Lighthouses 4.5.2011

A lighthouse is a structure, usually in the form of a tower, that shines a light out to sea to be seen be seafarers. For this reason lighthouses are placed on promontories, in ports and hazardous sea areas. Each lighthouse sends its light in a particular manner over a specified distance, at fixed intervals and duration and in specific colours that are internationally known and recorded in nautical codes.

The three stamps in this series which were issued on 04.05.2011 depict three of the lighthouses of Cyprus; those at Kiti (shown on the FDC below with the minisheet of the stamp), Paphos and Cape Greco. One of the major landmarks in the area, the local lighthouse sits atop the cliffs of Cape Kiti, a couple of miles outside Pervolia. This location marks the southern end of Larnaca bay, and the beginning of the island's rocky south coast. The other FDC (above) shows stamps featuring , The lighthouse in Paphos which is located west of the town's Castle. And, The Cape Greco lighthouse which was built at the end of the cape bearing the same name on the south-east coast of Cyprus. These lighthouses, in their current form, were built in the last quarter of the 19th century and local materials were used in their construction. Today, their conventional operational mechanisms have been replaced with modern solar photovoltaic system, increasing the strength of their light and the range of their visibility from seven to seventeen nautical miles. The operation of these lighthouses is the responsibility of the Cyprus Ports Authority.

EUROPA - Cyprus – Forests 4.5.2011

This year's series "Europe 2011" consists of two stamps of 51 and 68 cent and has "Forests" as its theme. This theme has been chosen by the European Public Postal Operators (PostEurop) and is common to all country-members of this Association.

The forest, as we all know, is an area of large or small trees and bushes that densely cover a relatively large area of land. In contrast with an artificial forest, that is made up of trees planted by man, the natural forest consists of naturally grown trees that have developed on their own and has various names such as thicket, wood, or, if it is a small area, it is known as a spinney.
All natural forests constitute a particular community with their own life. An entire world with trees, all sorts of greenery, various wild animals, large and small birds, reptiles and bugs live in the forest, depending on the characteristics of every region. The trees in the forests differ according to the geographical zone or area. In the cold forests of North Europe, Canada and North America, evergreen coniferous trees are found, whereas n the forests of the temperate zone, where the summers are hot and the winters are cold, broad-leaf deciduous trees dominate the area. In the warmer climates we find the tropical forests, where the tips of the tall trees form a canopy cover, allowing hardly any light to pass through, making it an ideal area where exotic birds of paradise are found.
There are many benefits to a country in having a forest; in addition to their contribution to the economy of a country and the improvement to the residents' standards of living from their direct benefits, forests provide us with oxygen, have an effect on the climate of the area, mitigate extreme heat from the atmosphere, are wind breaks, prevent soil erosion, regulate the movement of surface and underground waters and spread happiness and joy, offering places of pleasure, where the public go to hunt, picnic, camp, walk and enjoy nature. Without the forests, there would be no life on our planet. My Dear friend Merja sent this FDC.

St Vincent – The Grenadines of - Caouan

Canouan is an island in the Grenadines Islands belonging to St Vincent. It is a tiny island, measuring only 3.5 miles by 1.25 miles. A barrier reef runs along the Atlantic side of the island. The highest point on the island is Mount Royal. Two bays, Glossy and Friendship, separate the southern side of the Canouan Island. Canouan lies approximately 25 miles south of St. Vincent which, from 1871 to 1969, was part of the British colony of the Windward Islands. Locals in need of supplies beyond basic staples routinely board cargo ships to make the two-to-three-hour passage to the main Island of Saint Vincent. A fast ferry service for the Grenadines commenced operations in June 2010 which reduces the journey to one hour. In 1979, the island became independent with a secure democratic government based on the British system. History marks more than 200 years before year zero; a cultivated tribe called the Arawaks arrived on bunker canoes to the island. These new residents brought fire-burners, plants and animals, basic farming and fishing skills with them. They lived in peace for 1500 years until a tribe of fierce fighters called the Caribs, invaded and killed the Arawak men and took off with their women.

