations, new jobs, birthdays, etc. Indeed, both stamps have universal appeal and are applicable to different types of memorable events.

This is the first set of Hong Kong stamps without a value indicator and printed with "Local Mail Postage" or "Air Mail Postage" instead. The "Local Mail Postage" stamps, priced at HK$1.40 each, may be used for sending mail items weighing not more than 30g to local addresses in Hong Kong; whereas the "Air Mail Postage" stamps, priced at HK$3 each, may be used for sending mail items weighing not over 20g by airmail to addresses outside Hong Kong.

The unit selling price of each stamp is as follows:

1. Care and Love (Local Mail Postage) - $1.40
   
2. Care and Love (Air Mail Postage) - $3.00
   
3. Celebrations (Local Mail Postage) - $1.40
   
4. Celebrations (Air Mail Postage) - $3.00

The stamps are designed by Mr. Arde LAM and printed in Stochastic Lithography by Joh. Enschede Stamps Security Printers B.V., the Netherlands.

Associated Philatelic Products

Information about associated philatelic products of this issue and the sales restriction starting from 10 September 2003 is as follows:

Products	Unit Selling Price	Sales Restrictions Per Customer
Mint Stamps (4 units)	Local Mail Postage (2 designs @$1.40), Air Mail Postage (2 designs @$3.00)	10 sheets of stamps of each design (viz. 250 sets of stamps)
Mini-pane (with 4 sets of stamps and reprinted designed tabs)	$35.20	5 panes
Presentation Pack (with full set of stamps)	$18.00	5 packs
Serviced First Day Cover (with full set of stamps cancelled by special postmark, only available at 39 philatelic offices on September 10, 2003)	$12.30	5 covers

The stamps will be displayed at the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office and Shatin Central Post Office from August 20, 2003. Official First Day Covers at $1.00 each will be put on sale at all post offices on the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided souvenir covers will be accepted at all post offices from August 20 to 26, 2003.

Hand-back service will be provided at all post offices on September 10 for official and privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. A special postmark will also be introduced.

The GPO-1 postmark, the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmarks will also be available for hand-back service at all philatelic offices on that day.

All post offices will observe normal weekday hours on September 10. In addition, the public hall of the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau will be open from 9am to 5pm for datestamping covers with the "Philatelic Bureau" pictorial postmark, the GPO-1 postmark and the special postmark.

Launch of "Heartwarming Stamps Customised Service

A "Heartwarming Stamps Customised Service" is introduced on the same issue date to allow senders to add a warm and unique touch by printing a photographic portrait on the stamp tabs next to the 16 stamps and on the banner position in the middle of the stamp pane. The service will be available until further notice.

Stamp Design

* Five different designs of stamp panes (A-E as shown in the table below) are available for ordering by the customers.
* Each stamp pane contains 16 no-value-indicator stamps printed with "Local Mail Postage" or "Air Mail Postage" indication.

Image Capturing

* Photo, image, message or company logo can be printed on the tab next to each stamp and on the banner position in the middle of the stamp pane.
* A maximum of 17 different images can be printed on each stamp pane of the same design per order.

Minimum Order Quantity

* 50 panes for each design of the stamp pane; the positions of the images on the stamp pane for each order must be the same.

Pricing

* The prices indicated below include face value of all stamps per pane, production cost and delivery charge.

Detailed information on this customised service is as below:

Product	Price
Design A Stamp pane with 16 stamps of Care and Love, Local Mail Postage (face value of $1.40 x 16 = $22.40 / pane)	$50.00 / pane
Design B Stamp pane with 16 stamps of Celebrations, Local Mail Postage (face value of $1.40 x 16 = $22.40 / pane)	$50.00 / pane
Design C Stamp pane with 16 stamps of Care and Love, Air Mail Postage (face value of $3.00 x 16 = $48.00 / pane)	$90.00 / pane
Design D Stamp pane with 16 stamps of Celebrations, Air Mail Postage (face value of $3.00 x 16 = $48.00 / pane)	$90.00 / pane
Design E Stamp pane with 8 stamps of each of Care and Love, and Celebrations, Local Mail Postage (face value of $1.40 x 16 = $22.40 / pane)	$50.00 / pane

Order forms for this service will be available at all branch offices by September 10. For enquiries, please call the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau hotline at 2785-5711.

The enclosed photograph shows the specimen impression of the special postmark to be issued on 10 September 2003 on the theme "Heartwarming".

The enclosed photograph shows the mini-pane to be issued on 10 September 2003 on the theme "Heartwarming".

The enclosed photograph shows the special stamps to be issued on 10 September 2003 on the theme "Heartwarming".