Flags of the World Series: Saba

Saba is a Caribbean island which is the smallest special municipality of the Netherlands. It consists largely of the potentially active volcano Mount Scenery, which at 887 metres is the highest point of the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. Saba has a land area of 13 square kilometres. As of 2017, the population was 2,010 inhabitants, with a population density of 150 inhabitants per square kilometre. It is the smallest territory or sovereign state by permanent population in the Americas. Its towns and major settlements are The Bottom (the capital), Windwardside, Zion's Hill and St. Johns.

Stamp on postcard is from set Butterflies and Flowers, issued on 20.7.2018.


Thank you, Anna!

The World on the Rails II set on cover from Czech Republic

I received cover from Czech Republic with set The World on the Rails II issued on 5.9.2018.

The steam engine called “The Three Hundred and Sixty-Five”
After the creation of the Czechoslovak Republic, the state-owned Czechoslovak Railways had to deal with the poor condition of its steam engine fleet. The Ministry of Railways therefore announced a competition for a uniform design of new engines, which led to an order of the first independent Czechoslovak design of fast train engine number 365.0. The three series of an overall 40 engines were built by the First Czech and Moravian Machine Factory in Prague between 1921 and 1923. The light paint colour of engine 365.024 depicted on the stamp corresponds to the photograph taken at the factory in 1923. The engine was then painted black and handed over to Czechoslovak Railways. It was used until the late 1960s. Its current owner, the Railway Museum of Czech Railways in Lužné u Rakovníka, is planning to make it operational.

The motor coach called “The Silver Arrow”
Czechoslovak Railways were at the forefront of motorization of railway operations in Europe in the 1930s. In the second half of the 1930s, the company announced a competition for a new motor coach for fast intercity rail service. It had to be cost-effective, fast and comfortable to match the growing road transportation service. The events of the late 1930s and the outbreak of the Second World War hindered the project so that only a prototype coach, M 260.001, was eventually built by ČKD in March 1939. It was nicknamed “The Silver Arrow” due to its appearance. After a short trial run, the project was halted. The coach was hardly used after the war and eventually ended up without the engines and seats as a storage room. In the 1970s, it was saved as a part of Czechoslovak Railways’ collection. It was completely restored by the Railway Research Institute to look like the 1939 prototype. Starting from 2016, the legendary Silver Arrow, full of energy, can again be seen on the rails.


Thank you, Michaela!

50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing on a big cover from Canada

Canadian post issued beautiful two stamp set dedicated to 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing on 27.6.2019 in several variants, and this beautiful sheet with 3 sets is one of them. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin formed the American crew that landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours and 39 minutes later on July 21 ; Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later. They spent about two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft, and they collected 21.5 kg of lunar material to bring back to Earth.


Thank you, Marie!

Postcards dedicated to Serbian military graveyard and memorial on Corfu and Vido, Greece

This postcards are dedicated to very important piece of Serbian history, The Great retreat during WWI, when most of the half soldiers and civilians died during retreat and also on Corfu.

The Great Retreat, also known as the Albanian Golgotha, took place during the First World War following the invasion of Serbia by the Central Powers. Facing total destruction but refusing to come to terms, the government and the supreme command made the decision, on 23 November 1915, to retreat through Montenegro and Albania where they hoped to reach the Adriatic coast and be rescued by Allied ships.

The retreat took the remnants of the Serbian Army, the King, hundreds of thousands of civilian refugees, with thousands of Austrian prisoners, across some of the roughest terrain in Europe in the middle of winter, enduring harsh weather, treacherous roads, and enemy raids. During the journey across the mountains, around 70,000 soldiers and 140,000 civilians froze, starved to death, died of disease or were killed by hostile Albanian tribes between November 1915 and January 1916.

Out of around 400,000 people who set out on the journey, only 120,000 soldiers and 60,000 civilians reached the Adriatic coast to be evacuated to the Greek island of Corfu, 11,000 more would die later of disease, malnutrition, or exposure sustained on the retreat. In some sources published following the conflict, the event was described as the greatest and most tragic episode of the Great War.

On this first postcard you can see entrance to mausoleum and memorial on island Vido.

Here you can see museum Serbian House, mausoleum on Vido, memorila in Gouvia and monument dedicated to soldiers of Drina division.

Here you can see command of Iron regiment (named by Bulgarians because of their fierce fighting)

And this is look at coast of Corfu today.

