The Leipzig Autumn Fair 1969

These stamps were issued along with the cover on 27.8.1969 to commemorate the Leipzig Autumn Fair in 1969.

The stamp highlights household goods which was one of themes of this Fair.

Thank you Marco for the FDC.

Moshe Dayan

Moshe Dayan (20 May 1915 – 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953–58), he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel.  He went on to become Defense Minister and later Foreign Minister of Israel.

Moshe Dayan became one of Israel’s most famous men. Moshe Dayan found fame as a military leader associated with victories that were seemingly impossible within the Middle East conflicts. Dayan developed the aura of a military ‘superman’. Dayan’s friendship with Ben-Gurion had elevated him to a high military/political status in Israel. From 1953, aged 38, Dayan was appointed as Chief of Staff. He held the post until 1958. It was Dayan who held military sway in the 1956 Suez Crisis. He attacked Egypt and reached the Suez Canal and the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba in less than one week. Such military success earned him legendary status in Israel. His skill in organising and preparing the army for speedy attacks was seen again in 1967 in the Six-Day War. In this war, Dayan assumed that the Arab nations would attack Israel. Rather than wait to be attacked, he attacked them.

On Monday June 5th, 1967, Israel attacked her neighbours. By June 11th, their military power had been severely weakened. Days prior to the attacks of June 5th, Dayan had been appointed Minister of Defence. The success of the Six-Day War was such that he held this political position until 1974. He oversaw the attacks by the Egyptian forces in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Initially, Israel was taken by surprise. Such was the skill of Dayan, that the war ended in what was an effective stalemate (though many had believed Egypt would be victorious after the success of their initial attacks).

Thank you Merja for this FDC. I have been an admirer of Moshe Dayan ever since the 6 day war of '67, when I was a young Lieutenant in the Navy.

Easter 8.3.2013

The 2013 Easter stamp features a brightly colored rooster that carries a willow catkin in his beak and has an Easter egg at his feet. TheEaster Rooster stamp sheet, designed by Katja Saario and released on 8.3.2013, contains ten 1st class stamps. According to the Finnish Easter tradition, it is the rooster that lays chocolate eggs and hides them for the children to find on Easter Sunday. In church art, the rooster is a symbol of vigilance and endurance, and it stands on the top of the bell tower of many churches. 

Thank you Ella for this lovely FDC.

25 Years of the Berlin Wall

This First Day Cover commemorates the 25^th Anniversary of the Building of the Berlin Wall by the East Germans in 1961. The Berlin Wall(Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.

The Berlin Wall was officially referred to as the "Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart" (Antifaschistischer Schutzwall) by GDR authorities, implying that neighbouring West Germany had not been fully de-Nazified. Marco gave me this card.

Tabil International Exhibition in Tel Aviv 1957

This miniature sheet, Israel's second, was issued to coincide with the Tabil International Exhibition in Tel Aviv. It contains 4 triangular stamps, rouletted.

Depicted on the sheet is a Mosaic showing an allegorical illustration of the sun surrounded by the twelve signs of the Zodiac, from the floor of the Ancient Synagogue of Bet Alfa near Mount Gilboa in the Jezreel Valley. It was discoverd during excavations in 1929.

The show Logo is top left corner of the first day cover,while the Israel Post logo is bottom right. Running stags everywhere, also on the postmarks.

Thank you Merja for this lovely FDC.

Six Finnish actors to get their own stamps 4.3.2013

To celebrate the centennial of the Finnish Actor’s Federation (Suomen Näyttelijäliitto, or SNL),  Itella Posti Oy is released a stamp booklet that features six renowned Finnish actors on 4^th March 2013.  The actors to be immortalized in the stamps are Ritva Valkama, Esko Salminen, Outi Mäenpää, Martti Suosalo, Krista Kosonen, and Aku Hirviniemi.

Klaus Welp, who designed the stamp booklet, decided to approach the subject from a modern perspective that pays tribute to the long tradition of the acting profession. The challenge lay in arranging six artists, all still very much in the limelight, on the same stamp sheet, says Welp. The booklet’s cover also displays SNL’s centennial logo, designed by Arja Karhumaa.

