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SINGAPORE: A new collection of stamps with maps of Singapore’s top spots will be released on Tuesday (December 1), the National Library Board (NLB) said on Monday.
The maps, obtained from the collection of rare materials at the National Library, will appear on four stamps.
Each will come in four denominations: 1st Local, S $ 0.70, S $ 0.90 and S $ 1.40, NLB said, adding that they can be purchased at any post office, philatelic stores or online at shop. .singpost.com.
A first-day cover and presentation pack will also be available at S $ 4.90 and S $ 5.70 respectively.
Among the maps is one drawn in 1604 that captures one of the earliest close-up views of Singapore as an island. It represents a “Xabandaria”, or the harbor master’s complex, in the settlement, as well as the Old Strait and the New Strait, which connected the East-West trade routes.
Also featured is a chart dated 1755 by the French hydrographer Jacques-Nicolas Bellin showing the shipping route along the Straits of Melaka and Singapore. The map indicates Singapore’s main sea channels, the OId Strait, the New Strait and the Governor’s Strait, which provided passage for ships traveling between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
“The first maps offer a fascinating window into the history of Singapore,” NLB said in a press release. “Some of these provide material evidence for the existence of Singapore as an important navigation landmark and the place of commerce at the sea crossing of East and West, long before the arrival of the British in 1819.”
The maps also record the various indigenous names of ancient Singapore, such as Temasek (“city of the sea”) and Pulau Panjang (“long island”), as “part of our heritage that lives on today,” the board added.
“These maps document Singapore’s early maritime roots, which in turn provide an anchor for our understanding of modern Singapore’s development as a global shipping and trade hub,” said NLB.