All cards are sent with same stamp - Euromed 2018.

Thank you, Lana & Racko!

Protected Fauna of Malaysia

I received this nice cover with stamps from set Protected Fauna of Malaysia, issued on 28.7.2019. Animals on stamps are Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica), Malayan Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) and Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus).

There's also one stamp and cancellation on the back of the cover


Thank you, Raymond!

Five Sacred Mountains on registered cover from China

The Sacred Mountains of China are divided into several groups. The Five Great Mountains refers to five of the most renowned mountains in Chinese history, and they were the subjects of imperial pilgrimage by emperors throughout ages. They are associated with the supreme God of Heaven and the five main cosmic deities of Chinese traditional religion. Chinese post issued this beautiful set on 3.8.2019.


Thank you, Li Ming!

Flags of the World Series: Jersey

Jersey is a British Crown dependency located near the coast of Normandy, France. It is the second closest of the Channel Islands to France, after Alderney. Jersey was part of the Duchy of Normandy, whose dukes went on to become kings of England from 1066. After Normandy was lost by the kings of England in the 13th century, and the ducal title surrendered to France, Jersey and the other Channel Islands remained attached to the English crown, until 1965, when Jersey gained independence.

Perfect clean postmark and interesting stamp from set  150th anniversary of the JSPCA.


Thank you, Nathanial!

Albania: Two postcards from Saranda

We received this summer two postcards from Saranda, a coastal town in Albania. Geographically, it is situated on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea in the central Mediterranean, about 14 km east of the northern end of the island of Corfu, were Nina's mother was on vacation. She visited this town and sent us this view cards.

The city is known for its blue deep waters of the Mediterranean. Near Saranda are the remains of the ancient city of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In recent years, Saranda has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted by the natural environment of Saranda and its archaeological sites. Saranda has a large Greek population and is considered one of the two centers of the Greek minority in Albania.

Both cards arrived with this stamp from set 190th Anniversary of the First Locomotive.

Thank you, Lana!

Inter-Korean Summit on postcard and matching stamp from South Korea

From September 18 to 20, South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited North Korea and held approximately five hours of meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During the summit, their third since April 2018, the two leaders issued a Pyongyang Joint Declaration pledging denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, improvements in inter-Korean relations, and confidence-building measures to ease military tension.

 Post of South Korea issued commemorative stamp dedicated to summit on 12.9.2018.


Thank you, Yoon Sung!

Oldtimers on cover from Netherlands

On 27th January 2014 Dutch post issued nice stamp set dedicated to Louwman museum. The Louwman Museum is a museum for historic cars, coaches, and motorcycles in The Hague. On this cover you can see two stamps from this set, with Bugati and Duesenberg from 1930's.


Thank you, Mihnea!

Underwater treasures of Micronesia

This is my first cover from Micronesia, an independent republic associated with the United States. It consists of four states – from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae – that are spread across the Western Pacific Ocean. Together, the states comprise around 607 islands (a combined land area of approximately 702 km2) that cover a longitudinal distance of almost 2,700 km just north of the equator. This souvenir sheet is part of set Underwater treasures of Micronesia, and it shows harlequin tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus), a species of wrasse native to the western Pacific Ocean.


Thank you, Burak!

Natural life in Korean Demilitarized Zone

The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula. It is established by the provisions of the Korean Armistice Agreement to serve as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. DMZ is a border barrier that divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half. It was created by agreement between North Korea, China and the United Nations Command in 1953. The DMZ is 250 kilometers long, and about 4 kilometers wide. This set is third in this series of wildlife in DMZ, and it's issued on 25.6.2018.

Thank you, YoonSung!

50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing on cover from Canada

Canadian post issued beautiful two stamp set dedicated to 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing on 27.6.2019. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin formed the American crew that landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours and 39 minutes later on July 21 ; Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later. They spent about two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft, and they collected 21.5 kg of lunar material to bring back to Earth.


Thank you, Trevor!

Sobral Eclipse Celebration on cover from Brazil

This year marks the centennial anniversary of the solar eclipse observed on 29th May 1919, which has constituted an extraordinary event for science. The measure of the starlight deflection by the Sun confirmed Einstein´s General Relativity Theory that deeply changed our conception of the Universe.  Decisive observations were done in Sobral (Ceará, Brazil), and also on Principe Island, by British astronomers. The results were publicly disclosed in London on November 6, 1919. After that day newspapers around the world reported headlines announcing a revolution in science: Einstein`s theory had supplanted Newton`s gravitational theory. To mark this occasion, Brazilian post issued this stamp on 29.5.2019.


