Singapore – Indicia RiposteDispatch

The cover shown was issued on 13^th May, 2000. It was to celebrate the First Global Electronic Indicia Mailing. This system of postal tariff was another landmark in postal communication – the world’s first ever global mailing using a full-colour electronic stamp. This communication was prepared using Escher Group’s RiposteDispatch product, and the envelope displayed features the RiposteMark indicia, which was approved as a form of postage by Singapore Post.

RiposteMark consists of technologies which can capure the natural variations in structure and texture of the envelope paper. These natural varieties in the fibres of the paper are used to create a unique identification for each mail item which can be encoded within the indicia mark. This “smart” security prevents duplication of the indicia. Using RiposteMark for data collection and data mining speeds up the detection and location of any attempted fraud.

As well as affording enhanced revenue protection, the indicia solution also preserves the aesthetic advantages of traditional postage while creating a universe of new opportunities.

This rare and unique cover was given to me Mr Ari Lyytinen to whom this cover was addressed.

Czech Republic – Maxi Cards

Stan sent me these three maxi cards issued between the 26^th and 30^th June 2010. The first maxi card is about the Prague Postal Museum. In a small house in a busy neighborhood street hiding one of the most interesting museums in Prague, is the Postal Museum, which celebrates 90 years since its inception. The collection features millions of objects.including the Penny Black. The visitor can admire not only the first adhesive postage stamps in the world - Penny Black, but also a unique blue Mercury - the first newspaper stamps of the world in 1851 by the then Austria served to deliver newspapers and plastered directly on the prints. Stan met Mr Adalf Born (while in Prague), the famous Czech stamp designer, who has been involved in stamp designing for over 50 years. On the 26^th he opened the exhibition of his stamp designs in the Postal Museum. Here is a card with a special “Cat” postmark.

Next is the Baroque Style Pharmacy at the White Unicorn. This Royal Town of Klatovy in South Bohemia celebrated its 750^th Anniversary on the 28^th. And the third maxi card is about new series of self adhesive stamps. The card has a pretty postmark too.

Malaysia - Trains

This very nice first day cover is from Malaysia. The stamps depict the evolution of the Railway train Service in Malaysia. Details of the stamps are on the displayed info sheets. Please click to see an enlarged picture. For any more details please send me an e-mail. Budin My Good friend sent it to me.

USA – Exploration of Mars 10.12.1997

Today is the American Independence Day. And on this day 13 years ago it all happened on the Red Planet. Mars Pathfinder, which brought spectacular images of the "Red Planet" to Earth, conducted its next mission on the surface of a U.S. postage stamp. The U.S. Postal Service issued a $3 Priority Mail stamp commemorating the historic Mars Pathfinder mission. The stamp was officially dedicated in a ceremony at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. on December 10, 1997. "As one of the most significant achievements in the history of America’s space program, it is fitting that the Pathfinder Mission be honoured on a U.S. postage stamp," said Postmaster General Marvin Runyon. "When this stamp lands in stamp collections or on Priority Mail pieces nationwide, it will be a reminder of the unmatched ingenuity that leads the world in space exploration." This stamp is believed to be the largest stamp ever issued by the United States of America.

Based on the first image received from the Mars Pathfinder after its landing on the Martian surface July 4, 1997, the stamp features the Sojourner rover resting on the Pathfinder with a panoramic view of the Ares Vallis region of Mars in the background. Informational text about the Pathfinder mission is printed on the reverse of the stamp sheet. Fifteen million stamps have been printed. "That first historic image of Pathfinder and the rover sitting safely on Mars ignited worldwide interest in our efforts to explore Mars," said JPL Director Dr. Edward C. Stone. "It is an honour for this mission to be recognized by issuance of this special U.S. postage stamp." The Mars Pathfinder stamp is the third U.S. stamp subject to incorporate hidden images to prevent counterfeiting, while adding an interesting design element. The hidden text -- Mars Pathfinder, July 4, 1997 and the letters USPS --is not visible to the naked eye but can be viewed by using a decoder lens, which is available through the Postal Service's Philatelic Fulfillment Centre in Kansas City, MO. Since its Independence Day landing, Pathfinder has returned more than 2.6 billion bits of information, including more than 16,500 images, as well as chemical analyses of rocks and extensive data on winds and other weather factors. After operating on the surface of Mars three times longer than expected, the mission began winding down as daily communications with the lander and rover were officially halted.

