Bantustan Venda

Venda was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, close to the South African border with Zimbabwe to the north, while to the south and east, it shared a long border with another black homeland, Gazankulu. It is now part of the Limpopo province. Venda was founded as a homeland by the South African government for the Venda people, speakers of the Venda language. The United Nations and international community refused to recognize Venda (or any other Bantustan) as an independent state.

I received this mixed Venda cover from South Africa. You can't use Venda stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Venda:
Migratory Birds (complete set), issued on 16.02.1983.
South Africa:
World Environment Day (from set of two), issued on 05.06.1976.
Wildlife - The Big 5 (from set of five), issued on 25.04.2001.

I also received two mint sets of stamps: Sisal Cultivation , issued on 26.02.1982. and History of Writing, issued on 15.06.1982.


Thank you Willy!

Republic of Transkei

Republic of Transkei was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa. Transkei represented a significant precedent and historic turning point in South Africa's policy of apartheid and "separate development"; it was the first of four territories to be declared independent of South Africa. Throughout its existence, it remained an internationally unrecognised, diplomatically isolated, politically unstable de facto one-party state, which at one point broke relations with South Africa, the only country that acknowledged it as a legal entity. In 1994, it was reintegrated into its larger neighbour and became part of the Eastern Cape province.

I received this mixed Transkei cover from South Africa. You can't use Transkei stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Transkei:
Famous People of Medicine (complete set), issued on 05.10.1982.
South Africa:
National Stamp Day - Cape of Good Hope Postal Stones  (from set of five), issued on 09.05.1992.
Wildlife - The Big 5, (from set of five), issued on 25.04.2001.

I also received two mint sets of stamps: Xhosa Women's Headdresses , issued on 28.09.191, and Transkei Post Offices, issued on 11.05.1984.


Thank you very much Willy!

Bantustan Ciskei: Trout Hatcheries

Ciskei was a nominally independent state – a Bantustan – in the south east of South Africa. It covered an area of 7,700 square kilometers, almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian Ocean. Under South Africa's policy of apartheid, land was set aside for black peoples in self-governing territories. Ciskei was designated as one of two homelands or "Bantustans" for Xhosa-speaking people.

I received this mixed Ciskei cover from South Africa. You can't use Ciskei stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Ciskei:
Trout Hatcheries (complete set), issued on 08.06.1989.
South Africa:
Half-collared Kingfisher (from set Kingfishers of South Africa), issued on 31.08.2016.
Masakhane Campaign, issued on 16.09.1995.

I also received one beautiful mini-sheet inside cover: Halley's Comet, issued on 20.03.1986.



Thank you very much Willy!

Republic of Bophuthatswana

The Republic of Bophuthatswana, was a Bantustan (an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity) and nominal parliamentary democracy in the northwestern region of South Africa. Bophuthatswana was the first area to be declared an independent state whose territory constituted a scattered patchwork of individual enclaves. In 1994, it was reintegrated into South Africa, and its territory was distributed among the new provinces of the Orange Free State (now Free State), Northern Cape, and North West Province.

I received this mixed Bophuthatswana cover from South Africa. You can't use Bophuthatswana stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Bophuthatswana:
Easter (whole set), issued on 01.04.1982.
South Africa:
T.S. McEwen (from set Tugboats), issued on 13.05.1994.
The 50th Anniversaries of United Nations & UNESCO, issued on 24.10.1995.
Visit of Pope John Paul II, issued on 16.09.1995.

I also received a few mint Bophuthatswana stamps inside cover:

The 75th Anniversary of Boy Scout Movement and 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Robert Baden-Powell, 1857-1941, issued on 29.01.1982.
Anti-smoking Campaign, issued on 05.03.1980.


Thank you very much Willy!

Postcard from Togo

Togo is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital Lomé is located. Togo covers 57,000 square kilometers, making it one of the smallest countries in Africa, with a population of approximately 7.5 million.

There is no stamp, postcard is prepaid, but it's a nice picture anyway.


Thank you Taouwik!

Åland Islands: Postcrossing meetup postcard with special stamp & postmark

This postcard was sent from Postcrossing meetup in Mariehamn, capital city of Åland Islands, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. This meetup was organized from June 7th to 9th. Postcard, stamp and postmark was specially designed for this occasion by local artist Ammi Krogius, and she even signed this postcard!

Thank you very much Nina!