The actors featured on the stamps were selected by Itella’s stamp committee, which is composed of seven members. After lengthy deliberations, they decided that the jubilee stamps should feature popular actors from various generations – actors who represent the entire spectrum of their profession in theaters, films, and television, says Petri Aaltonen, who chairs the stamp committee.

Each actor was involved in the illustration of their own stamp by choosing a performance or role that was particularly meaningful for them. The roles featured on the stamps have also been memorable for audiences.

• Ritva Valkama’s choice fell on a picture from the play Ihmisen osa, which has been running at Helsinki City Theatre since 2011.
• Esko Salminen’s stamp features a photo from a performance of King Lear, which ran at the Finnish National Theatre in 2005.
• Outi Mäenpää settled on a picture of her role in the movie Black Ice, which had its premiere in 2007.
• Martti Suosalo’s stamp features a photo of him performing the one-man show Diary of a Madman, which has been staged in several different theaters since 2009.
• The picture in Krista Kosonen’s stamp shows her in her role as Anna Karenina; the play ran in Turku City Theatre in 2010.
• Aku Hirviniemi’s picture depicts him in his role as construction superintendent Timo Harjakainen – Hirviniemi’s creation for the sketch character competition in MTV3’s Putous show in 2011.

Thank you Ella for the lovely FDC. 

Architecture 7.4.1982

This third issue in a series depicting architecture issued on 7^th April, 1982, with: Alberton, Auckland; Caccia Birch, Palmerston North; railway station, Dunedin; and the post office, Ophir. This lovely FDC was given to me by my dear friend Maria.

Alberton, Auckland - 20c
Built in 1867 by Allan Taylor who came to New Zealand as a boy, having lived in India and Scotland.  Essentially, 'Alberton' was a farmhouse, with a timber frame and gabled building of 11 rooms with a verandah and open balcony.  Additions were made in the late 1860s and again in 1890, giving 'Alberton' much of its character and uniqueness.  Today, 'Alberton' retains its Victorian furnishings without much change.  It shows clearly how a 19th century land-owning family lived.

Caccia Birch, Palmerston North - 25c
Located by the Hokowhitu Lagoon, 'Caccia Birch' began as a modest dwelling in 1893 and was added to throughout the years.  From 1921, the property was owned by the Caccia Birch family who gave it to the Government in 1937.  It was used for various purposes and for a period served as a convalescent home until made available to Massey University.

Dunedin Railway Station - 30c
Built in 1904 at a cost of $239,000, it is regarded as the city's grandest public building.  The station has a most unusual ticket office with white tiled walls, ceramic panels and a mosaic floor depicting Victorian railway engines.

Post Office, Ophir - 35c
Built in 1886, is of considerable historical and architectural interest to Central Otago.  The interior retains the atmosphere of the early days and still has a postal box of the Victorian period.  The post office is now under the control of the Historic Places Trust.

Centenary of Feilding and the International Year of Disabled Persons 4.2.1981

This first day cover commemorates not one but two events, as would be apparent by the two stamps on it.

Centenary of Feilding - 20c
1981 marked the centenary of the Constitution of Feilding as a Borough.  The town was named after the Honourable Colonel William Henry Adelbert Feilding, 1836-1895, son of 7th Earl of Denbeigh.  Feilding is a community serving the rural area of the upper Manawatu and has a population of about 13,000.  A main feature of the borough is the stock sale yards which play an important part in the agricultural and pastoral activities of the district.

International Year for Disabled Persons - 25c
The United Nations designated 1981 as a special year to recognise the large numbers of disabled people in the community.  The theme of the International Year was "Full Participation and Equality".  The official emblem chosen represents two people holding hands in solidarity and support of each other in a position of equality.  It symbolises equality, hope and support.  The surrounding leaves are taken from the United Nations emblem.

Thank you Maria for this nice FDC.

Leipzig Autumn Fair 1968

The Leipzig Trade Fair was a major fair for trade across Central Europe for nearly a millennium. After the Second World War, its location happened to lie within the borders of East Germany, whereupon it became one of the most important trade fairs of Comecon and was traditionally a meeting place for businessmen and politicians from both sides of the Iron Curtain.