Thank you Hemant for this beauty of a miniature sheet.

Austria 9.11.1962 - Monuments

These First day covers and the stamps were issued on 9.11.1962 in Austria to commemorate famous historical sites. Looking from the top we have The Swiss Gate in the Hofburg palace is the most colourful surviving remnant of Renaissance Vienna. Hofburg Palace is a palace located in Vienna, Austria, which has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria. It was the Habsburg's principal winter residence, as the Schönbrunn Palace was their preferred summer residence.

Schloss Esterházy. Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt is one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Austria and provides an impressive insight into the once glamorous life at the court of Prince Esterházy.

And finally the Linz Cathedral. Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately 30 km south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube.

USA – The Salvation Army 2.7.1965

The Salvation Army is now 145 years old. It is an evangelical Christian church known for charitable work. It is an international movement that currently works in 121 countries. It has its International Headquarters (IHQ) at 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, England. It was founded in 1865 in the United Kingdom by William and Catherine Booth as the East London Christian Mission and has a quasi-military structure. William Booth was born in Nottingham in 1829 but was based in London from 1849 where, after working as a pawnbroker's assistant, he set himself up as an itinerant preacher. He died in 1912. The Salvation Army's stated mission is to perform evangelical, social and charitable work and bring the Christian message to the poor, destitute and hungry by meeting both their physical and spiritual needs. The organization claims that its ministry extends to all, regardless of age, gender, colour or creed. Its stated objectives are:

The advancement of the Christian religion as promulgated in the religious doctrines—which are professed, believed and taught by the Army and, pursuant there to, the advancement of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole.

It is sometimes referred to as the "Sally Anne" in Canada and the "Sally Army" or "Sally Bash" in the United Kingdom. In Australia, the full name is rarely used, with the slang abbreviation "The Salvos" displayed even on shop fronts, while in New Zealand they are referred to as "The Sallies". This FDC was sent to me by my friend Hemant.

Melodi Grand Prix (MGP or Grand Prix)

The First Day Cover on the left celebrates the Melodi Grand Prix (MGP or Grand Prix) which is an annual music competition organised by Norwegian public broadcaster Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK). It determines the country's representatives for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1960. The festival has produced three Eurovision winners and nine top-five placings for Norway at the contest. However, Norway holds the record for the number of entries who have come last since entering Eurovision; 10 in all. Despite this, the competition still makes considerable impact on music charts in Norway, and in other Nordic countries, with the 2008 winner topping the Norwegian charts, as well as peaking 8th on the Swedish charts.
The FDC on the right commemorates the national anthem - Ja, vi elsker dette landet (In English it would be: "Yes, we love this country") is the national anthem of Norway. It is commonly referred to as just "Ja, vi elsker" ("Yes, we love"). The lyrics were written by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson between 1859 and 1868, and the melody was written by his cousin Rikard Nordraak in 1864. It was first performed publicly on 17 May 1864 in connection with the 50th anniversary of the constitution. Usually only the first and the last two verses are sung. It would be quite appropriate here to mention a few controversies in connection with the anthem. In 1905 the Union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved after many years of Norwegian struggle for equality between the two states, as stipulated in the 1815 Act of Union. The unilateral declaration by the Norwegian Storting of the union's dissolution on 7^th June provoked strong Swedish reactions, bringing the two nations to the brink of war in the autumn. In Sweden, pro-war conservatives were opposed by the Social Democrats, whose leaders Hjalmar Branting and Zeth Höglund spoke out for reconciliation and a peaceful settlement with Norway. Swedish socialists sang Ja, vi elsker dette landet to demonstrate their support for the Norwegian people’s right to secede from the union. During World War II, the anthem was used both by the Norwegian resistance and the Nazi collaborators, the latter group mainly for propaganda reasons. Eventually, the German occupiers officially forbade any use of the anthem. In May 2006, the multicultural newspaper Utrop proposed that the national anthem be translated into Urdu, the native language of the most numerous group of recent immigrants to Norway. The editor's idea was that people from other ethnic groups should be able to honour their adopted country with devotion, even if they were not fluent in Norwegian. This proposal was referred to by other more widely read papers, and a member of the Storting called the proposal "integration in reverse". One proponent of translating the anthem received batches of hate-mail calling her a traitor and threatening her with decapitation.
These two lovely covers were sent to me by Sissel.