Modica Chocolate Industry - QR code Italy stamp

 Modica Chocolate Industry - QR code stamp

Every stamp tells a story and they are issued for a reason.  Same way, the below stamp also tells a sweet story of the Italian Modica PGI Chocolates.  It was issued on 15th October 2020 by the Italian post.  The value of the stamp is 'B' which is equal to € 1.10.

What makes Modica Chocolate special? Modica Chocolate is mainly made with cocoa butter, naturally present in cocoa beans and sugar mixed in a cold-working process(ingredients are never heated above 45 C). The cold-working process keeps sugar crystals whole in the chocolate bar.  All the beneficial properties of cocoa are kept intact.

Modica chocolate is the first and only PGI chocolate, a mark of origin and protection of typical European Community products.

The stamp has many elements like the antique clock tower of  Modica adjacent to the castle (constructed around 1725 and needs manual winding in an old-fashioned way, but still working), an artisan preparing chocolate, cocoa beans, and Modica chocolate bars. On the top left the trademark of the Protected Geographical Indication and “Cioccolato di Modica”.  But the one that attracted me most is the QR code at the right side top.  Usually, the QR codes take us to the postal website, But my intuition told me to scan the QR code, and surprisingly it took me to the below Youtube site, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awa_uvX57TE

The video shows how Modica chocolate has been made.  I am lucky to get this stamp on the cover as well as in mint condition for my Odd and unusual stamps collection.  

Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkBASEjjw5V/

Centenary of discovery of Insulin - Brazil's 1st 2D barcode stamp

For the centenary of the discovery of Insulin, the Brazilian post has issued a stamp on 27th July 2021. This is the first Brazilian postage stamp with a 2D barcode.  Each stamp has an alphanumeric code, comprised of five letters and four numbers, sequentially generated. Mine is "AAABG7019".  It had a print run of 200,000 stamps. At the time of writing this, Brazil issued another QR code stamp on 8th October for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Oscar Dias Correa.

No Face Value was mentioned on the stamp, but it is meant for 1st class rate for domestic mail and sold at Brazilian Real 2.05 on the day of issue.  Perforation is also special like a few other recent stamps, it was cut to shape with “BR” on both sides.  The Postcrossing stamp also has the BR perforation at the top and at the bottom.

Nice addition to my Odd and Unusual stamp collection.

India's First Miniature Sheet with QR code

In 2015 India Post issued its first Miniature sheet with QR code . This India - France joint issue M/S with a QR code describes how the satellite Megha-Tropiques (2011), Saral-Altika (2013) were launched through the joint efforts of both countries.

If you scan the QR(Quick Response) code you will get the below text message.

"India and France have cooperated in space exploration for fifty years now. The Cooperation is best illustrated by two missions that were developed and operated in partnership: a tropical atmosphere observation satellite, Megha-Tropiques, launched in 2011, and Saral- Altika, an oceanography and localization satellite, launched in 2013. These missions aim to observe climatic phenomena in order to understand the mechanisms and anticipate their consequences on a planetary level."