Laos Stamp Engravers

@LaoPhil, yes, I saw those! Beautiful! It's all too easy to get carried away collecting proofs which is why I strictly focus on one artist.

On a different note, I have to say that the 1971 mythology series you posted earlier was always one of my favorite Laos sets. Love the FDC you showed!

Many thanks, Nils. One of my main thematic collections is "Mythologies of the World" and I too love the 1971 set, its great designs and engravings and the subject it shows.

1st anniversary of the Vientiane Peace Treaty Implement - 1975
Designer: Chamnane Prisayane, Engraver: Eugène Lacaque

From the early 50's to 1975, the Kingdom of Laos was involved in the second Indochina war, experienced political instability and civil war state between the Laotian Royal government and the communist movement Pathet Lao.

On February 21, 1973, a peace treaty between the Royal government and the Communist Pathet Lao movement was signed in Vientiane. The Vientiane peace treaty was corollary to the Paris Peace Accords which had ended USA involvement in the Vietnam War. A new coalition government was to be created. Indeed, the Provisional Government of National Unity was formed on April 5, 1974. However, as in South Vietnam, the agreement collapsed and cease fire was not observed. The Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese refused, again, to stop military activities and to assemble the Pathet Lao control zones into the Kingdom of Laos.

To commemorate the first anniversary of the Vientiane peace treaty implement, the Kingdom of Laos issued these set of stamps shows King Savang Vatthana, Prince Souvanna Phouma, the neutralist Royal Prime minister and Prince Souphanouvong, the head of the Pathet Lao – All three persons that established the short lived Provisional Government of National Unity.




Note: a gold-embossed (not engraved) SS with same design was issued together with the set of stamps.

Lunar Year of the Rabbit - 1975
Designer: Chamnane Prisayane, Engravers: Jacky Larrivière (400), Guedron (401), Claude Jumelet (402)

The Chinese Zodiac is a twelve years cycle. Each year is named after one of the original twelve animals, each has a different personality and characteristics. The animals are believed to be the main factor in each person's life that gives them their traits, success and happiness in their life time. Year 1975 is the Year of the Rabbit.

According to the Lao faith, the year of which a man was born has a special importance on a man life and destiny. This destiny can be predicted by a fortune teller that uses an astrological map as is shown in the following stamps issued as se-tenant.



A procession honoring the guardian divinities of the New Year is held in Boun Pi Mai. As part of it, girls are riding on animals symbolizing the years. The stamp depicting girls riding on a Tiger and a Rabbit, former and New Year's animals. The girl is holding a flag with a caption "Pi Thor 1975" ("Year of the Rabbit 1975").

Wow, that's an insane level of detail on the 40K. I wonder how many topical collectors overlooked this issue for their check-lists (things like snakes or tigers)?

International Woman's Year - 1975
Designer: Thao Tuan, Engravers: Guedron (100K.) and Jacky Larrivière (200K.)

UNESCO Campaign for Borobudur Monument Preservation - 1975
Designer: Thao Thuan, Engraver: Jean Pheulpin

Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in central Java, Indonesia, featuring relief panels, Buddha statues, and a central dome surrounded by stupas. Abandoned after the 14th-century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms, it was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles. Restored between 1975 and 1982, Borobudur is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major pilgrimage destination.

The above set I just posted, "UNESCO Campaign for Borobudur Monument Preservation", is the last one issued by the Kingdom of Laos. On December 2, 1975, the last King of Laos, Savang Vatthana, surrendered the throne to the Pathet Lao, a Lao anti-Royal guerrilla force, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) was established. From December 2, 1976 until today, stamps issue by Laos bear the new name of the country "Lao PDR".

Since no engraved stamps were issued by Lao PDR, the above set is the last engraved set of stamps issued by Laos. From now, I will post in this thread new items I will add to my collection like proofs, assays, color assays etc. Please, feel free to add your engraved Lao stamps, covers and different items.

LaoPhil, do you collect Lao PDR or do you stop at 1975? There's quite a difference in the stamps before-and-after.

There are a few Lao PDR stamps with prehistoric themes that I collect on FDC myself, mostly not too hard to find except for one or two souvenir sheets that aren't listed in Scott for some reason and seem to be rather scarce.

Nils, yes, I collect Lao PDR and my collection is almost 100% complete up to year 2010, missing very few stamps. you right the stamps are different dramatically from the Kingdom stamps especially the 1980-1998 stamps which designed and printed in Cuba in a very low quality.

I know the prehistoric stamps of Lao PDR but never heard about souvenir sheets. Michel catalogue, which considered liberal and less conservative catalogue than Scott, doesn't list any souvenir sheets. If you have photos of them you can post in the "paleontology and archaeology" thread and I will check.