Thank you, Helio!

FDC Insects of Ukraine

I received from Ukraine first day cover dedicated to insects of Ukraine, issued on 3.7.2018. Seven beautifully designed stamps are printed with special foil on insects wings, so wings looks very realistic.

I took a few shots with my phone camera to show you this effect from different angles.

Thanks a lot Marie for this beautiful cover!

Flags of the World Series: Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten is an island in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 300 km  east of Puerto Rico. The 87-square-kilometre island is divided roughly 60/40 between the French Republic (53 km2) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (34 km2). On this postcard you see Flag of Sint Maarten. The red symbolizes solidarity and courage, the blue peace and assurance of pardon, and the white purity and faith and there is also coat of arms of Sint Maarten.

Nice stamp from set Birds of Sint Maarten (issued on 31.8.2017.) and cancellation from capital city Philipsburg.


Thank you, Anna!

Spanish research station Gabriel de Castilla in Antarctica

The Spanish Antarctic station Gabriel de Castilla was established in the1989/90 campaign. It is located on the SW coast of Port Foster in Deception Island. The base gives support to the scientific research in the island and it is operated by the Spanish Army. The station has different areas: living area, with accommodation for 14 people, scientific module, medical care module, engine room and mechanical workshop, store and emergency module. During the 2000/2001 campaign the base has been modernised, specially the living and scientific areas. The modifications have not increased the capacity of the station but have improved the scientific capabilities and the environmental protection measures.

Thank you so much, Li Ming, for this fantastic surprise!

World travel series: Åland Islands

World travel is today one many series of postcard, and this one dedicated to national symbols on post stamps and coins. This one is sent by our friend Nina from Åland Islands.

And 3 beautiful stamps on the back with really nice postmark dedicated to camping.

Thank you, Nina!

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Old bridge in Mostar

There's a 3 postal operators in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and this postcard is sent from from Mostar, where is located Croatian post operator in Bosnia. On left side you can see different views of famous Old bridge, which is popular for diving into ice cold waters of Neretva. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on 9 November 1993 by Croat paramilitary forces during the Croat–Bosniak War. Subsequently, a project was set in motion to reconstruct it; the rebuilt bridge opened on 23 July 2004.The bridge is considered an exemplary piece of Balkan Islamic architecture and was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557.

Stamp on postcard is Christmas stamp, issued on 15.12.2016.

Thank you, Tajana & Kristijan!

Astrophysics on two first day covers from Germany

I received earlier this year two nice first day covers from Germany, both dedicated to same edition of Astrophysics, issued on 1.7.2019, but cancelled with two different postmarks. Upper cover was sent Berlin, and lower from Bonn.

Thank you Holger and Jens!

Maxicard Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds from Åland Islands

On this maxicard from Åland Islands you can see white-tailed eagle, which was chosen for this year's Europa National Birds theme. The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is a very large eagle widely distributed across Eurasia. As are all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae which includes other diurnal raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. White-tailed eagles usually live most of the year near large bodies of open water, including both coastal saltwater areas and inland freshwater, and require an abundant food supply and old-growth trees or ample sea cliffs for nesting.
This stamp and maxicard are issued on 9.5.2019.

There's also a nice postmark at the back side also.

Thank you, Ana-Kaisa!

Monument to Tsar Peter the Great in St. Petersburg

The Bronze Horseman is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great in the Senate Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Commissioned by Catherine the Great, it was created by the French sculptor Étienne Maurice Falconet. The name comes from an 1833 poem of the same name by Aleksander Pushkin, which is widely considered one of the most significant works of Russian literature. The statue is now one of the symbols of Saint Petersburg. The statue's pedestal is the enormous Thunder Stone, the largest stone ever moved by humans. The stone originally weighed about 1500 tonnes, but was carved down during transportation to its current size.

Stamp on postcard is The 100th Anniversary of the Dmitrovsky Kremlin Reserve Museum, issued on 13.12.2018.


Thank you, Angelina!

Cover from Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania

This is my first cover from Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania, or the Tskhinvali Region, disputed territory in the South Caucasus, in the northern part of the internationally recognised Georgian territory. It has a population of 53,000 people who live in an area of 3,900 km2, south of the Russian Caucasus, with 30,000 living in Tskhinvali. The separatist polity, Republic of South Ossetia (or the State of Alania), is recognized as a state by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. While Georgia lacks control over South Ossetia, the Georgian government and most members of the United Nations consider the territory part of Georgia.