The history of the Leipzig fairs goes back to the Middle Ages. A fair held at Leipzig is first mentioned in 1165. In 1190 Otto the Rich, margrave of Saxony instigated two trade fairs in Leipzig, at Easter (Jubilate) and Michaelmas. No other fair was to be held up to a mile away (Marktbann), and the bridges and streets were freed from toll. The Michaelmas fair was held at the church of St. Nikolai, built in 1176. At this time, there were fairs at other Saxon towns like Freiberg, Leisnig, Pegau and Regis as well. In 1268 all foreign merchants travelling to or living in Leipzig got safe conduct for their persons and their goods, even if their Rulers were at war with Saxony. This led to the settlement of numerous merchants in Leipzig. Trade goods now included herring, cloth, wine and pepper.

The Leipzig Opera traces its establishment to the year 1693, making it the third oldest opera venue in Europe after La Fenice (Venice, Italy) and the Hamburg State Opera (Hamburg, Germany). The director of many of those early operas was Telemann.

The Leipzig Opera does not have its own opera orchestra, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra performs as the orchestra for the opera. This relationship dates back to 1766, with performances of the Singspiel Die verwandelten Weiber, oder Der Teufel ist los by Johann Adam Hiller. During an air raid in the night of December 3, 1943, the theater was destroyed, as were all Leipzig's theatres.

During the Leipzig Fair in 1968 a Model Train exhibition was held in the Opera House. This stamp and the FDC were issued to commemorate the event. The Opera House is depicted on the special cancellation and so is the Double M which is the logo of the fair.Thank you Marco for this nice FDC.

Fruit 8.3.2013

Three popular Finnish garden berries have been chosen as the theme for the roll of a hundred stamps were issued on 8.3.2013. The photo-realistic 1st class stamps, designed by illustrator Ossi Hiekkala using acrylic technique, portray the blackberry, the gooseberry, and the red currant. The layout of Garden Berries is designed by Heikki Sallinen.

25th Anniversary of Scott Base in 1982

The first stamps inscribed Ross Dependency were issued on January 11, 1957, in conjunction with the New Zealand Antarctic Expedition, led by Sir Edmund Hillary (part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition). Before the expedition left New Zealand, on 23 November 1956, Hillary had been appointed postmaster. When the expedition chose the site for Scott Base, a post office was established, initially in a tent. The initial set of stamps consisted of four stamps, in the denominations 3d, 4d, 8d, and 1s 6d. When New Zealand adopted a decimal currency in 1967, the stamps were reissued in denominations of 2c, 3c, 7c, and 15c.

A new definitive set, consisting of six stamps denominated 3c, 4c, 5c, 8c, 10c and 18c was issued in 1972. The next set, issued in 1982 to mark the 25th anniversary of Scott Base, consisted of 5c, 10c, 20c, 30c, 40c and 50c stamps were issued on 20th January 1982.

The post office at Scott Base was closed in 1987 as part of the rationalisation of New Zealand Post. Mail from the base was handled in Christchurch, and the issuing of “Ross Dependency” stamps ceased.

The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160° east to 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60° south. New Zealand's claim to the region was formalized in 1923, when the Governor-General of New Zealand was appointed as the Governor of the Ross Dependency by an Imperial Order in Council made in London, United Kingdom. Since the Antarctic Treaty came into force in 1961, Article 1 of which states "The treaty does not recognize, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims; no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force", most countries do not recognise territorial claims in Antarctica.

The Dependency takes its name from Sir James Clark Ross, who discovered the Ross Sea, and includes part of Victoria Land, and most of the Ross Ice Shelf. Ross Island, Balleny Islands and the small Scott Island also form part of the Dependency, as does the ice-covered Roosevelt Island.

The scientific bases of Scott Base (New Zealand) and McMurdo Station (USA) are the only permanently occupied human habitations in the area, though Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is partially within the territory and dependent on logistics operations based in New Zealand. The Dependency has a snow runway at Williams Field, and depending on conditions and time of year, two Ice Runways. This guarantees accessibility by wheeled and ski equipped aircraft year round.

Thank you Maria for this lovely FDC.

New Zealand Rivers

Four New Zealand rivers featured in the 1981 Scenic Stamp Issue. There are two from the North Island - the Kaiauai and the Mangahao - while the Shotover and the Cleddau are from the South Island. Thank you Maria. These are lovely stamps indeed on the FDC.

