Postcard from Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast is a sovereign state located in West Africa. Ivory Coast's political capital is Yamoussoukro, and its economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan. Its bordering countries are Guinea and Liberia in the west, Burkina Faso and Mali in the north, and Ghana in the east. The Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) is located south of Ivory Coast.

Stamp on postcard is from set 8th Francophone Games, Abidjan 2017, issued on 21.07.2017.


Thank you Taouvik!

USA: Calligraphy pens

We received nice postcard with calligraphy pens from USA. Calligraphy is a visual art related to writing, an ancient writing technique using flat edged pens to create artistic lettering using thick and thin lines depending on the direction of the stroke.

Stamps on postcard:
WPA Posters (from set of ten), issued on 07.03.2017.
Flowers from the Garden (from set of four), issued on 16.08.2017.
Have a Ball (from set of eight), issued on 14.06.2017.


Thank you Charlotte!

Austria: Christmas cover from Christkindl

I received a cover from Austria with special cancellation from Christkindl. Christkindl is a district of the Upper Austrian town of Steyr with a pilgrimage church of the same name and a well-known special post office. The place has gained international fame since 1950 when the Austrian Post set up the special post office Christkindl. This post office is opened each year between the first Sunday of Advent  and January 6th and provides the letters that are sent with a special cancellation. Every year about 2 million shipments receive this special cancellation. Stamp on cover is Christmas 2017: Advent calendar, issued on 17.11.2017.

Inside cover was this nice Christmas maxicard from Liechtenstein, issued as a set of four stamps on 12.11.2017.


Thank you Wolfgang!

UN Vienna: Vienna International Centre

After cover from UN Vienna, i also received postcard from UN Vienna, also from Numiphil 2017. The Vienna International Centre (VIC) is the campus and building complex hosting the United Nations Office at Vienna. It is colloquially also known as UNO City. The VIC, designed by Austrian architect Johann Staber, was built between 1973 and 1979 just north of the river Danube. The initial idea of setting up an international organization in Vienna came from the Chancellor of Austria Dr. Bruno Kreisky. Six Y-shaped office towers surround a cylindrical conference building for a total floor area of 230,000 square metres. The highest tower stands 127 metres tall, enclosing 28 floors.

Stamp on postcard is from set UNESCO World Heritage - Taj Mahal, India, issued on 11.07.2014. You can also see beautiful postmark from Numiphil 2017. This stamp is printed with gold foil. You can see it better from different angle on picture bellow.

Thank you Wolfgang!

Mongolia: Demchig Monastery

The Demchig Monastery is one of the three monasteries called Galbiyn Three Monasteries, built by Danzanravjaa, the Saint Lord of Gobi. It was destroyed during the Stalinist purges, in the 1930.

Repression of the Buddhist establishment increased in December 1934, when Mongolian law was amended to ban religious teaching in schools, prevent children from entering monasteries, and ending the lamas' evasion of military service. Heavy taxes were also imposed on the monasteries. In the mid-1930s, before the Great Purge, there were some 800 Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia with 90,000 priests; in 1937 and 1938, most of the monasteries were ruined and between 16,000 and 17,000 priests were killed. According to one estimate, by 1939 the purges had killed 27,000 Mongolians (about 3% of the population; about half the victims were monks). During the Stalinist repressions, Mongolia's religious institutions were virtually all destroyed, their property appropriated, and the lamas either killed or secularized. All together, 2,265 monastery buildings were destroyed and over 71.5 tons of metal statues shipped to the USSR for scrap.

Stamp on postcard is Mangu Khan (from set Emperors of Mongolia), issued on 25.12.1997.


Thank you Xiaolin Li!

UN Vienna cover from Numiphil 2017

With this cover i finally completed UN post offices! The United Nations Postal Administration is the postal agency of the United Nations. It issues postage stamps and postal stationery, denominated in United States dollars for the United Nations offices in New York, in Swiss francs for the offices in Geneva and in euros for the offices in Vienna. My friend Wolfgang visited exhibition Numiphil 2017 in Vienna. He sent me cover from UN Vienna with two really nice special cancellations dedicated to Numiphil 2017. Stamp on cover is fr om set UNESCO World Heritage - Along the Silk Roads, issued on 03.08.2017.

