Maltapost has decided to withdraw the Christmas surcharge on the Yuletide stamps set after over 30 years.
When it was first introduced in 1969, around Lm10,000 a year used to be collected, on stamps having a face value of just pennies. People would buy the surcharged stamps purposely, knowing the surcharge was going to charity.
However, a spokesman for Maltapost said that the amounts had now dwindled, and only Lm3,000 was collected last year, which will be distributed in the near future.
"With effect from this year's Christmas issue, the surcharge normally associated with the Christmas stamps is no longer being applied. Collection boxes are being placed instead in all Maltapost branches in Malta and Gozo over the Christmas period, and it is sincerely hoped that the public will respond by showing their usual generosity," Maltapost said in a statement.
Maltapost is tomorrow issuing the stamps set which would have carried the surcharge. This year's is an attractive set of five Christmas stamps featuring the story of the birth of Jesus set in a Maltese ambiance.
"This delightful and colourful set, which has been designed by the very talented Maltese artist Debbie Caruana Dingli, is expected to be much sought after by local and foreign philatelists," Maltapost said.
The five values for this year's Christmas issue are 7c, 16c, 22c, 37c and 75c. The stamps have been offset printed in Germany by Bundesdruckerei GmbH. The withdrawal date for this set is April 12, 2003.
In her Christmas stamp design, Debbie Caruana Dingli depicts the characters of a Christmas pageant being transported from one part of the island to another, in the rather quaint modes of transport, which are easily recognisable to visitors and friends of the islands.
The donkey and cart, or karrettun, as seen on the 7c stamp, are carrying a pregnant Mary, who is shown with Joseph, while the bright yellow and orange bus depicted on the 16c stamp is driven by a shepherd and is carrying the Holy Family and three kings, while an angel follows.
The Holy Family also feature in a traditional luzzu or fishing boat (22c stamp). This time they are surrounded by a bevy of angels, a group of schoolgirls having fun. In the 37c stamp, the Holy Family are in a karrozzin being driven by a local farmer, gabillott, and watched by shepherds.
The 75c stamp is the grand finale. It depicts the old Gozo to Malta ferry, known as the Dghajsa tal-Latini, with the whole cast of the pageant complete with a borrowed donkey, a cow and a camel.
Those interested in acquiring a set of these stamps for their collection, should contact Maltapost's philatelic bureau, e-mail philately@maltapost.com, tel. 21 239153.