Seven Wonders of Malaysia's Flora and Fauna

This complete stamp set Seven Wonders of Malaysia's Flora and Fauna represents seven species from Malaysia:

    Lesser Mouse-deer: Kancil (Tragulus kanchil)
    Stingless Bee: Lebah Kelulut (Meliponula ferruginea)
    Wild Betel: Kaduk (Piper sarmentosum)
    Malayan Peacock-pheasant: Merak Pongsu (Polyplectron malacense)
    Common Green Frog: Katak Sawah Hijau (Rana erythraea)
    Asiatic Softshell Turtle: Labi-labi (Amyda cartilaginea)
    Mahseer: Kelah (Tor tambroides)

Every stamp in this set has QR code.  If you scan this stamps, you will be directed to additional online information. This is first time in Malaysian philatelic history. Stamps are issued on 23.08.2016.

Thank you Adila!

Serbia: Ljubičevo Equestrian Games

This new stamp is Ljubičevo equestrian games, and it will be released 01.09.2017.  Ljubičevo Equestrian Games is an equestrian tournament held annually in Požarevac. In 2013, the tournament had its 50th birthday and was a central event in the whole region. The tournament is held during the first week of September.

On the right shore of the river Velika Morava is located one of the oldest stables named Ljubičevo stable. In this place, before the stable was founded, there was a large agricultural property of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia called "Morava". In April 1860, Miloš donated his property to the country. At the same time, Miloš ordered that the stable from a place called Ćuprija is moved to his property, that stable was established earlier by Aleksandar Karađordević. The only thing left in Ćuprija was the branch Dobričevo and by the fall of that year the big stable was built in Ljubičevo and the entire complex was moved there. During the governance of prince Mihajlo in 1866 when the headmaster was Aga Jefta, in the honor of princess Ljubica, wife of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia, the agricultural property was named Ljubičevo.

90th anniversary of the Serbian national airline

After long summer break, this will be first new Serbian stamp - 90th anniversary of the Serbian national airline.
90 years ago, in the Palace of the Adriatic-Danube Bank in Belgrade, Aeroput was founded as the country’s first joint-stock company for civil aviation.At the time it was established, it was the 10th such company in Europe and the 21st in the world. That company founded in 1927, which was originally known as Aeroput and then, from 1947, as JAT, is the eighth oldest airline in the world that still exists.

 

 After 56 years of operation, the company was renamed Jat Airways in December 2003, using this event to promote a new visual identity. Jat Airways was one of the first airlines to obtain a security certificate in 2005. In 2013, Air Serbia was born. On 1st August 2013 the Government of the Republic of Serbia and Etihad Airways concluded an agreement that saw this Abu Dhabi-based airline acquire a 49-per cent stake in Serbia’s national airline.

 The Serbian airline welcomes the 90th anniversary of Serbian aviation as the proud winner of the 2017 Aviation Market Leader prize, which is awarded by Air Transport World (ATW), the world’s leading media monitoring developments in airlines worldwide.

United Kingdom: Star Wars 40th Anniversary

 I finally managed to get this for my collection and I am very happy! The UK’s national post service company, Royal Mail, issued 18 Star Wars stamps on 20.10.2015. The stamps, illustrated by British artist Malcolm Tween, depict nine characters from the first six films and three from the forthcoming episode, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Each portrait is like a Jedi’s vision — showing the future, the past, new things, and different places from the legendary saga.

There is also a Miniature Sheet of six stamps featuring intricately detailed illustrations of iconic Star Wars vehicles, brought together against a backdrop of the dreaded Death Star.

France: The Louvre

The Louvre is one of the world's largest museums and a historic monument in Paris, France. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement. Approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 72,735 square metres. The Louvre is the world's third most visited museum, receiving 7.3 million visitors in 2016.

Stamp is from definitive series Marianne, issued on 01.01.2016.


Thank you Dragana!

Poland: Postcard from Wilamowice

Wilamowice is a small town in southern Poland, situated in the Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship. The endangered language of Wymysorys is spoken here by about 70 native speakers, the majority of them elderly. The language was the main one of the town until the early communist period (1945–1956), when authorities repressed it. The inhabitants identifying themselves with the original culture are Wilamowiczanie.

Postcard arrived in this cover with this definitive flower stamp issued on 15.07.2016.


Thank you Paulina!

Postcrossing cover from Romania

On 24.02.2017 Romanian Post issued Postcrossing stamp, as a 14th postal administration in the world with this favorite stamp theme for us Postcrossers. This cover sent me Mihnea Raducu, whose persistence and commitment to this idea in every step of the way were crucial in bringing this new stamp to life.

Issue Date: 24.02.2017
Designer: Razvan Popescu
Process: Offset
Colours: 4
Stamp size: 48 x 33mm
Value: 4 Lei


Thank you very much Mihnea!