More than 200 years after Columbus laid eyes on St. Vincent, the Europeans established a kind of permanent settlement. Its mountainous and heavily forested geography allowed the Caribs to defend against European settlement here longer than on almost any other island in the Caribbean. After the Caribs were defeated on other islands they joined slaves who had escaped repression on Barbados by following the current of trade winds westward to St. Vincent, as well as those who had survived shipwrecks near St. Vincent and Bequia. The mixed descendants of the island warriors and the freed Africans (who became known as the Black Caribs), with their common distrust and disgust for the Europeans, proved to be a fearsome foe. The Caribs feared complete domination so they allowed the French to construct a settlement on the island in 1719. The French brought slaves to work their plantations. By 1748, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle officially declared St. Vincent and its surrounding islands to be a neutral island, controlled by neither Britain nor France. The two countries continued to contest control of the islands, however, until they were definitively ceded to the British in 1814. Maria sent this lovely FDC. The four stamps feature The Clinic at Charlestown, The town Jetty, The arrival of the Mail Boat and the Grand Bay at Canouan Island.

Finland - Struve Arc

The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries and over 2,820 km. These are points of a survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. This helped to establish the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. It is an extraordinary example of scientific collaboration among scientists from different countries, and of collaboration between monarchs for a scientific cause. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles with 265 main station points. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points, with different markings, i.e. a drilled hole in rock, iron cross, cairns, or built obelisks. Merja, thank you very much for this wonderful set of FDC, stamps etc.

There are two stamps within each other in the miniature sheet issued in honor of Struve Geodetic Arc, listed in the UNESCO's world heritage list. The round stamp has a Finland formed stamp within - when it is taken off, there stays an other stamp left, with the hole in the middle. On the sheet there is information of the six points which are situated in Finland. Struve Geodetic Arc in its entirety is depicted on the FDC for the miniature stamp sheet. The first day cancellation sketches the figure used in measurement.

Archbishop Makarios 10.9.1977

Merja sent me this impressive FDC, which was issued on 10/09/1977 in order to commemorate the First President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios. It is important to point out that Archbishop Makarios died on 03 August 1977.

Finland – Stamps Issued on 6th May 2011

In Finland, if somewhere it is natural to have a stamp of the motif forest, well this is it. This year the EUROPA series theme is Forests. In this stamp pair the forest issued by Finland on 6.5.2011 are shown in different seasons. The stamp is self-adhesive, still it has an actual perforation. In addition, the background paper has a tear-off zone, facilitating the removal of the paper. This new technology enables the combination of a traditional stamp look and the usability of a self-adhesive stamp. On the same day the popular Finnish author Tove Jansson was further popularized by the issue of these 6 stamps.

Magnificent Moomins! The 2011 Moomin stamps show adventures of the much-loved Moomin characters from Tove Jansson’s picture book “The book about Moomin, Mymble and Little MY”. The different shapes of the stamps bring to mind the intriguing peepholes in the book. The stamps depict Moomin, The Mymble, Little My, Moominmamma, the Hemulen and Hattifatteners. Every stamp has a different form, some have soft edges, the others the angles. Aren’t they all really lovely? The next set of stamps picturised on the next FDC is about the Tree of Happiness.

The Tree of Happiness. Decorate your congratulations, invitations and spring greetings with the sweetest stamps of summer. Finnish Spring and Summer is depicted in these five roundish stamps. Light colours and sweet motifs - for a collector, whose theme is love, nature, summer, even birds! The cheerful miniature sheet of five stamps was designed by Paivi Unenge.

All these FDC’s were sent to me by my dear friend Ella.

Finland - Tall Ship's Race 1972

The term has been in occasional use since at least Shakespearian times:

"The Goodwins, I think they call the place, a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall ship lie buried ...."
Shakespeare - Merchant of Venice

"I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
..."
John Masefield - Sea Fever

and can also be found in folklore with "Mackerel sky and mare's tails make tall ships take in sails" (probably a corruption of "mackerel sky and mare's tails make lofty ships carry low sails").

The Finnish Training Ship Suomen Joutsen is featured on this stamp on the FDC commemorating the Tall Ship Race in 1972. Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland in English) (former names are Laënnec, Oldenburg) is a three-mast, steel hull, full rigged ship. She was built in 1902 in St. Nazaire, France to serve in the trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports. In 1930 she was bought by the Government of Finland to serve as Finnish Navy training ship. Before World War II she made eight long ocean voyages. From 1956 she was a stationary Seamen's School for the Finnish Merchant Navy. Since 1991, she has been a museum ship owned by City of Turku, Finland.

