India and São Tomé stamps honouring Dr Kalam

In 2015, India Post released a ₹5 stamp to honour our former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. The moment I saw it, I ordered a full sheet for my collection and had it framed. It now hangs proudly on the wall of my workroom at home, alongside other treasured stamps I’ve gathered over the years.

Earlier this year, a friend mentioned having a stamp issued by an African country in honour of Dr Kalam. That caught my attention. I went looking online, but couldn’t find anything concrete. Eventually, the friend shared a picture—turns out, it was from São Tomé and Príncipe, a tiny island nation in the Gulf of Guinea and a former Portuguese colony.

Curious, I read up more and found that India and São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) have had diplomatic ties for many years, and there’s even a small Indian community living there. Back in 2009, as a mark of goodwill, STP had issued a set of commemorative stamps. The set featured four great Indians—Mahatma Gandhi, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, and Rakesh Sharma. After seeing the images, I wanted the stamps for my collection.

I checked the official websites of São Tomé and Príncipe, but no luck there. Finally, I stumbled upon a listing on eBay USA. A seller was offering the full sheet for US$11.43, including shipping to India. The set also included a commemorative sheet with stamps of former ISRO Chairmen, Mr G Madhavan Nair and Mr K Kasturirangan. I placed the order right away.

After five weeks, the packet arrived—neatly sealed, from Lithuania of all places—and the stamps were in perfect condition. While I can’t confirm their authenticity since they weren’t bought from an official government source, I’m quite pleased. It’s another meaningful addition to my collection, and to have stamps honouring Mahatma Gandhi and legends from the Indian space programme was an unexpected and welcome bonus.

Disclosure: I write reviews about products that I have bought for my usage and paid in full. There were no sponsorship or advertisement, or commission of any sort involved in this post.

The stamps you see on my gallery wall at home are not just collectables—they are conversation starters for anyone visiting my den. I’ve transformed one of the walls into a display of stamps, currencies, and memorabilia that I’ve collected over the years. Instead of being tucked away in albums, they are now part of the room. Some of my recent additions include:

• Indians in the First World War – India Post
• Model of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple – India Post
• Mahabharat Epic – India Post
• Constitution of India – India Post
• Art of Living with COVID-19 – India Post
• Salute to COVID-19 Warriors – India Post
• 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi – India Post
• Vulnerable Birds of India – India Post
• Commemorating all Star Trek Captains – Canada Post

Each piece has its own story, and now, thanks to this latest find, Dr Kalam and India’s space pioneers have joined them.