Flags of the World Series: French Southern and Antarctic Lands - Kerguelen

The Kerguelen Islands, also known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the Antarctic constituting one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large igneous province mostly submerged by the southern Indian Ocean. They are among the most isolated places on Earth, located 450 km northwest of the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands and more than 3,300 km from Madagascar, the nearest populated location (excluding the Alfred Faure scientific station in Île de la Possession, about 1,340 km from there, and the non-permanent station located in Île Amsterdam, 1,440 km mi away). The islands, along with Adélie Land, the Crozet Islands, Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands, and France's Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, are part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and are administered as a separate district.

Stamps on card:
First two stamps are from set Logos of French South and Antarctic Territory, issued on 30.3.2016.
TAAF Flag (from set of five), issued on 1.1.2008.
Refuge in the Canyon of the Black-Browed Albatross - Kerguelen, issued on 2.1.2018.


Thank you Marie!

FDC The 100th Anniversary Of The WWI Armistice from Saint Pierre and Miquelon

The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and their opponent, Germany. Previous armistices had been agreed with Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Also known as the Armistice of Compiègne from the place where it was signed at 5:45 a.m. by the French Marshal Foch, it came into force at 11:00 a.m. Paris time on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a defeat for Germany, although not formally a surrender.

French Post issued this stamp for Saint Pierre and Miquelon on 11.11.2018, exactly 100 years later,  to mark this important historical event.


Thank you so much Eric!

Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge on registered cover from China

The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB) is a 55-kilometre bridge–tunnel system consisting of a series of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel, and four artificial islands. It is both the longest sea crossing and the longest open-sea fixed link on earth. The HZMB spans the Lingding and Jiuzhou channels, connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai—three major cities on the Pearl River Delta. The HZMB was designed to last for 120 years. Posts from China, Hong Kong and Macau issued joint issue dedicated to HZMB,  on 30.10.2018.

Rest of stamps on cover:
Yellow-bellied Tit (Periparus venustulus), issued on 1.1.2004.
Protection of biodiversity, issued on 1.1.2004.
Protection of the Atmosphere, issued on 1.4.2002.
Greetings Stamp, issued on 8.8.2013.


Thank you Li Ming!

French Southern and Antarctic Lands: Cover from Crozet Islands

The Crozet Islands are a sub-antarctic archipelago of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean. They form one of the five administrative districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. It consists of several small uninhabited islands of volcanic origin. Discovered by Captain Nicolas-Thomas Marion-Dufresne in 1772, the islands cover an area of 505 square km. Rising to 2,000 m on the Île de la Possession, they are rugged, with steep cliffs, and have been the scene of many shipwrecks. They have been designated a national conservation area.

Stamps on cover:
First 3 stamps are from set Penguins, issued on 7.6.2018.
Bigger, round stamp is Crozet Island Spider, issued on 2.1.2018.

There is also on back special cancellation and signature of post master!


Thank you so much Erik!

The 40th Anniversary of the GIS - The Special Intervention Group of the Italian Carabinieri

GIS - The Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (Special Intervention Group) is the special forces unit of the Italian Carabinieri. The Carabinieri, a branch of the Armed Forces responsible for both military and civil policing, formed GIS in 1978 as a police tactical unit. In 2004, GIS assumed a special operations role evolving to a special forces unit, in addition to the police tactical unit role, becoming part of the Joint Special Forces Operational Headquarters. Italian post issued this stamp on 26.10.2018. dedicated to 40th anniversary of the GIS.


Thank you Marcello!

Important anniversaries on registered cover from Serbia

I received registered Serbian cover with stamps which celebrates two different and important anniversaries. First one is 225 years of Gymnasium of Karlovci, issued in 13.4.2016. The Gymnasium of Karlovci  is the high school located in the town of Sremski Karlovci. It is the oldest secondary school in Serbia.

Second stamp commemorates Centenary of the battle of Kaymakchalan, and is released on  12.9.2016. The Battle of Kaymakchalan was a battle that was fought between Serbian and Bulgarian troops on the Macedonian Front during World War I. The battle was fought between 12 and 30 September 1916, when the Serbian army managed to capture the peak of Prophet Ilia while pushing the Bulgarians towards the town of Mariovo, where the latter formed new defensive lines. Between 26 and 30 September, the peak changed hands several times until it was decisively captured by the Serbian army on the latter date.

MERCOSUR issue on cover from Uruguay

Mercosur, officially Southern Common Market, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuela is a full member but has been suspended since December 1, 2016. Associate countries are Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. Member countries issue MERCOSUR stamps, and this train stamp is issued on 10.10.2017. in Uruguay.


Thank you Rosmarie!

BRIsat satellite on cover from Indonesia

The Indonesian BRIsat (Bank Rakyat Indonesia Satellite) is a communications satellite for banking purposes to be built by Space Systems/Loral for Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI). The bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Space System/Loral, LLC (SSL) from US and ArianeSpace from France in April 2014. BRIsat was built on SSL's SSL-1300 bus carrying 45 transponders, which cover areas in Indonesia, ASEAN, North east of Asia, some Pacific area and West Australia. From its orbital position at 150.5° East, it delivers highly reliable communications services to BRI's 11,000 bank branches across the Indonesian archipelago. The satellite was launched in June 2016 by a Ariane-5ECA rocket from Kourou, and this souvenir sheet is issued on 27.9.2016.


Thank you Wiwiet!

Fauna on cover from Sweden

I receive another wonderful cover from Sweden.All stamps are related to fauna. First two stamps are from set Forest Animals, issued on 23.8.2018. And other two stamps are from set Winter Birds (The Bohemian waxwing and The Eurasian bullfinch), issued on 1.11.2018.


Thank you, Henrik!