Living Legends of the Philippines

I can almost make out parts of the text in the postmark that would tell me where this came from. But not enough. The stamp on the right commemorates former basketball player Ramon Fernandez. It is from a 2021 souvenir sheet called "Living Legends of the Philippines". And the stamps on the left are definitives that feature phrases in different languages spoken in various regions of the country. It was not immediately obvious to me that this was from the Philippines. I think the Canadian air mail sticker caught me off guard. 

Florianopolis, Brazil

This cover from the Brazilian coastal city of Florianopolis comes to me with three stamps from a sheet of nine from 2020 that feature celestial bodies from our solar system. From left to right, the Sun, Earth and Mars. It's hard to see but the dark lines in the stamps that trace the paths of the planets around the sun are highlighted with a varnish. 

UPU 150th Anniversary, Algeria FDC

The 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) was October 9, 2024. 

Montserrat

Postmarked at the main post office in the town of Brades, which has been the capital of Montserrat since 1995 when the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted and buried the original capital of Plymouth under mud and ash. Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory. It is a Caribbean island of 100 square kilometers in the northern end of the Lesser Antilles chain. Half of the island is uninhabitable because of the volcanic exclusion zone so the island's 5000 residents reside on the north half of the island.

 

The stamps from 2009 feature fruit-bearing trees that can be found on the island. From right to left: tamarind, dwarf coconut, breadfruit, calabash and geiger. 

80th Anniversary of the Battle of Normandy, France

Postmarked at the philatelic bureau in Mende in southern France. The 2024 souvenir sheet commemorates the 80th anniversary of the allies landing on the beaches of Normandy. D-day. June 6. 1944. It was the largest amphibious military landing in history. 

Traditional Weapons of the Philippines

On this cover from Taguig is a set of four stamps from 2024 that feature traditional weapons of the Philippines. From left to right: a sinawit ax, a gunong knife, a kris knife and a falfeg javelin. 

World Post Day, Singapore

The stamps are from a 2020 set commemorating the end of the Second World War and the end of Japanese occupation. The well applied spray-on sorting center postmark commemorates World Post Day which marks the anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union on 9 Oct 1874.

Apia, Samoa

There are hawksbill sea turtles on these 2016 WWF stamps from Samoa. The postmark says it was sent from Apia, the capital of Samoa, but it also says Fagamalo which is a village... on a different island. So I'm not really sure exactly where it was postmarked other than somewhere in Samoa.

Porto Cristo, Spain

The postmark from Porto Cristo on the east coast of Majorca depicts Hams' Caves (Cuevas dels Hams): a system of caves that is a popular tourist destination in Majorca. The stamps from 2007 showcase Spanish fashions held by the Spanish Garment Museum in Madrid.

Onești, Romania

Sent from the Romanian city of Onești. The stamp on the left is from a 2007 set that commemorates Sibiu being designated the 2007 European Capital of Culture. On this particular stamp is the Sibiu evangelical cathedral. On the right are a pair of hunting dog stamps from 2005. And lower left is a 1992 stamp from a set featuring Romanian porcelain. 

Freddie Mercury, FDC Germany

This stamp is the second in Deutsch Post's "Legends of Rock" stamp series. I don't think Freddie Mercury needs any kind of introduction from me. There was a limited edition version of this stamp made of gold selling for €99.90. It has a postage value of €0.85 so it could be used to mail a 20g letter from Germany. Provided you could figure out a way to attach it to an envelope. 

Flowers in Daily Life, FDC Japan

First-day postmarked in Osaka. These are fall greeting stamps from two sheets of ten. The stamp on the left is titled "Around the summer solstice" and the stamp on the right is a dandelion.