Another postcard from Andorra with mixed stamps

I received another postcard from Andorra with mixed stamps from two different postal administrations. This time with stamps from France and Andorra (French post). Used stamps are:

French stamp: UNESCO "Moenjodaro - Pakistan" (from set of three), issued on 15.11.1980.
Andorran stamp: Coat of arms (stone carving) at the old town hall of Andorra (from set of two), issued on 28.03.1987.

Polar regions preservation on cover from India

I received a cover from India with minisheet Preserve Polar Regions and Glaciers, issued on 19.12.2009. This is a joint stamp issue involving several countries to bring awareness to the effects of climate change. Each issuing administration was permitted to use whatever design they desired so long as it incorporated the crystal snowflake insignia. The original series was started by Chile and Finland and involved several nations with interests in the polar regions. The series ran from 2007 to 2009. Through the UPU, the series was extended in 2010 and 2011 to other nations that had not participated in the initial series.

Rest of the stamps are Samrat Vikramadittya, issued on 22.12.2016. and The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran, 1917-1987, issued on 17.01.2017.


Thank you Bibhudatta!

Europa 2017 Castles on parcel from Romania

I ordered postcards from postcardsmarket.com, and they sent them in this parcel with this nice stamps used for postage, not just a R sticker like most of them. First stamp is Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica), from set Recently Extinct Species, issued on 21.04.2017. Second and third stamps are complete set Europa 2017 Castles, issued on 12.04.2017. First castle is Hunyadi castle, in Hunedoara, and second is Károlyi castle, in Carei.


Thank you Mihnea!

Chinese Dinosaurs

China Post issued big souvenir sheet with six stamps dedicated do dinosaurs find in China. Referred to as a world leading dinosaur nation, China is rich in dinosaur fossils and dinosaur research has developed quickly though it started late. After nearly a century, China now leads the world in paleontological fossil discovery and research, and had named 244 species of dinosaurs by May of 2014, ranking first in the world. Sheet is issued on 19.05.2017.


Thank you Jarod!

Åland Islands: Flag card with special cancellation for Postcrossing meetup

This is my first received postcard from Flags of the World Series, with special cancellation for Postcrossing meetup held in Åland Islands on 09.06.2017. Cancellation is designed by local artist Ammi Krogius.

This triangular shape stamp is dedicated to Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, issued on 09.05.2008.

Thank you Nina!

Malaysia: F1 circuit Sepang with matching stamp

The circuit was designed by German designer Hermann Tilke, who would subsequently design F1 venues in Shanghai, Sakhir, Istanbul, Valencia, Marina Bay, Yas Marina, Yeongnam, Greater Noida and Austin. The circuit was officially inaugurated by the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad on 7 March 1999. With a length of 5.543 km, the track features 15 turns and 8 straights with access speeds of more than 300km/h. The track allows ample opportunities for overtaking, to ensure a race full of suspense and thrill.

 This matching stamp is from set F1 Malaysian Grand Prix 1999, issued on 16.10.1999.


Thank you Bernard!

Switzerland: Europa 2017 Castles

I received a registered cover from Switzerland with stamp set Europa 2017 Castles. On this stamps we can Sasso Corbaro, Montebello, Castelgrande, three castles in Bellinzona.

Castelgrande – depicted on the right-hand stamp – is the oldest of the three castles and was first mentioned in 590. From 1506 it became the seat of the federal governors of Canton Uri.

Castello Montebello is the fortication in the middle. It was built towards the end of the 13th century, just as the Gotthard Pass was becoming the most important route across the Alps. It was home to the governors of Canton Schwyz.

Castello di Sasso Corbaro, shown on the left, is the smallest and newest of the three castles, but enjoys the most elevated position. In 1506 the castle fell into the hands of Canton Nidwalden and remained there until it was passed on to newly founded Canton Ticino in 1803.

This Europa stamps are issued on 11.05.2017. Other to stamps are:
Traditional Swiss Handicrafts (from set of two), issued on 05.05.2011.
DivertiMento, issued on 12.11.2015.


Thank you Mirek!

Coffee cover from India

Scented Coffee stamp in the form of Souvenir sheet was released on 23rd April 2017. The saga of Indian coffee began on a humble note, with planting of ‘Seven seeds’ of ‘Mocha’ during 1600 AD by the legendary holy saint Baba Budan, in the courtyard of his hermitage on ‘Baba Budan Giris’ in Karnataka. For quite a considerable period, the plants remained as a garden curiosity and spread slowly as back yard plantings.

It was during 18th century that the commercial plantations of coffee were started, thanks to the success of British entrepreneurs in conquering the hostile forest terrain in south India. Since then, Indian coffee industry has made rapid strides and earned a distinct identity in the coffee map of the world.

Thank you Akhil!