Inside was this surprise postcard from Mali. It's prestamped and cancelled long time ago, but i really like it.

This nice butterfly stamp is from year 1997, but i can't find any detailed information in any catalog.



Thank you very much Wolfgang!

Registered cover and stamps from Germany

I received another fine registered cover from my German friend Lars. He sent me beautiful stamps on cover and inside cover. Stamps on cover:

Human hair, from set Microworld, issued on 13.07.2017.
Christmas - Alter Paintings, issued on 02.11.2017.
Vitamin C, from set Microworld, issued on 13.07.2017.
Opel Manta, from set Classic cars, issued on 13.04.2017.
Dr. Sommer & Bello being Interviewed, from set Themes by Loriot, issued on 13.04.2017.
Mecklenburg Lake Plateau, from set Wild Germany, issued on 02.11.2017.
The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Theodor Mommsen, issued on 02.11.2017.

Inside was this beautiful mini sheet The 50th Anniversary of Sports Charity Stamps, issued on 11.05.2017. I really like black background on this stamps.

This is mini sheet Bundestag and the Bundesrat, issued on 03.09.2009.

Old and Endangered Breeds in Germany, issued on 01.09.2016.

Thank you Lars!

Cover from Central African Republic

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest and Cameroon to the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres and had an estimated population of around 4.6 million as of 2016.

Despite its significant mineral deposits and other resources, such as uranium reserves, crude oil, gold, diamonds, cobalt, lumber, and hydropower, as well as significant quantities of arable land, the Central African Republic is among the ten poorest countries in the world. As of 2015, according to the Human Development Index, the country had the lowest level of human development, ranking 188th out of 188 countries. It is also estimated to be the unhealthiest country as well as the worst country in which to be young.

Stamps on cover:
Winter Olympic Games 2002 - Salt Lake City, USA (from set of four), issued on 10.04.2000.
Rhopalo ceres  (from set Flora and Fauna), issued on 06.11.1996.
Cyanocitta cristata (from set Birds - The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of John J. Audubon, 1785-1851), issued on 25.03.1985.
Tockus flavirostris (from set Birds), issued on 25.02.2000.


Thank you Wolfgang!

Sri Lanka: Polonnaruwa

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.

On this postcard you can see The Gal Vihara, rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was fashioned in the 12th century by Parakramabahu I. The central feature of the temple is four rock relief statues of the Buddha, which have been carved into the face of a large granite rock. The images consist of a large seated figure, another smaller seated figure inside an artificial cavern, a standing figure and a reclining figure. These are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts, and have made the Gal Vihara the most visited monument at Polonnaruwa.

Stamps on postcard:
The 50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, issued on 05.01.2017.
Lankathilaka Temple (from set United Nations Day of Vesak), issued on 12.05.2017.


Thank you Wolfgang!

Sri Lanka: Bogawantalawa - The Golden Valley of Tea

Bogawantalawa is a small town in the Central province of Sri Lanka. It is situated at 1514 m elevation above sea level and about 150 km east of Colombo, famous for its Tea estates. Bogawantalawa producing the finest Ceylon Tea since 1869.

Stamps on postcard:
Personalized Definitive Stamp - Punkalasa, issued on 13.09.2017.
The 100th Anniversary of the World & Sri Lanka Cub Scouts, issued on 13.05.2016.


Thank you Wolfgang and Ravindra!

Postcard from South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

 

 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands  is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. There is no permanent population on the islands. The present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases at Bird Island and at the capital, King Edward Point, as well as museum staff at nearby Grytviken.

My friend Wolfgang sent me this nice surprise postcard from South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. On postcard you can see Stromness Bay, and photo is taken by Wolfgang. Stromness Bay takes its name from a location in Scotland, Stromness, on the Orkney Mainland.

This beautiful stamp is from set Landscapes, issued on 15.08.2017.

Thank you very much Wolfgang!

