Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds on FDC from Germany

Deutsche Post issued one stamp for Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds theme on 2.5.2019, with pair yellowhammer birds. The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is a passerine bird in the bunting family that is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the breeding range year-round, but the eastern subspecies is partially migratory, with much of the population wintering further south. The male yellowhammer has a bright yellow head, streaked brown back, chestnut rump, and yellow under parts. Other plumages are duller versions of the same pattern. The yellowhammer is common in open areas with some shrubs or trees, and forms small flocks in winter.


Thank you so much, Holger, for this beautiful FDC and mint stamp inside!

Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds on cover from Czech Republic

Česká pošta issued one stamp for Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds theme on 24.4.2019. Česká pošta selected a combined view of a winter landscape with two common kingfishers. The kingfishers are brightly coloured birds with a turquoise blue head and wings and a rusty brown belly, a brown-and-white stripe stretching from the long dark bill to the back of the head, and white feathers marking right below the bill. The kingfishers weigh approximately 40 g and measure 15 to 17 cm. The wingspan is approximately 25 cm. The kingfishers are found not only in Europe but also in South Asia and North Africa. They also live on the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.


Thank you, Michaela!

Postcard from Djibouti

This is my first postcard from Djibouti, small country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The state of Djibouti is predominantly inhabited by two ethnic groups, the Somali and the Afar people. Djibouti is a multi-ethnic nation with a population of over 884,017 inhabitants. French and Arabic are the country's two official languages. About 94% of residents adhere to Islam, which is the official religion and has been predominant in the region for more than a thousand years.

On this fantastic looking stamp you can see grivet (Chlorocebus aethiops), issued on 29.5.1993, and nice blue postmark.


Thank you, Melanie!

Cover from Brunei

After four postcards from Brunei, i finally received also my first cover from this small country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. On every stamp from Brunei you can see Sultan Bolkiah (at least as a small icon in upper corner), member of The House of Bolkiah. The House of Bolkiah is the ruling royal family of Brunei. It is composed of the descendants of the first sultan Sultan Muhammad Shah and his family. The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state and absolute monarch of Brunei. Since independence from the British in 1984, only one Sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates back to the 14th century.

Stamps on cover:
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, issued on 23.12.1985.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, issued on 23.12.1985.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, issued on 23.02.2007.
The 25th Anniversary of Independence Day, issued on 23.02.2009.


Thank you, Hui Peng!

Canyons Fortaleza and Itaimbezinho on two covers from Brazil

Brazilian post issued two magnificent minisheets dedicated to Brazilian canyons on 17.12.2018. First one is Fortaleza Canyon, located in Serra Geral National Park in Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The Itaimbezinho is a canyon between state of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, Brazil, about 170 km from Porto Alegre. It is part of the Aparados da Serra National Park.


Thank you, Hélio!

Personalized Year of the Pig stamps on cover from China

Besides regular Lunar year issue by Chinese Post, there is also this personalized stamp with vignette released on 26.1.2019. The Pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept. Another story says that a wolf destroyed his house. He had to rebuild his home before he could set off. When he arrived, he was the last one and could only take twelfth place. Their chubby faces and big ears are signs of fortune as well.

Thank you, Xu!

Flags of the World Series: Vatican City

Vatican City is an independent city-state enclaved within Rome, Italy. Established with the Lateran Treaty (1929), it is distinct from yet under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See. With an area of 44 hectares, and a population of about 1,000, it is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both area and population. The Vatican City is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the pope who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. Since the return of the popes from Avignon in 1377, they have generally resided at the Apostolic Palace within what is now Vatican City, although at times residing instead in the Quirinal Palace in Rome or elsewhere.

Stamp on postcard:
Pontificate of Pope Francis (from set of four), issued on 6.2.2018.
European Year of Cultural Heritage (from set of four), issued on 3.5.2018.


Thank you, Margarita!

North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit on postcard and matching stamp

The 2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit, commonly known as the Hanoi Summit, was a two-day summit meeting between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, held at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27–28, 2019. This was the second meeting between the leaders of the DPRK and the United States, following the first meeting in June 2018 in Singapore. On February 28, 2019, the White House announced that the summit was cut short and that no agreement was reached. Trump later elaborated that it was because North Korea wanted an end to all sanctions.