Forests

Around 60 % of Åland is covered by forest. This year’s Europa stamp theme therefore suits Åland Post perfectly! Artist Anette Gustafsson painted the picturesque edge of a forest. More than 40 varieties of trees and shrubs can be found in the Åland forests, roughly speaking. Pine-forests dominate the northern parts of Åland, whereas the southern parts consist of deciduous forests. On main Åland, we mostly find mixed forests. Spruce, pine and yew are three types of conifers native to Åland. Pine is the most common type of tree, both in dense forests and on bare cliffs. Spruce, on the other hand, needs nutritious soil to thrive. Common juniper, a shrub more than a tree, is also common in Åland. In the outer archipelago, junipers grow low, trailing along the cliffs, whereas the ones found in fertile soil are often tall and lofty. Noble trees such as ash, oak, elm, maple and lime tree are relatively common, ash being the most common species native to Åland. Other common types of deciduous trees are birch, alder, aspen, rowan, Swedish whitebeam, bird cherry and Finnish whitebeam. Thank you Ella for this lovely card.

Celebrates 100 Years of Aviation 16 Mar 2011

Centennial Celebrations (SACC) was launched at Singapore Aviation Centennial Evening graced by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. Coordinated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), a year-long calendar of exciting and inspiring events and activities will showcase the many achievements of the aviation industry and the myriad of opportunities it offers. On 16 March 1911, a British Bristol Boxkite biplane took off from the old racecourse (Farrer Park). The Bristol Boxkite piloted by Mr. Joseph Christiaens took flight in Singapore on the evening of 16 March 1911 at around 5.30pm. The aircraft did not arrive here by air, but was carried by sea in crates and then assembled by a squad from the Royal Engineers. An airstrip was prepared at the old racecourse (Farrer Park) for demonstration flights. Over three days, Mr Christiaens performed a variety of flying displays and flew passengers paying $50 each one at a time for ten minutes. The Bristol Boxkite was first built in 1910 by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (later known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company). Powered by a seventy horsepower "Le Rhone" rotary engine, it first flew on 29 July 1910. It went on to become Bristol's first Singapore Aviation Centennial Celebrations were meant to showcase Singapore’s vibrant aviation hub and industry. Singapore celebrated 100 years of aviation on 16^th March, 2011. Singapore aviation has come a long way since Singapore witnessed its first flight exactly 100 years ago.

Depicted on the 1^st local stamp is the first aircraft - a Bristol Box-Kite biplane, piloted by Mr Joseph Christiaens taking off from the racecourse at Farrer Park on 16 March 1911. The 45-cents stamp captured the landing of the Fokker F-VIIA airplane - the first commercial flight into Singapore from Batavia (now Jakarta) at our first civil airport at Seletar on 10 February 1930. Featured on the 65 -cents and 80-cents stamps are the Airspeed Consul at Kallang Airport and the F-15SG against the backdrop of Paya Lebar Airport respectively. The S$1.10 stamp depicted Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380 and the Changi Airport. The Changi Airport had several firsts, including being the world’s largest airport and having the world’s largest column-free hanger at 20,000 square metres when it opened on 29 December 1981. My friend Wang Lee sent me this cover.

Guernsey - Definitives

This Wonderful set of First Day Covers issued by Guernsey, in the Channel Islands were given to me by Maria. The details are as per the info sheets.

Finland – Stamps of 1947 and New Service in 2003

The stamps on these two First Day Covers were issued in 1947. The stamp on the Left in the upper FDC was commemorating The Peace Treaty in Paris, PAX 1947, namely the second year of Peace following WW II. It features Ilmarinen, the ploughman by Akseli Gallen-Kallela 1900. It was issued on 2.6.1947. The second stamp was also issued on 2.6.1947, but, commemorated the Finnish Athletic Festival 1947. Known locally as Suomen Suurkisat, which loosely translates as The Finnisg Games. The first one was held in 1947, it was part of the re-building effort after the Second World War.

