I refer to the letter by R. B. Blanche headlined 'Gold stamps nothing more than a gimmick' (South China Morning Post, September 5).
Mr Blanche said the gold- and silver-foil stamp sheetlets issued by Hongkong Post could not be classified as postage stamps because the purchaser was paying for the gold and not for the postal service supposedly represented by the stamps.
Gold-foil stamps can be used for postal purposes. Hongkong Post issued the first gold-foil stamp to celebrate the millennium on January 1, 2000. Another gold- and silver-foil stamp sheetlet was issued in February this year to commemorate the opening of the Hong Kong 2001 Stamp Exhibition.
Both products were well received by the general public, as well as by philatelists. Apart from keeping the mint stamps for collection, there were customers who used gold- and silver-foil stamps for sending out registered mail and parcels. These stamps were issued at their face value. Additional production costs were borne by Hongkong Post.
We agree with Mr Blanche that we must preserve Hong Kong's philatelic reputation. However, we cannot agree with him that Hongkong Post failed to understand the basic principles of philatelic conduct. Innovations in stamp design and printing have enhanced the image of Hong Kong's stamp products with local and international collectors.
ROY SIU KWONG-FAI