This is matching stamp dedicated to this meeting issued on 26.2.2019. There is also one additional stamp - Year of the pig, issued on 1.12.2018.


Thank you Mạnh Đờ Xờ Mờ!

Italy: Special booklet dedicated to 20th San Marino Grand Prix

20th San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on 9 April 2000. The 62-lap race was the third round of the 2000 Formula One season and was won by Michael Schumacher driving a Ferrari. Italian Post decided to commemorate this event with this special booklet. They used for this event older stamps and 2 FDC's from set World Stamp Exhibition - Ferrari Day, issued on 26.10.1998, and they made new postmark dedicated to this race.

This is second page of booklet.

And front page of the booklet.

Booklet arrived in this registered cover with a lot of nice stamps, but without any cancellation.

Year of the Pig labels and Arbor Day postmark on registered cover from Macau

Post from Macao is one of postal operators which use ATM labels besides classic stamps. They issued regular set and ATM labels dedicated to Year of the Pig. Labels are introduced five days later, on 10.1.2019. You can see here 4 labels with two different values. Beside them there is also a complete set of stamps Greetings Stamps - Joy, issued on 26.6.2018. And there is also specijal postmark dedicated to Arbor Day.

Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season. This year Arbor Day is celebrated on 21.3.2019.


Thank you so much, Li Ming!

Postcard from Road Town, capital of the British Virgin Islands

This is my first postcard from British Virgin Islands, which are a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, to the east of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and north-west of Anguilla. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. On this postcard you can see Road Town, located on Tortola, capital city of the British Virgin Islands. It is situated on the horseshoe-shaped Road Harbour in the center of the island's south coast. The population was about 9,400 in 2004.

This beautiful stamp with big blue postmark is Pecten ziczac (from set Mussels and Marine Snails), issued on 1.11.1999.


Thank you so much, Wolfgang!

Special postmarks with famous scientists on cover from South Korea

I got this cover from South Korea with special postmarks dedicated to famous scientists from South Korea: Soon-ji Yi (astronomer), Choi Seok-jeong (mathematician) and Ahn Dong-hyuk (chemical engineer). On fourth cancellation you can see pictograms referring to the works of these scientists.

Stamps on cover:
Japanese Tit (Parus minor), issued on 5.6.2006.
Grand Crinum Lily (Crinum asiaticum), issued on 2.3.2006.
The 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Woodang Lee Hoe-yeong, issued on 21.4.2017.


Than you, Li Ming!

Canada: Postcard from Calgary

My friend Trevor visited stamp show in Calgary and sent me this nice postcard with symbols of Calgary integrated in city name. Calgary is a city in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, about 80 km east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies.  The city had a population of 1,267,344 in 2018, making it Alberta's largest city and Canada's third-largest municipality.

Trevor used for postage 3 copies of Lunar Year stamps issued on 18.1.2019.


Thank you, Trevor!

The 70th Anniversary of the National Highway Patrol on cover from Italy

The Polizia Stradale is the national highway patrol of Italy and is a sub-directorate of the Italian State Police. The Polizia Stradale patrols the 7,000 kilometers of motorways in Italy and the main highways and arterial roads outside towns. Missions include the prevention and detection of driving offenses, traffic accident reporting, planning and carrying out services to regulate traffic, providing escorts for road safety, protecting and controlling the road network, rescue operations and cooperation in the collection of traffic flow data. This stamp is issued on 28.11.2017, to mark the 70th Anniversary of the National Highway.


Thank you, Marcello!

Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds on cover from Norway

Norway issued one stamp for Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds on 11.4.2019. Stamp is interactive, and when you scan it with CEE App, you can listen bird song of White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus).The white-throated dipper is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies, based primarily on colour differences, particularly of the pectoral band. The white-throated dipper is Norway's national bird.


Thank you, Rune!