Kaiauai River - 30c
The Kaiauai is one of the many streams radiating from Mt Egmont /Taranaki, featured in the background of this stamp.  The actual source of the Kaiauai is between Egmont and one of the two secondary volcanoes, now appearing as much eroded remnants, which form a shoulder on Egmont's northern slopes.

Mangahao River - 35c
Like most large New Zealand rivers and streams, the Mangahao is stocked with trout.  The river rises in the Tararua mountain range, flows down the eastern side of the mountains, then flows north-eastward through farmland into a major North Island river, the Manawatu.  Mangahou and not Mangahao is the correct Maori name for this river.  Many pioneers found difficulty with the pronunciation of Maori place names and in time corrupted pronunciation such as this passed into written form and common usage.

Shotover River - 40c
This stamp depicts the Shotover River flowing south between the Coronet Range (at rear left) and Brown Peak (rear centre) in the Otago Province.  Although unsuitable for fishing, the river attracted thousands of people in the 1860s when gold fever struck.  The Shotover was to yield some fabulous returns, and a tributary of the Shotover, Skippers Creek, became known as the richest creek in the world.

Cleddau River - 60c
Over several mountain ranges to the west of the Shotover lies the Cleddau River which flows north-westward into Milford Sound.  The area is well known for its breathtaking alpine and fiord scenery, attracting tourists from all over the world.

VII Congress of The Socialist Unity Party of Germany

The FDC shown was issued to commemorate the VII Congress of The Socialist Unity Party of Germany held from 17th to the 22nd April 1967.

The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), in English widely referred to as the East German Communist Party, was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany, GDR) from the formation of the Republic on 7 October 1949 until the 1989 revolution, which culminated in the free elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology, considered to be Stalinist in the first years of the GDR's existence. Under its rule, the GDR functioned nominally as a multi-party state with elections that were neither free nor fair, with the SED playing a central role. Other parties in alliance with the SED were the Christian Democratic Union, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Farmers' Party, and the National Democratic Party. In the 1980s, the SED rejected the policies of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, such as perestroika and glasnost, maintaining its central role in governing the state. The Party maintained this stance until the collapse of the GDR in the autumn of 1989.

The party's dominant figure from 1950 to 1971, and effective leader of East Germany, was Walter Ulbricht. He was succeeded by Erich Honecker, who only stepped down during the 1989 revolution. The party's last leader, Egon Krenz, was unsuccessful in his attempt to retain the SED's hold on political governance the GDR, and was sentenced to prison after the German reunification.

East Germany was viewed as an illegitimate Stalinist puppet state by much of the population, and the SED party was regularly referred to as "the Russian party."

On 16 December 1989, the SED was dissolved and refounded as the Party of Democratic Socialism, abandoning Marxism-Leninism and becoming a mainstream democratic left party. In 2007, the party merged into The Left. Thank you Marco for this FDC.

Roses 8.3.2013

A 1st class stamp suitable for congratulation cards was issued on 8^th March 2013. The theme was inspired by the traditional dark red granny’s rose. Designed by the renowned postage stamp artist Kaarina Toivanen, the Roses stamp is traditional and modern at the same time. It is a close-up of two rose blossoms on a rose branch with water droplets on the petals.

Thank you Dear Ella for this lovely First Day Cover.

Spring Festival in Marzahn in 1981

Hans-Hermann Schlicker is a German graphic artist, painter and book illustrator.

Hans-Hermann Schlicker grew up in Leipzig on. After his release from American captivity in late 1946, he returned back to his home and took his A-levels. Then he studied at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig. Later he became a master student at the Academy of Arts in Berlin. Since 1956 he has worked as a freelance artist. His work includes numerous book illustrations, theater posters (eg for the German Theatre in Berlin), press drawings, prints, portraits and watercolors. He also illustrated some of the popular books in the GDR youth magazine series The New Adventures. Many of his watercolors are inspired by long-distance travel, but also through theater scenes.

Since 1992 he was responsible for the Berlin newspapers and books published miniatures of buildings in Berlin. He now lives in Bad Pyrmont. This cover commemorates his Berlin Miniatures during the District Spring Festival in a suburb of Berlin – the new town created by the communists in the ‘70s to overcome the acute shortage of housing in Berlin.