The Lower FDC innaugurated the New Stamp Service of Finland Post in 2003. The new service of Finland Post for Finnish Companies (and later for private customers also) was a stamp, the pictorial subject of which and the designing was left to the company itself. The service was available from from 14May 2003. The stamp could feature the logo of the company and/or a photo of the product and a slogan. The first customised stamp of Finland Post, "Amor" was available to collectors at the Philatelic Centres.

Both these FDCs were kindly given to me by my dear friend Pia.

Personalised Stamp 5.4.2011

Thanks to My Dear Friend Merja, now even I feature on a stamp. Not Indian, but a Finnish one. And mind you it isn’t a fake or a fraud. These can be used as regular postage. Some of you will remember that Finland pioneered personalised stamps, way back in 2003.

Singapore – Traditional Wedding Costumes Joint Issue 30.3.2007

Wang Lee My new pal from Singapore sent me this FDC with the pretty stamps, showing the traditional wedding costumes in Singapore and Korea. This was a Singapore Korea Joint Issue on 30.03.2007. I have also place alongside the FDC the info sheet which gives more details.

EUROPA 2011 - Forests.

Stan sent me this lovely First Day Cover. The theme of the 20Kc Europa sponsored stamps is 'Forests'. I understand that many other European countries have also issued stamps with the same theme.

50th Anniversary of Korea-Portugal Diplomatic Relations - joint issue

The year 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Portugal. In celebration and commemoration of this event, Korea Post and its Portuguese counterpart, CTT issued, through collaborative works, a joint stamp issue featuring the old ships of the two countries: Korea's "Turtle Ship" and Portugal's "Nau" on 15.04.2011. The backdrop of the sheet features the painting of Navy Maneuvering (housed in Jinju National Museum) from the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty. Admiral Yi Sun-Shin who anticipated a Japanese invasion conceived turtle Ship Manuel Moreira sent me this nice FDC. The booklet with the stamps adequately describe the Korean Turtle Ship and the Portugese Nau

Antigua - Royal Silver Jubilee

This post is about the Silver Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation. The pictures show the 1977 Antigua Royal Silver Jubilee Booklet SB1 Fine Mint and the lovely stamps commemorating this event. The booklet has a $5 stamp showing the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and also page of six 50 cent stamps of the Queen. There is a page devoted to the Official visits by the Queen between 1952 and 1977. And then there are three pages devoted to Antigua.

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of sixteen independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. As Head of the Commonwealth, she is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations; as the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Elizabeth was educated privately at home. Her father ascended the throne as George VI in 1936. Elizabeth began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. When her father died in 1952, Elizabeth became Head of the Commonwealth and queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Her coronation service in 1953 was the first to be televised.

During her 59-year reign, the second-longest for a British monarch, she became queen of 25 other Commonwealth countries as they gained independence. Between 1956 and 1992, half her realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. Her Silver and Golden Jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002; planning for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 is underway.  

Merja sent me this lovely booklet. Thank you My Dear Friend.

Dahlias 1.4.2011

Ella My Dear friend sent me this wonderful FDC about Dahlias which originate in North America and Mexico, and they were brought to Europe as early as in 16th century. The two incandescent dahlias are easy to pick up from the dark sheet reminding one of the old time wallpaper. On the sheet there are ten self-adhesive stamps, it makes five pairs. Designer of these really innovative stamps is Päivi Viita. These stamps were issued on 1.4.2011.

Two centuries of government buildings

Two centuries of government buildings - a booklet of six stamps By Designer Pekka Piippo. These were issued on 1.4.2011.The pictures of important buildings on the stamps includes one of Embassy of Finland Building in New Delhi. Thank you My Dear Ella for this nice cover.

Tableware 1.4.2011

My Dear Friend Ella sent me this lovely FDC about the famous Finnish designer Kaj Franck who was born a hundred years ago. There was a very good reason indeed for the Finnish Post to publish a miniature stamp sheet depicting his most well-known art works, namely, tableware always actual. Many of these cups and glasses, pots and bowls have been used every day in most Finnish families during the last many decades. As is obvious the stamps on the sheet are of a different size. They were issued on 1.4.2011.

