Algerian Flora and Fauna

The stamp on the left is a red gazelle, last seen in Algeria in 1894 and declared extinct in 1996. The stamp on the right is a sunflower. The cultivation of sunflowers in Algeria for producing vegetable oil has been gaining interest in recent years as Algeria works towards achieving food self-sufficiency.

 

Åland Architecture

On the 2025 SEPAC stamp from Åland Post is the Åland Lyceum: the senior high school in Mariehamn. Built in 1903, the Swedish manor house style stone building was one of the first of this size in Mariehamn. Pictured in the postmark from Eckerö is the Russian era Eckerö Mail and Customs House built in 1828, now used as a postal museum and art gallery.

Battlefields of the American Revolution, FDC

First-day postmarked in Concord, Massachusetts: home of the Old North Bridge in Minute Man National Historical Park, where a key battle took place between the British and American militia. It is shown on the stamp on the right. The stamp on the left shows the Bunker Hill monument in Boston. These stamps come from a sheet of 15 containing paintings of historical events and photographs of modern-day places and monuments that commemorate the American Revolution. 

Nieuwegein, Netherlands

Some random Dutch stamps on this cover from Nieuwegein, just south of Utrecht. From left to right, a (rotated) stamp featuring an untitled 1994 piece by Koen Vermeule from the 2004 stamp series "Art in Corporate Collections", a 2008 stamp commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Amsterdam Exchange Index, and a 2021 stamp from a set showcasing innovation in the Netherlands.

Ice Age Art of the Swabian Jura, Germany Europa 2025 FDC

FDC postmarked on this cover is the recent Europa issue from Germany. This year the theme is National Archaeological Discoveries and depicted on this souvenir sheet from Germany is ice age figurative artwork discovered in caves in the Achtal and Lonetal valleys of the Swabian Jura mountain range. The caves and surrounding area where these artifacts have been found were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2017.

Switzerland Pro Patria 2025

From the municipality of Gossau in north-eastern Switzerland. The theme for this year's Pro Patria stamps is bissies of Valais. These are historic irrigation channels built by farmers and are mainly found in the Valais canton. Many are still in use. Hiking the trails along the channels is a popular passtime in the region.

Venus Slipper Orchids from China

A set of 2001 Orchid stamps from Suzhou, China. These are Paphiopedilum or Venus slipper orchids. Clockwise from top left: Paphiopedilum dianthum, Paphiopedilum markianum, Paphiopedilum appletonianum and Paphiopedilum malipoense. These plants are highly desired by orchid collectors. 

 

Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan

A pair of covers with Japan Post's Expo 2025 postmarks on them. They have two temporary post offices in operation at the Expo site with one designated East and the other West. The 2025 World Expo is being held between the 13th of April and 13th of October on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, a short distance from Universal Studios Japan.

Rabbits as Pets in Germany, FDC

Apparently there are laws in Germany that regulate the keeping of rabbits as pets. It's a very pro-bunny country from what I've been reading. Anyhow, I like the postmark with the little bunnies. Very cute. At first I thought this was an Easter stamp but I was wrong.

Once again, postal employees in Canada are on strike to demand better working conditions and wages and job security and stuff like that from a company that has lost $3 billion dollars since 2018. I don't see a way in which this ends well for either side. The strike is currently limited to a ban on overtime hours which will delay the mail but should not halt it. 

Resolute Bay, Canada

Resolute Bay is a small remote settlement on Cornwallis Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It sits on the southern edge of the high arctic where the climate is very dry and very cold, with an average annual temperature of -15C. The town was originally the site of a weather station and air base but in the early 1950s, Inuit from Northern Quebec were forcibly relocated to Resolute Bay to promote Canadian sovereignty over the region. Today the settlement has a population of just under 200.

Doraemon Post, Takaoka Japan

Takaoka in Toyama prefecture is the home of Doraemon creator Fujiko F. Fujio (Hiroshi Fujimoto). In the main train station is a Doraemon shaped postbox and all mail dropped off there gets stamped with a Doraemon postmark. The postmark gets redesigned from year to year. This year is the 11th anniversary of "Doraemon Post".

  

Digital Quran, Algeria

This stamp from Algeria commemorates a digital platform called Maqraa that assists with Quarnic education. It is a subscription based service that was created in 2020 during COVID and can be access by a mobile application.