Thank you Marco for this cover.

Royal Wedding29.7.1981

Maria sent me this lovely First Day Cover commemorating the Royal Wedding on 29.7.1981. Like many other British Commonwealth countries, New Zealand issued stamps to commemorate the Royal Wedding of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, the Princess of Wales in July 1981.

Two se tenant stamps, one stamp depicting the Royal couple, with the other depicting St Paul's Cathedral, London where the wedding took place.

Freedom from Hunger 21.3.1963

Freedom from Hunger (established in 1946) is recognized for fighting hunger with innovative self-help programs. An international development organization working in nineteen countries across the globe, Freedom from Hunger is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, nonsectarian organization. All donations to Freedom from Hunger are fully tax-deductible.

First known as Meals for Millions, the organization that developed and introduced Multi-Purpose Food, a high-protein powdered food supplement still used today in relief efforts around the world. In the 1970s, Freedom from Hunger began implementing Applied Nutrition Programs, focusing almost exclusively on the health and nutrition of mothers and children. In 1988, Freedom from Hunger developed the world's first integrated microcredit health and nutrition education program. As of December 2009, 1,304,802 women were participating in Credit with Education in 15 countries around the world. This number has more than tripled since 2005.

The stamps on this first day cover were issued to highlight this effort to alleviate the curse of hunger around the world. Cyprus was one of the few other countries to issue stamps for this cause. Thank you Merja.

Finnish Outhouses 8.3.2013

The Prettiest Outhouses stamp booklet was issued on March 2013. The motifs were chosen in a photo contest arranged by the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper and Itella Posti Oy. The judges chose the prettiest Finnish outhouses from among more than 500 candidates. The four winners are located in different parts of Finland: Uusikaupunki, Polvijärvi, Mustasaari, and Kerimäki. One of the judges, graphic artist Satu Lusa, has designed 2nd class stamps of the winning photos, emphasizing a cozy summer cottage atmosphere.

Finland is known for both its ecological designs and its outhouses. Most summerhouses in Finland still have traditional outhouses, with no plumbing and some are quite elaborate. It will be interesting to see if Finnish designers can create an outhouse design for export to the world. 

Thank you Ella.

"Falcon" cruises on the Danube

150 years ago was started a regular passenger transport service on the Danube River between Vienna and Budapest. This Hungarian FDC shows four of the set of seven stamps issued on 25.11.1981 to commemorate the "Falcon" cruises by the Danube Commission, and the flags of the countries on the route are also displayed on the stamps. Thank you my friend Karoly for this lovely First day cover. The stamps were 1 HUF stamp "Francis I" (1830), the 2 HUF stamp Széchenyi (1853), 8 HUF stamp "Rákóczi" (1964) are shown on the FDC.

NEW ZEALAND 1982 Palmpex '82 National Stamp Exhibition.

This cover was used to promote the Stampex82 exhibition which would happen nearly two years later.

Palmpex '82 National Philatelic Exhibition - Palmerston North - City of Roses. It was stamped with the new 20 cent rose overprinted stamp.

The postage label depicted under the Rose stamp on the cover was issued to commemorate the Palmpex’82 National Stamp Exhibition held at the Centennial Convention Centre in Palmerston North on 15-23 May 1982. Incidentally Palmerston is known as the City of Roses, for obvious reasons.

The 20c Rose overprint and the FDC were issued in 1980 in order to popularise and publicise Palmex’82.

Thank you Maria for this FDC.

20th Anniversary of U.N.E.S.C.O - The Three Wise Men

The representatives of 37 countries met in London in 1945 and on November 16 signed UNESCO’s Constitution. A year later, after ratification by 20 signatories on November 4, 1946, the Constitution came into force and UNESCO was born.

 
Cyprus issued this stamp and the FDC on 8.11.1967 to commemorate the Organization’s 20th anniversary.  The three wise men have been depicted on the 75m stamp. Thank you Dear Merja for this nice FDC.

Christmas 14.11.2012

The 2012 Cyprus series dedicated to Christmas comprises of a commemorative sheet and two stamps depicting the Virgin and Child. These icons are from the occupied areas of Cyprus and are currently being exhibited at the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation.

