Hummel Postage Stamps

       I found, quite by accident, there are a number of countries honoring the M.I. Hummel figurines by placing them on postage stamps. The following stamps and a representative First Day Cover are what I was able to locate online. These are illustrated in alphabetical order by their representative country. Information on the individual countries was found in The Hummel First Day Cover Collection book published by the Postal Commemorative Society. Collecting these stamps and First Day Covers can be a lot of fun and challenging as well. See if you can find stamps from other countries.

This page was updated on 23 January 2021.

Antigua & Barbuda Issued January 6, 1993       The drawings of Maria Innocentia Hummel depicted here are of The Mountaineer, Just Resting, The Flower Vendor, The Globetrotter, Good Hunting, Homeward Bound, Happy John and Crossroads. Small towns such as Sießen, where Sister Hummel lived and worked in a Franciscan convent, dot the countryside of southern Germany. It is easy for the people of Antigua & Barbuda to relate to that lifestyle, since most of them also live in rural villages. The islands’ only large settlement is St. John’s, the national capital on the island of Antigua, which has a population of about 27,000.

Cambodge / Kampuchea Issued December 25, 1993     The drawings of Maria Innocentia Hummel depicted here are of Doll Mother, Prayer Before Battle, Ring Around the Rosie, Doll Bath, Adventure Bound, Volunteers, Pleasant Journey, and Kiss Me. The traditional lifestyle of Cambodians centers around the family, with several generations often living together in the same village. Most people are descended from Khmer tribesmen who migrated from China thousands of years ago. The live simply. A typical village house has a thatch roof. It is usually built on stilts to keep it dry during the floods that occur during the rainy season.

Commonwealth of Dominica Issued November 2, 1992     The drawings of Maria Innocentia Hummel depicted here are of Christmas Tree Bearer, Angel/Horn, Light of the World, Festival Harmony/Mandolin, Heavenly Angel, Watchful Angel, Celestial Musician, and Festival Harmony/Flute. Dominica’s rich soil and semi-tropical climate bring forth an abundance of springtime flora. Along with a variety of gorgeous flowers, there are commercially important banana, lime, coconut, and timber trees. The thick forest regions are also home to numerous birds, insects, reptiles, and small animals, and the surrounding sea is filled with fish.

The Gambia Issued November 4, 1991     The drawings of M.I. Hummel depicted here are Max and Moritz, Coquettes, Hansel And Gretel,Vacation Time, Telling Her Secret, Bye-Bye, The Well-Wishers (Girls), and Sunny Weather. Fruit trees are maintained by farmers in Gambia, a nation in which both men and women engage in cultivation. Women grow rice, cereal grains, and subsistence crops such as lentile, cassava, yams, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and okra. The men, who typically tend larger plots, grow sorghum, millet and peanuts.

Ghana Issued 1994, Easter     The drawings of M.I. Hummel depicted here are The Runaway, Bashful, Playmates, Easter Playmates, Chick Girl, Favorite Pet, Farewell, and Easter Basket. Ghana’s meadowy region is a vast savanna that covers about two thirds of the country, but is is only sparsely settled. Rainfall is low, leading to a harsh environment. The vegetation consists mainly of tall Guinea grass and scatterings of low trees, such as the shea butter tree. But even here, splashes of color appear in the form of various species of flowering acasia trees.

Grenada Grenadines Issued March 1, 1991     The drawings depict Bearing Christmas Gifts, Angelic Care, Angel Duet, Star Bethlehem, Good Shepherd, Guiding Light, and Heavenly Lullaby. The Roman Catholic church to which Sister Hummel belonged is also the dominant religion in Grenada-Grenadines. It was introduced by the French settlers who arrived in the mid-17th century. Today, about 64% of the people are Roman Catholics.

Guyana Issued 5 May 1994      The drawings of M.I. Hummel depicted here are My Wish is Small, The Baker, I Like You (Girl), The Birthday Gifts, I Like You (Boy), Angel and Birds, Follow the Leader, and Begging His Share. Guyana is a nation rich in natural beauty. Its extraordinary variety of magnificent flora and fauna ranges from the towering trees of the rain forest, which covers more than 70% of the land, to an abundance of exotic fauna. Indigenous bird life along coastal areas, for example, includes the vulture, kiskadee, hummingbird, kingfisher, and scarlet ibis. Farther inland, in the forests and savannas, one finds the macaw, tinamou, bellbird, and cock-of-the-rock.

Maldives Issued July 25, 1991     The drawings of M.I. Hummel depicted here are of the Little Scholar, School Girls, O Dearest Infant Jesus, The Book Worm, Little Bookkeeper, Easy Letters, Little Brother’s Lesson, School Girl, and School Boys. The climate in Maldives is hot and humid throughout most of the year. A stark difference from that of Germany is the topography of the land. The 2,000 islands in the Indian Ocean that make up Maldives are low-lying, averaging only about six feet above sea level. The nations highest point is an elevation of 80 feet on Wilingili Island which, along with Male and Huele, is one of the largest and most important islands in the country.

Nevis Issued April 6, 1994 The drawings of M.I. Hummel depicted here are For Father, Umbrella Girl, Have the Sun in Your Heart, March Winds, Apple Tree Girl, Winter Fun, Apple Tree Boy and Blue Bell. The Caribbean island of Nevis has a sunny and pleasant climate throughout the year. Temperatures vary from 62 to 92F, and are tempered by cool breezes. However, there is also a wet season in late summer and fall, with an average annual rainfall of nearly 48 inches.

St. Vincent Issued December 30, 1990     The Hummel drawings are The Postman, The Photographer, Little Pharmacist, Chimney Sweep, Little Boots, The Artist, The Waiter, and The Boss (Hello). The nation of St. Vincent encompasses a main island and about 100 small islets of the Grenadine chain, the most important of which are Bequia, Canouan, Mustique, and Union. The total combined land area is 150 square miles, or about twice the size of Washington, D.C. The population of about 131,000 is mostly of African descent.

Tanzania Issued February 10, 1994 The drawings of Maria Innocentia Hummel depicted here are of The Tuba Player, The Strummers, Let’s Sing, Silent Night Holy Night, Little Cellist, Serenade, Girls Ensemble, His Happy Pastime, Out of Tune, Quartet, Happiness, and Boy on a Fence. Music is deeply ingrained in Tanzania’s culture. In rural areas, rhythmic music and dancing are part of every festival and celebration. Local craftsmen carve the different instruments, the most important of which are the drums.

Uganda Issued – 1992 The drawings of M.I. Hummel depicted in these stamps are listed as Washday, Her Happy Pastime, The Little Sweeper, Big Housecleaning, The Little Tailor, Town Crier, Mother’s Helper, and The Stargazer.     Uganda has mountainous regions that are located near the country’s east and west borders. The western Virunga Mountains rise to 13,541 feet at Mount Muhavura. Farther north, at Margherita Peak, the Ruwenzori Range rises to 16,763 feet. The peaks of these mountains are capped by snow and glaciers, and are often hidden by clouds.

Good luck with your new style of collecting Hummel figurines. This page will be updated as more information is located on this topic.

References

Freestampcatalogue.com (2019). Stamps from Grenada Grenadines. Retrieved 25 September 2019 from https://www.freestampcatalogue.com/stamps/country/grenada-grenadines/page/17.

Postal Commemorative Society. (1991). The Hummel First Day Cover Collection.

PostBeeld. (2019). You have searched for: hummel. Retrieved 24 September 2019 from http://postbeeld.com/search?q=hummel.

StampWorld.com. (2019). Hummel Figurines 1990. Retrieved 25 September 2019 from https://www.stampworld.com/stamps/.