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The Flying Dutchman The legend of the Flying Dutchman is about a ship that was doomed to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa forever. This was the punishment for the captain of it, who was so deep in thought that he failed to notice the dark clouds looming and only when he heard the lookout scream out in terror, did he realize that they had sailed straight into a fierce storm. Even today whenever a storm brews off the Cape of Good Hope, if you look into the eye of the storm, you will be able to see the ship and it's captain - The Flying Dutchman. Don't look too carefully, for the old folk claim that whoever sights the ship will die a terrible death. (After: http://ms.essortment.com/dutchmanflying_rrqy.htm)
Back to our stamps, did you know that Sierra Leone, a small country located on the West coast of Africa, counting about 3.5 millions inhabitants, is one of the most prolific issuer of stamps? Consider that between 1980 and 1997 Sierra Leone issued about 1700 stamps, which means about 100 stamps yearly. Deeply impressed by this love for philately, the SNA Postal Administration has decided to propose a joint issue with Sierra Leone, a country with an even more interesting issuing policy. The subject of the joint stamps is one that makes beat faster the hearts of all inhabitants of both countries: The Flying Dutchman. There are also the waves of the initial Sierra Leone stamp (issued Dec. 12, 1966, Sc. 1966), that resemble so much the sandy deserts, dear to the SNA population, that inclined the balance in the favor of the above design. The dire captain of the desert on the SNA stamp is, obviously, the national symbol of the SNA, the fennec.
The sheet was issued simultaneously in Ciudad de Leon, the capital of SNA, and Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on 21st of February 2003. The print run is of only 1 million sheets, all numbered. Above you can admire the original Sierra Leone stamp and its SNA version (not deliverable separately, only in sheet of two, at the low price of €$1.20). The old folk claim that whoever sights for a too long time the above sheet will, sooner or later, loose his passion for philately. Credits: SNA Postmaster General Blair Stannard, who mentioned the SL stamp on the RCSD newsgroup.
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