The ˆ0,68 commemorative sheet depicts the Virgin Mary Enthroned between St George and St Nicholas and at the bottom are the benefactors of the icon. The icon is dated to the 16th century over-painted with the benefactors in a renaissance style dated to the first quarter of the 17th century.

The ˆ0,22 stamp depicts the Virgin holding the Child in a wooden throne dated to the end of the 15th century - beginning of the 16th century.

The ˆ0,51 stamp depicts Panayia Odigitria (The Guiding Virgin) half section, from Panayia Church in Lysi. The icon is attributed to Chrysanthos, an artist of the Ayios Eraklidios School and is dated to the end of the 18th century.

Thank you very much Dear Merja for this fantastic FDC set.

Children and the Sea 6.10.1980

1980 Health Stamp Issue had a "Marine Environment" theme with the designer depicting various methods of fishing. 

The proceeds of the 'Health' value of health stamps were donated to the Children's Health Camps movement.

14c + 2c x 2

Two se tenant stamps depicting two children wharf fishing and another surf-casting. And the third,

17c + 2c
Underwater spear-fishing. 

Thank you Maria for this lovely FDC.

Government Life Insurance 3.6.1981

Special stamps for use solely by the Government Life Insurance Office were first issued in 1891, a lighthouse being incorporated into each stamp design. The inclusion of a stylised lighthouse on the 1981 Government Life stamp issue continued a theme that had always appeared on Government Life stamps since their inception.

The first stamps issued in New Zealand that did not feature Queen Victoria were the 1891 Government Life Insurance Office's stamps, which featured a lighthouse. All subsequent issues also had depictions of lighthouses, which were a 19th-century symbol of insurance. The 1981 issue marked a radical departure with a highly stylised and colourful design as seen on the six stamps on this impressive cover given to me by my dear friend Maria.

1967 EUROPA CEPT Wheel 2.5.1967

The stamp on this First Day Cover dated 2.5.1967 depicts Cogwheels. The EUROPA CEPT Wheel has 22 teeth, one tooth for each 1967 members of CEPT. Designer was Oscar Bonnevalle a Belgian.  Thank you Merja for this nice FDC.

Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge and Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul(Jointly issued by China and Turkey) - Special Stamps

On November 26, 2012,China National Philatelic Corporation issued a set of two special stamps and a First Day Cover  titled "Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge and Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul" with a total face value of 2.4 yuan. This was a Joinbt Issue between Turkey and China.

Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge, in Eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, connects Taizhou City in the North to Zhenjiang and Changzhou cities in the South, playing a vital communications role in the Yangtze River Delta area and contributing to the expressway network of Jiangsu. Running 62 kilometres in length  with a cross-river main span of seven kilometres, it is a massive suspension bridge that includes three towers and two spans. Designed according to the standard of a two-way six lane expressway, the bridge was expected to be complete by 2012.

Bosphorous Bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, spans the Bosphorous Strait, which connects Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and Mediterranean Sea. Linking Europe and Asia, it measures 1560 metres in length and 33 metres in width. The bridge deck is wide enough to accommodate six lanes of traffic and high enough to allow various ships to pass underneath. The bridge was built in 1973.

Thank you Munu for this lovely FDC. 

Endangered Species

On 15 April 2010, the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued a set of 12 stamps depicting endangered species. These were the eighteenth set of stamps in UNPA's multi-year Endangered Species series. The series was launched on 3 March 1993 to highlight the need for the protection of endangered species throughout the world. In 2010 the endangered species featured a variety of plants, cacti and trees.

UNPA issued three sheets of 16 stamps, one sheet in each of the three currencies. Four different endangered species were illustrated on each sheet; hence, 12 species were covered.  

The 2010 Endangered Species stamps were designed by Rosie Sanders (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Ms. Sanders started as a freelance botanical artist in 1974. She has been awarded five Royal Horticultural Society gold medals and won the Royal Academy miniature award in 1985. She has produced numerous books, the most important of which is The English Apple, published by Phaidon Press in 1988 and due to be republished in 2010 by Frances Lincoln.