USA: New York City

The City of New York is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2016 population of 8,537,673 distributed over a land area of about 784 km2, New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Located at the southern tip of the state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world with an estimated 23.7 million residents as of 2016.

Three nice stamps on postcard:
WPA Posters (from set of ten), issued on 07.03.2017.
Flowers from the Garden (from set of four), issued on 16.08.2017.
Have a Ball (from set of eight), issued on 14.06.2017.


Thank you Charlotte!

USA: Abstract photography on postcard

On this postcard you can long exposure photography on fabric. This photography is awarded on photo contest in USA. Congratulations Charlotte!

And again three nice stamps on postcard:
Flowers from the Garden (from set of four), issued on 16.08.2017.
Have a Ball (from set of eight), issued on 14.06.2017.
WPA Posters (from set of ten), issued on 07.03.2017.


Thank you Charlotte!

Flags of the World Series: Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast.

 Stamps on postcard is traditional Omani dagger Al-Khanjar A'Suri. issued on 07.12.2005.


Thank you Adolf!

Day Dream by Andrew Wyeth

I received a postcard with painting Day Dream by Andrew Wyeth. Someone will maybe say that is "not safe for watch", and that's why i didn't upload this picture directly to my blog. If you wish to see it, click HERE. Andrew Newell Wyeth was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century.In his art, Wyeth's favorite subjects were the land and people around him, both in his hometown of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and at his summer home in Cushing, Maine. Wyeth often noted: "I paint my life."

Three nice stamps on postcard:
Flowers from the Garden (from set of four), issued on 16.08.2017.
Have a Ball (from set of eight), issued on 14.06.2017.
WPA Posters (from set of ten), issued on 07.03.2017.


Thank you Charlotte!

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

This postcard is from set of five Star Trek postcards issued by Canada Post this year, together with second set of Star Trek stamps. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 SF film directed by Nicholas Meyer and based on the 1960s television series Star Trek. The plot features Admiral James T. Kirk and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise facing off against the genetically engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh, a character who first appeared in the 1967 Star Trek episode "Space Seed". When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the Enterprise must stop him from acquiring a powerful terraforming device named Genesis. The film is the beginning of a story arc that continues with the 1984 film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and concludes with the 1986 film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

 All postcards from this set are prepaid, but we can see here cool postmark from city Vulcan in Canada. Thank you Lars and Trevor! Live long and prosper!

Flags of the World Series: Moldova

Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south (by way of the disputed territory of Transnistria). The capital city is Chișinău. The name "Moldova" derives from the Moldova River; the valley of this river served as a political center at the time of the foundation of the Principality of Moldavia in 1359. The origin of the name of the river remains unclear.

Four beautiful stamps with nice cancellations:
Friesia rose (from set of four roses), issued on 10.08.2012.
Blue Salamis Butterfly (from set of four), issued on 05.07.2013.
Scalloped Red Glider (from set of four), issued on 05.07.2013.
Fried Fish with Garlic Sauce (from set Traditional Food and Culinary Herbs), issued on 30.09.2014.


Thank you Nina and Olga!

Registered cover from India

On this cover from India you can see miniature sheet The 250th Anniversary of the Survey of India, issued on 22.06.2017. The Survey General of India was established by the British East India Company in 1767. Later it came to be known as the Survey of India. Today, the Survey of India, the National Survey and Mapping Organization of the country under the Department of Science & Technology, it is said to be the oldest scientific department under the Government of India.

Rest of stamps are Bharat Ratna Institute of Telecom Training, issued on 22.04.2017. and The 100th Anniversary of Champaran Satyagraha (from set of three), issued on 13.05.2017.

Inside this cover was this mini sheet Bharat Ratna Institute of Telecom Training, issued on 22.04.2017.


Thank you Ravindra!

Flags of the World Series: Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and Denmark, the colonial powers, as well as the nearby island of Iceland) for more than a millennium. The majority of its residents are Inuit, whose ancestors began migrating from the Canadian mainland in the 13th century, gradually settling across the island.