The 50th Anniversary of Bilateral Relations of Singapore with Australia & New Zealand

This joint issue marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Singapore and Australia, and Singapore and New Zealand. Singapore gained independence from Britain in 1963, uniting with other former British territories in the region to become part of the Federation of Malaysia. In the wake of administrative and ideological disputes, Singapore was expelled from the federation on 9.8.1965, becoming an independent nation in its own right. Symbolizing the political democracy through which Australia, New Zealand and Singapore are all governed, the parliament house of each nation is shown across the three stamp designs issued on 14.8.2015. Cover arrived with two stamps from this set of three stamps, witch depicts parliament buildings of Australia and New Zealand.


Thank you, Marie!


 

Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds on two First day covers from Moldova

A set of 2 stamps with White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) and Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is issued this year for Europa theme by Post of Moldova on 19.4.2019.
The white stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100–115 cm from beak tip to end of tail, with a 155–215 cm wingspan. The white stork is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa from tropical Sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as South Africa, or on the Indian subcontinent. When migrating between Europe and Africa, it avoids crossing the Mediterranean Sea and detours via the Levant in the east or the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, because the air thermals on which it depends for soaring do not form over water.

The golden eagle is one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. Immature eagles of this species typically have white on the tail and often have white markings on the wings. Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and massive, sharp talons to snatch up a variety of prey, mainly hares, rabbits, and marmots and other ground squirrels.

This two covers were sent together, but i received them separately in span of 3 weeks. Some idiot in Serbian post thought this is for Customs and sent one cover to them. When they saw this cover, they postmarked this cover "Not for custom check" and sent back to post.


Thank you so much, Mihnea!

The Castle Guard on cover from Czech Republic

The Castle Guard (Hradní stráž) is a specific and autonomous unit of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic directly subordinate to the Military Office of the President of the Czech Republic. Its main task is to guard and defend the seat of the President of the Czech Republic at the Prague Castle. Although it's most visible activity comprises of ceremonial duty within the Prague Castle, most of the unit's 650 soldiers are tasked with actual protection of compounds belonging to the Presidential Office, whereby they serve in standard uniforms armed with modern weaponry. Stamp of guard in parade uniform is issued on 5.12.2018.

Thank you, Miška!

The 100th Anniversary of the Armistice in World War I on FDC from Wallis and Futuna

Wallis and Futuna is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast. Though both French and Polynesian, Wallis and Futuna is distinct from the entity known as French Polynesia. Its land area is 142.42 km2 with a population of 11,558 at the 2018 census. Mata-Utu is the capital and biggest city. The territory is made up of three main volcanic tropical islands along with a number of tiny islets, and is split into two island groups that lie about 260 km apart, namely the Wallis Islands (Uvea) in the northeast, and the Hoorn Islands (also known as the Futuna Islands) in the southwest, including Futuna Island proper and the mostly uninhabited Alofi Island.

Armistice Day is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France at 5:45 am, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. Except special postmark for this issue, there is also special postmark for Autumn Philatelic exhibition in Paris.


Thank you so much, Eric!

Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds on registered FDC from Romania

Romanian post issued par of stamps in Europa CEPT 2019 National Birds joint issue of European postal operators. This years theme is one of my favorites, and most of postal operators designed really nice stamps.On first stamp is eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis), a passerine bird in the lark family Alaudidae. It is a wide-spread species found across Europe and Asia with introduced populations in New Zealand, Australia and on the Hawaiian Islands. It is a bird of open farmland and heath, known for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from heights of 50 to 100 metres. The sexes are alike. It is streaked greyish-brown above and on the breast and has a buff-white belly.

On second stamp is golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. Immature eagles of this species typically have white on the tail and often have white markings on the wings. Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and massive, sharp talons to snatch up a variety of prey, mainly hares, rabbits, and marmots and other ground squirrels. Golden eagles maintain home ranges or territories that may be as large as 200 km2.


Thank you, Mihnea!