Ms. Sanders has been commissioned to do commemorative paintings for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her Majesty The Queen Mother, the Royal Horticultural Society and the Royal National Rose Society. She has been commissioned to do several sets of stamps depicting wild flowers, fruits and orchids. These are her first stamp designs for the United Nations.

Thank you Hemant for this lovely FDC. This cover is a Limited Edition FDC of the UN Postal Administrstion. A point to note here is that each of the three stamps has been cancelled by a distinctive postmark of the three cities from which UN stamps are issued, namely, New York (in English), Vienna (in German) and Geneva (in French). 

Beautiful New Zealand

Each year from 1972 the New Zealand Post Office has issued a scenic or tourist set of stamps to show the beauty of our country. One of the most famous of these sets was issued in 1983. It was called Beautiful New Zealand and was very popular with overseas collectors. That, New Zealand - from its coastline to its high country, from bush-fringed bays to majestic peaks - is a land of great and diverse beauty is amply demonstrated by these four lovely stamps on this First Day Cover issued on 1^st June, 1983.

Mt Egmont / Taranaki - 35c
Mount Egmont which is located on the West Coast of the North Island is an andesite (mineral rock) volcano characterised, like Fujiama in Japan, by its symmetrical cone.  Mount Egmont is regarded as a dormant volcano having last erupted about 350 years ago.  The peak rises to 2518 metres from the plains of the surrounding province, Taranaki.

Egmont was named in 1770 by explorer James Cook as he sailed past but the Maori name Taranaki (Barren Mountain) was given equal and official status in 1986.

Cooks Bay - 40c
Cooks Bay is a popular summer resort situated on the Coromandel Peninsula on the East Coast of the North Island.  Locally, the sandy cove is known as Cooks Beach.  The whole area is picturesque with golden beaches, sparkling water and native pohutukawa trees.

Lake Matheson - 45c
Lake Matheson is a small bush-surrounded moraine lake on the north side of the Clearwater River near Fox Glacier on the South Island's West Coast.  The lake was formed by the retreat of Fox Glacier some 14,000 years ago which left behind a massive slab of "dead" ice insulated by a deep layer of moraine gravel.  In time, this separated from the mainstream of the glacier, the ice melted and the lake was created.

Lake Alexandrina - 70c
Lake Alexandrina is a small and beautiful satellite of Lake Tekapo in South Canterbury.  These lakes are just two of a number of glacial lakes in the South Island McKenzie country.  Lake Alexandrina is a wild life refuge, an exceptional trout fishing resort, and home for the South Island Acclimatisation Society.

Thank you My Dear Maria for this superb FDC.

Wine Festival of Limassol 22.9.1967

The Wine Festival of Cyprus is an annual festival in Limassol, Cyprus that celebrates wine and winemaking. The festival was first organized in 1961 and since then it has become an established annual event of merrymaking and fun, in which the citizens of Limassol are not the only participants; visitors come also from every part of Cyprus. Its reputation is spread beyond the geographic boundaries of the island. In September of each year, Limassol becomes the attraction of thousands of locals and tourists who visit the Municipal Garden to enjoy the Wine Festival with the motto 'Drink wine, it gives you life!'. They become the protagonists of the Festival banishing from their minds all concerns and worries, free from social conventions or protocols, in an atmosphere of unconditional fraternization, generated by the effects of free wine provided by local wineries ETKO, KEO, SODAP and LOEL. The Wine Festival can be regarded as a variant and a revival of ancient festive manifestations of worship in honour of Dionysus, the god of wine, and Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. During these feasts people worshiped their gods, but primarily enjoyed themselves.

Thank you Merja for this nice cover with the very appropriate and pretty postmark.

Valentine's Day 21.1.2013

Sweets are an essential part of St. Valentine’s Day all over the world. Designer Sini Henttonen’s St. Valentine's Day stamps feature playful landscapes composed of sweets. The Sweet St. Valentine’s Day booklet contains six 1st class stamps and four stickers for brightening up letters and cards with.“The oval form and bright colors emphasize the candy-like, playful nature of the stamps,” explains Ms. Henttonen, who will receive her MFA from the Finnish Aalto University in the spring.

Thank you Dear Ella for this lovely FDC with the impressive minisheet of six stamps and the cute maxicard issued by Finland this year on Valentine's Day.