Stamp of approval

Even in the age of email, we need not be too nervous about the future of philately

Stamps are part of the past and present with several new ones being issued by Emirates Post. Reem Mohammed / The National

The letter seemed to be less popular long before the internet, instant messenger and SMS. Remember the fax machine? It was fast and seemed the perfect way to speed up office communications across countries and continents. But fax was nothing like email, which has all but rendered the letter obsolete. Even so, stamps are still being designed and issued around the world. And they are often startlingly original and collectable.

Emirates Post, for example, released four stamps that commemorated the heritage of Arabic coffee. As The National has reported, one design featured fresh beans being roasted and gave off a coffee aroma when gently rubbed. Bhutan has had a history of issuing unusual stamps – 3-D, silken and scented or on CD-ROM. And Burkina Faso has an Elvis stamp and Chad has Marilyn Monroe. Research papers have been written to explain why countries issue such stamps, but basically the point of them nowadays is not to be on a letter