New Issues 2020: Singapore (Year of the Rat)

08 January 2020

Zodiac Series – Year of the Rat

Specifications
Date of Issue: 8 January 2020
Denominations: 1st Local, $1.40
Stamp Size: 37.5mm x 26mm
1st Local Self-adhesive Stamp Booklet Size: 90mm x 68mm (close)
Collector’s Sheet with $10 stamp: 120mm x 120mm
Perforation: 14.40 x 14.615 (1st Local & $1.40)
Paper: Unwatermarked
Printing Process: Offset Lithography (Stamps)
Offset Lithography with laser die-cut and gold hot stamping (Collectors’ Sheet)
Printers: Southern Colour Print (Stamps)
Cartor Security Printing (Collector’s Sheet)
Sheet Content: 10 stamps per gummed-back
Designers: Andy Koh (Collector’s sheet)
Lim An-ling (Stamps)

DESCRIPTION
There are a total of 12 animal signs in the Chinese calendar based on five cycles of 12 years each, with each cycle tempered by one of the five Chinese elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. According to Chinese astrology and belief, the traits of these zodiac animals not only shape the personalities of people born under the respective sign but also their lives and the events of the year. Apart from the Rat, the other Chinese zodiac animals are the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

The creative, amiable and cheerful Rat, first in the Zodiac Cycle starts off yet another New Year on the Chinese zodiac calendar in 2020. Two graphical illustrations of this cheerful Rat ushering in the new Lunar Year 2020 are shown in this set of stamps of 1st Local and $1.40.