Miniature Sheets
Malta's first miniature sheet was issued on the 8th of November 1971, featuring the Christmas set. The first stamp that was issued in miniature sheet format only, and not in sheet format, was issued on the 30th January 1980. It was part of the fourth and final issue of the Flemish Tapestries series (1977–1980). Miniature sheets for the FIFA World Cup were issued for each Cup from 1978, with the exception of 2002.
The highest value of a miniature sheet with a single stamp was Lm2/€4.66. It was issued in 2007 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Caravaggio in Malta. On the 30th July 2010 this miniature sheet was overprinted "4TH CENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF CARAVAGGIO 1610-2010" in gold lettering on the margin and with a serial number. This is considered as Malta's rarest miniature sheet, as most were issued in Commemorative Folder No. 3 (of which only 2000 were issued). The remainder of the sheets were sold on first day covers and limited numbers were available at a premium from Castille Square BPO (Valletta), Victoria BPO (Gozo) and the Philatelic Bureau (Marsa). In fact, only 3 examples are known postally used. Both the folders and the sheets were withdrawn one day later, on 1 August. This miniature sheet is now catalgued at €50.
On the 29th December 2009 a new definitive issue featuring periods in Maltese history was issued. All the values were issued in Malta's largest miniature sheet, with a combined face value of €11.42. This was therefore the highest combined face value of a Maltese miniature sheet. On the 23rd May 2011 the miniature sheet was reissued with MaltaPost's new logo in the bottom right-hand corner.
Read more about this topic: Postage Stamps And Postal History Of Malta
Famous quotes containing the words miniature and/or sheets:
“This is a strange little complacent country, in many ways a U.S.A. in miniature but of course nearer the center of disturbance!”
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)
“Why make so much of fragmentary blue
In here and there a bird, or butterfly,
Or flower, or wearing-stone, or open eye,
When heaven presents in sheets the solid hue?”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)