Åland, that issued a series of 4 motorcycle stamps in a booklet in 2018, has now issued a large size book containing all stamp issues from 2018 and 2019. The book is called "Berätter", which means as much as "Stories".
In the book the stories behind the stamps, both from the designers and from the owners of the depicted objects, who tell their histories.

On the cover of the book an image of a motorcyclist on an Indian, recognisable by the cables on the handlebars. He is also wearing a jacket carrying the text "Indian Springfield Massachusetts", the place where the manufacturing of the redskin motorcycles started in 1901.

Of course also the background stories of our motorcycle stamps and their histories are in the book. All stories have been included in the book in 3 languages: Swedish, Finnish and German.
When you are interested in the book you can order it for the sum of € 95, but for this money you receive all the stamps issued in these 2 years, with a value of € 87, delivered with the book. And temporarily as extra the complete annual issue from 2014.

Disappeared mudguard

In 2010 the theme of the Europe stamps was: children's book illustrations. For this reason the Bulgarian post issued a set of stamps with images from national tales, written by Angel Karaleijchev, Walery Petrov and Leda Milewa. The motorcycle riding fox with his sidecar combination and family is on the cover of "том 2 - Изгубеното хвърчило" or in other words: "Part 2: the lost kite".

Relevant for us are the block and the stamp booklet that has been issued, because the motorcycle is depicted on them. On the stamps in the block is just a small part of the front mudguard of the motorcycle. But also a sheet has been issued and there are sheets with the stamp in the booklet. I noticed that on these stamps the mudguard from the motorcycle is missing:

The stamp from the booklet - without mudguard

The stamp from the block - with mudguard

You would expect that the stamps from the complete issue should be all the same, but not in this case. Also the renowned catalogues don't mention this deviation. Missed?

The electric bicycle, or "elektrofahrrad" as our German neighbours say, as depicted on one of the stamps in the 4-stamp block from Guinee-Bissau is one from the Deutsche Post. The brand name is Streetscooter. The factory is located in Aken and makes various electric vehicles. It is a subsidiary company from Deutsche Post. Interesting!
In December 2014 the Post bought the factory, started in 2010 by A. Kampker and G. Schuh and settled in the halls of Talbot, and started with the development of electric short-distance vehicles. One of the products is the delivery car Work, of which in the meantime around 20.000 are in use by the Post, DHL, various banks and other companies. Nice detail is that the factory applies itself to printing of parts were possible.
The Streetscooter bicycle carries the name Pedelecs and is available in various types, as 2-, 3- and 4-wheeler. The electric support only works when the driver is pedalling himself. Meanwhile several thousands of these are riding along in Germany.

Hans de Kloet

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