A lot of beautiful stamps with two nice postmarks:
Arctic circle race (from set Sports in Greenland), issued on 12.05.2016.
Greenlandic Mining (from set of two), issued on 07.05.2012.
Queen Margrethe II (from set of two), issued on 22.10.2012.
Christmas (from set of two), issued on 17.10.2016.


Thank you Arnold!

Åland Islands: FDC China Dogs

I received my first cover dedicated to Year of the Dog 2018.  With this lovely miniature sheet, Swedish artist Martin Mörck continues to put his mark on the series, illustrating a time when sailing ships dominated the townscape and sailors bought China dogs as souvenirs. Produced in Staffordshire, the heart of English porcelain industry, during the 1800s, the delicate China dogs were made from glazed and decorated ceramics and particularly popular among Scandinavian and Åland sailors. The original China dogs illustrated on the miniature sheet may be viewed in the collections of the Åland Maritime Museum. Stamps are issued on 10.11.2017.



Thank you Kimmo!

Star Trek cover from USA

I received a cover from USA with complete set Star Trek 50th Anniversary, issued on 02.09.2016. On September 8, 1966, Star Trek premiered. Centered on the interstellar voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the prime-time television program's mission was to boldly go where no man has gone before. With an intricate futuristic setting, multicultural cast, and story lines that touched on social issues, Star Trek pushed past the boundaries of popular science fiction and became a worldwide phenomenon.


Thank you Lars! Live long and prosper!

National flower of Netherlands

I received from Netherlands my first postcard from National flower series by Postcardsmarket.com. Tulips are my first association when i think about The Netherlands. In seventeenth century Netherlands, during the time of the Dutch Golden Age and Tulip mania, an infection of tulip bulbs by the tulip breaking virus created variegated patterns in the tulip flowers that were much admired and valued. This phenomenon was referred to as "broken". While tulips had probably been cultivated in Asia from the tenth century, they did not come to the attention of the west till the sixteenth century, when western diplomats to the Ottoman court observed and reported on them. They were rapidly introduced into Europe and cultivated and became a frenzied commodity during Tulip mania. Breeding programs have produced thousands of hybrid and cultivars in addition to the original species.

Stamp on postcard is from definitive set Dutch Icons, issued on 02.01.2014.


Thank you Chelsea!

Icons of Countries series: Macau

I received my first postcard from Icons of Countries series from The Postcard House. This one is dedicated to Macau. Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the western side of the Pearl River estuary in East Asia. Macau is bordered by the city of Zhuhai in Mainland China to the north and the Pearl River Delta to the east and south. With a population of 650,900 living in an area of 30.5 km2, it is the most densely populated region in the world. A former Portuguese colony, it was returned to Chinese sovereignty on 20 December 1999.

This nice stamps are:
Board Games (from set of four), issued on 08.06.2000.
UNESCO World Heritage (two from set of eight), issued on 31.07.2008.



Thank you Xiaolin Li!

Flags of the World Series: Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It shares land borders with India and Myanmar. The country's maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal is roughly equal to the size of its land area. Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous country. Dhaka is its capital and largest city, followed by Chittagong, which has the country's largest port.

Stamps:
Expanded Programme on Immunization, issued on 22.01.1998.
Sixty Dome Mosque, issued on 18.03.1999.
Postal Academy, Rajshahi, issued on 08.07.1989.


Thank you Nina!

Canada: Mr. Spock postcard sent from Vulcan!

No, this postcard is not sent from planet Vulcan! It's sent from small town Vulcan in southern Alberta, Canada. The town's name has brought some attention that has helped it become a tourist attraction. In the Star Trek frachise it is the name of the homeworld of the Mr. Spock character and his fellow Vulcans. Capitalizing on this coincidence, the town has built a Star Trek–themed tourist station. Nearby is a replica of the starship Enterprise from Star Trek V, mounted on a pedestal which includes writing from Trek alien languages such as Klingon. The town has also created space-themed murals and signs, and hosts an annual community-wide Star Trek convention known as "Spock Days".

Very nice cancellations with matching stamp, part of the set Star Trek 50th Anniversary, issued on 05.05.2016. Other two stamps are Flag defenitives issued on 11.01.2010.


Thank you very much Trevor!