Regional Costumes

Pia sent me these lovely stamps featuring the pretty regional costumes in Finland. The stamps in top row were issued in 1973, the are from (left to right) are costumes from :-

Kaukola 13th century
Jaaski 18th century
Koivisto 18th century
Sakyla 18th century, and
Heinavesi 18th century.

The stamps in bottom row were issued in 1972, the are from (left to right) are costumes from :-

Pernio 11th century
Tenhola 17th century
Nastola 18th century
Voyri 18th century, and
Inari 19th century.

Year of the Rabbit 11.1.2011

These two stamps were issued by Australia Post/Christmas Island to commemorate The Year of the Rabbit 2011. The FDC on top is with the Miniature sheet, and a legend in brief about the Jade Rabbit. The FDC below has the commemorative stamps.
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, 360 km (220 mi) south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and 975 km (606 mi) ENE of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. It has a population of 1,403 residents who live in a number of "settlement areas" on the northern tip of the island: Flying Fish Cove (also known as Kampong), Silver City, Poon Saan, and Drumsite. The island’s geographic isolation and history of minimal human disturbance has led to a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna, which is of significant interest to scientists and naturalists. 63% of its 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi) is an Australian national park. There exist large areas of primary monsoonal forest. Phosphate, deposited originally as dead marine organisms (not guano as often thought), has been mined on the island for many years.

Moldova – First Stamps issued by The Republic of Moldova

The Republic of Moldova - a state in southeastern Europe. Borders Ukraine to the north, east and south, Romania to the west. Capital - Kishinev. On May 23, 1991 the Parliament changed the name of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic to the Republic of Moldova. August 27, 1991 adopted a declaration of independence of the Republic of Moldova, which declared a sovereign state with its capital in Kishinev. Administratively, Moldova is divided into 32 districts, 5 municipalities (Balti, Bender, Kishinev, Comrat Tiraspol) and 1 autonomous territorial unit (Gagauzia). In Moldova, 65 cities and 917 villages. At present, areas located on the left bank Dniester, as well as the municipality of Bender and Tiraspol are under the control TMR. According to preliminary data for January 1 2008 the population of the Republic of Moldova amounted to 3572.7 thousand people (Without TMR and municipality Bender).

The stamps on this First Day Cover and the cover itself were the first postal items issued by Independent Moldavia on 23 June 1991 at its Capital Chisinau (Kishinev). Also the quantities of the issued stamps is not high, so it can make it interesting to collect them. And My dear friend Leisea was kind enough to send this lovely cover to me.

The flag of Moldova was adopted in 1994. Is a tricolor with equal stripes arranged vertically in the following order starting from the flagpole: blue, yellow, red. In the center, yellow stripe is the State Emblem of the Republic of Moldova. The flag of Moldova emblem depicts only the front side.

Coat of arms of Moldavia is the intersection of the shield in its upper part - the red box at the bottom - blue. In the center panel shows the bison's head, flanked by eight-pointed star located to the right of the head - the Five-petalled Rose, left - a crescent inverted and slightly rotated. All the elements on the shield of golden (yellow). The shield is laid on the breast of an eagle holding in its beak a golden cross (Eagle-Crusader), in the clutches: the right - green olive branch to the left - the golden scepter.

One of Moldova's characteristic traits is its ethnic diversity. As early as the beginning of the eighteenth century, Moldovan prince and scholar Dimitrie Cantemir observed that he "didn't believe that there [existed] a single country of the size of Moldova in which so many and such diverse peoples meet."

Cyprus - Europhilex '02 Commemorative Issue

On the occasion of the preparation of Cyprus' accession to the European Union, the Cyprus Philatelic Society organisede, with financial support from the Department of Postal Services of the Ministry of Communications and Works, the Exhibition CYPRUS-EUROPHILEX 02 from 22 until 29 October 2002 in which all the countries of Europe participated. The Department of Postal Services will marked the Exhibition by issuing a special series of stamps with representations of the Myth of Europe from the Cyprus Antiquities. According to the Myth, Europe, daughter of the King of Phoenixia Aginoras, was kidnapped by Jupiter, who transformed himself in to a handsome white Bull and was carried through the ocean to Crete. Before the kidnapping, as Moshos says in his poem (2nd century BC) the Cypriot goddess Aphrodite sent a dream to princess Europe. In her dream Europe saw two women fighting over who would take her with her. The one was named Asia and the other had no name. The continent with no name won. For this reason she was called Europe. This minisheet is all about Aphrodite and her dream. My dear friend Merja sent it to me.