Stamp on cover is very interesting, it's joint issue of South Ossetia and Transnistria, celebrating 20 yours of friendship treaty by South Ossetia and Transnistria! Stamp is part of set issued on 26.12.2014.


Thank you, Jinesh!

Cover from Donetsk People's Republic

This is my first cover from disputed territory called Donetsk People's Republic, and it's same like with Luhansk People's Republic. The Donetsk People's Republic is a declared people's republic and proto-state in the Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine recognized only by the partially recognized South Ossetia and Luhansk People's Republic. Ukraine is at war with the DPR and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and has designated it as a terrorist group. It was part of the unrecognized Novorossiya confederation with the LPR until 20 May 2015, and since February 2015, has postured itself as the successor to the historic Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic.

There's no international postal service in Donetsk, only domestic. So you can receive mail only to address within Donetsk, as you can see on this cover. This stamp on cover is from set Khomutovsky Steppe, issued on 5.6.2018.


Thank you, Jinesh!

Cover from Luhansk People's Republic

This is my first cover from disputed territory called Luhansk People's Republic, in the Donbass region, in eastern Ukraine. Along with the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the LPR declared independence from Ukraine in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. An armed conflict with Ukraine followed its declaration of independence, during which the LPR and DPR received military and humanitarian assistance from Russia. This conflict is still ongoing as of August 2019. LPR remains unrecognised by any UN member state, including Russia.

There's no international postal service in Luhansk, only domestic. So you can receive mail only to address within Luhansk, as you can see on this cover. This flower stamps are part of set Red Book, issued on 20.8.2018.


Thank you, Jinesh!

Postcard from South Sudan

This is my firs postcard from South Sudan, a landlocked country in East-Central Africa. It gained independence after bloody war from the Republic of the Sudan in 2011, making it the most recent sovereign state with widespread recognition. Its capital and largest city is Juba. Sudan was occupied by Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty and was governed as an Anglo-Egyptian condominium until Sudanese independence in 1956. Following the First Sudanese Civil War, the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. A second Sudanese civil war soon broke out, ending in 2005. Later that year, southern autonomy was restored when an Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan was formed. South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011, following 98.83% support for independence in a January 2011 referendum. It has suffered ethnic violence and endured a civil war since 2013.

There is no postal service in South Sudan at the moment. You can get cancellation in Juba, but than you must use DHL to send abroad. Stamp on postcard is President John Garang, issued in 9.7.2011.


Thank you, Jinesh!

Hargeisa War Memorial on postcard from Somaliland

This is my first postcard from Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia. Somaliland doesn't have real postal system. This postcard was cancelled in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland and then sent with DHL. On this card you can see Hargeisa War Memorial, set up to commemorate Somaliland's breakaway attempt in the 1980s, and is a symbol of struggle for the people of this province. The memorial is located in Hargeisa's Freedom Square. It consists of a MiG-17 fighter aircraft of the Somali Air Force, which crashed nearby.

These are not real postage stamps, these are fiscal stamps used for postage!

Thank you, Jinesh!

FDC China 2019 Philatelic Exhibition, Wuhan

China 2019 World Stamp Exhibition was held at the International Expo Center in Wuhan, China, from 11-17th June 2019, with 4,700 frames (competitive class 3,500 frames and the non-competitive class 1,200 frames). This is the third time that China was host of the international exhibition since the exhibitions China 1999 and China 2009. The purpose of the exhibition is to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Chinese Post issued nice set on 11.6.2019. for this exhibition, and on this cover you can see wonderful mini sheet from that set and First day postmark, and also special postmark dedicated to exhibition in lower right part of this cover.

Thank you, Annie!

Red panda on cover from Bhutan

I received cover from Bhutan with red panda, one of my favorite animals! The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List because the wild population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and continues to decline due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression. The red panda is the only living species of the genus Ailurus and the family Ailuridae. It has been previously placed in the raccoon and bear families, but the results of phylogenetic analysis provide strong support for its taxonomic classification in its own family, Ailuridae, which is part of the superfamily Musteloidea, along with the weasel, raccoon and skunk families. This fantastic mini sheet is from set Mammals of Bhutan, issued on 1.2.2019.


Thank you, Aniruddha!