Flags of the World Series: Denmark

Denmark is a sovereign state in Northern Europe. Denmark proper consists of a peninsula, Jutland, and an archipelago of 443 named islands, with the largest being Zealand, Funen and the North Jutlandic Island. The islands are characterized by flat, arable land and sandy coasts, low elevation and a temperate climate. The southernmost of the Scandinavian nations, Denmark lies southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and is bordered to the south by Germany. The Kingdom of Denmark also comprises two autonomous constituent countries in the North Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Denmark has a total area of 42,924 km2, land area of 42,394 km2, and the total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2,210,579 km2, and a population of 5.8 million.

Stamps on postcard:
Winter Tales, issued on 26.10.2010.
Black Grouse (from set Wild animals), issued on 20.10.1994.
Save the Child, issued on 2.1.2014.
Wavy Lines & Hearts definitive stamp, issued on 2.1.2019.
Wavy Lines definitive stamp, issued on 28.4.2010.


Thank you, Rune!

Special postmark The 100th Anniversary of the March 1st Movement on cover from South Korea

The March 1st Movement was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the rule of Korea by Japan from 1910 to 1945. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First Movement" in Korean.  Movement arose in reaction to the repressive nature of colonial occupation under the de facto military rule of the Japanese Empire following 1905, and inspired by the "Fourteen Points" outlining the right of national "self-determination", which was proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919. After hearing news of Wilson's speech, Korean students studying in Tokyo published a statement demanding freedom from colonial rule. Approximately 2,000,000 Koreans had participated in the more than 1,500 demonstrations. Several thousand were massacred by the Japanese police force and army.

Stamps on cover:
The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Lee Jung-Seop, issued on 1.9.2016.
Grand Crinum Lily , issued on 2.3.2006.
Painted Porcelain Jar (definitive), issued on 2.7.1990.


Thank you, Li Ming!

USA: The Mule Train Mail in Supai, Arizona

Supai is a census-designated place (CDP) in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, within the Grand Canyon. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a population of 208. The capital of the Havasupai Indian Reservation, Supai is the only place in the United States where mail is still carried out by mules. Supai has been referred to as "the most remote community" in the contiguous United States by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is accessible only by helicopter, on foot or by mule. Supai is 13 km from the nearest road and has no automobiles in the community.


Thank you, Trevor!

Flags of the World Series: Jordan

Jordan is an Arab country in Western Asia, on the East Bank of the Jordan River. Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and the east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and Israel and Palestine (West Bank) to the west. The Dead Sea is located along its western borders and the country has a small coastline to the Red Sea in its extreme south-west, but is otherwise landlocked. Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. The capital, Amman, is Jordan's most populous city as well as the country's economic, political and cultural center.

On the back of postcard is nice postmark related to Petra and two definitive stamps dedicated to Arch of Hadrian. Left one is issued on 15.5.1996, and right one is overprinted stamp from 2003, and reissued on 20.7.2017. I received this postcard in April 2019, one year after sending.


Thank you, Lisa!

Joint personalized stamp on cover from Canada

There is many joint issues and many personalized stamps, but joint personalized stamp is not common. As a matter of fact, this is maybe first joint personalized stamp. Stamps is designed by my friend Trevor, and then is same design printed in other countries (Australia, Uruguay, Iceland (not issued-discontinued production of personalized stamps just before this issue), Netherlands, New Zealand, Indonesia, USA). There is also two stamps from set Tourism - From Far and Wide, issued on 14.1.2019.


Thank you, Trevor!

Flag of Central African Republic

The flag of the Central African Republic has been adopted in 1958 and it was designed by president of the Oubangui-Chari province Barthelemy Boganda, a big advocate of partnership with France. The flag consists in total of five stripes, four of which are horizontal and one is vertical. Red, white and blue stripes refer to the colonial past of the country and pan-African colors red, yellow and green refer to solidarity with the other African nations. The red vertical bar that connects the other stripes should commemorate bloodshed during various struggles for freedom. Moreover, at the top of the left part of the flag, a yellow five-pointed star - a symbol of African unity, progress and tolerance, is placed.

Stamps on postcard:
The 100th Anniversary since Gandhi returned to India, issued on 12.10.2015.
Gyps africanus (from set African Birds of Prey), issued on 20.6.2015.


Thank you, Jinesh!