USA - Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (4 June 1867 – 27 January 1951) was the Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defence Forces, Marshal of Finland and a politician. He was Regent of Finland (1918–1919) and the sixth President of Finland (1944–1946). Mannerheim was born in the Grand Principality of Finland, a territory of Imperial Russia, into a family of Swedish-speaking nobles settled in Finland since the late 18th century. His paternal German ancestor Marhein had emigrated to Sweden during the 17th century. His maternal ancestry has its roots in Södermanland, Sweden. He made a career in the Russian army, rising to general. He also had a prominent place in the ceremonies for Tsar Nicholas II's coronation and later had several private meetings with the Russian Tsar. After the Bolshevik revolution, Finland declared its independence but was soon embroiled in a civil war along class lines. The workers overwhelmingly held a socialist ("Red") creed; whereas the bourgeois, farmers, and businessmen held a capitalist ("White") creed. Mannerheim was pointed to be the military chief of the Whites. Twenty years later, when Finland was at war with the Soviet Union from 1939–1944, Mannerheim was appointed commander of the country's armed forces. My Dear Friend Pia sent these wonderful covers.

Malaysia – Artifacts of National Heritage

Budin sent me this historical FDC. Malaysian artifacts of natural heritage First Day cover, posted on April 11, 2011 from Labuan to Yours Truly in New Delhi with arrival postmarked on April 21, 2011 at the back of the envelope. The details about the artifacts are given in the folder shown on the left.

Maisa & Kaarina 1.4.2011

I thought it would be interesting to mention a comic which has been appearing weekly in a Finnish women's magazine Anna for more than 20 years now. Maisa & Kaarina by Sari Luhtanen and Tiina Paju. The strip draws from an odd couple tradition, with two highly different characters who are friends. Maisa is blond, roundish, single and a bit uncertain what she wants from life, vaguely political and highly romantic, while Kaarina is a dark, slim housewife, efficient and cuttingly pragmatic. Kaarina's husband is mostly off-panel or sometimes appears in silhouette, while a couple of other friends of M&K appear every now and then but don't really play a role in the strip.

The themes are mostly the same as the rest of the magazine, food, clothes, makeup, relationships, exercise, some politics and so forth. It probably wouldn't work on too large portions because there isn't that big variety of themes, but there is enough for weekly strips and also for 64-page albums (reading several albums one after the other would be too much though). And even if this reader lacks ovaries or the whole pantyhose experience, it is a good and funny strip, the characters ring true even if they play on stereotypes, and the art is solid and professional. This hilarious FDC was sent to me by my Dear Friend Ella.

Winter Egg by Faberge

Faberge eggs are the most famous decorated Easter eggs. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.
This special Faberge eggs so delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the Faberge firm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter. In later years Nicholas II, Alexander's son,continued the custom. Fifty-sevenFaberge eggs were made in all.

The Winter Egg brought "big money" in modern times as well. In 1949, it was sold for a mere $4,760; but in 1994, it was acquired anonymously at public auction by an American businessman for the record price of $5.5 million dollars. During Christie's Auction on April 19 2002, Faberge scrambled the senses when its "Winter Egg" sold for $9.58 million, breaking the previous record for aFaberge egg at $3 million. "The intrinsic value of the egg is comparatively quite low," says Von Habsburg. "The Winter Egg consists of two blocks of rock crystal – a couple of thousand dollars – a bit of platinum and some three thousand minute rose cut diamonds – another couple of thousand dollars. So all in all, if you break this egg up, what is it worth? Four or five thousand dollars. What are you paying for? The vision and genius of Faberge !" This really exceptional First Day Cover with the Faberge eggs mini sheet is a treasured (for me) gift from My Dear Friend Merja. It was issued on 28.10.2005. It may be mentioned here that the Total print of this sheet was only 200 000 copies, in addition there were 2,500 numbered deluxe copies with real gold and silver embossing used.