Hessisch Lichtenau, Germany

Christmas stamps, sent to me from the town of Hessisch Lichtenau. Peaceful Christmas on the left. And on the right an Angel bringing a message of great joy, taken from the painting "Annunciation to the shepherds" by Sano di Pietro. Thank you Martin. It was good to hear from you again.

Dawson City, Yukon Territory

New postmark? Maybe. Certainly new to me. Dawson City was known for being at the center of the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890's. With over 1500 residents it is currently the second largest town in Yukon Territory. The stamp commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Summit Series which was an eight game hockey series played between Canada and the Soviet Union in 1972. Canada won. 

Winsen an der Aller, Germany

Historical Postal Routes souvenir sheet from 2020 with a pair of ATM stamps and a cuckoo flower stamp to get to the international letter rate.

Posthorn Anniversary Specimen

I got this in the mail the other day from Norway Post. In the past I've received Christmas postcards and year-end greetings from postal administrations I have purchased stamps from online. Countries like Sweden and Luxembourg come to mind. But this one from Norway is a little different from what I usually receive.

This is an impref Posthorn 150th anniversary souvenir sheet that was mounted in a card with a thank-you note. It was included with a copy of their latest stamp bulletin. Specimen is overprinted across the stamp and I would have rather had an unmarked sheet or perhaps one with a handstamp on it. But no matter. It's an interesting souvenir.

Munich, Germany

A 2022 Baden Misprint stamp from Germany. This one is a single stamps from a sheet. Not the souvenir sheet that I received earlier this month. It's postmarked with a lovely Munich "Victory Gate" postmark. 

Merry Christmas from Austria

A Christmas snowflake stamp first day postmarked in Vienna. The 2022 stamp on the left shows the Pilgrimage Church of Maria Straßengel near Graz

Pardubice, Czechia

Postmarked in the Czech city of Pardubice with a postmark that commemorates 100 years of organized philately. The stamp on the right I've seen on another recent cover. It show the Vlčí jámy ravine and is the bottom half of a souvenir sheet that features beautiful sites in the Czech Republic found in the Ore Mountain region. On the left is a Lily of the Valley definitive stamp from 2018. And in the middle is a Red Chateau in Lhota stamp from 2014.

The Baden Misprint, Germany FDC

First day cover postmarked in Bonn. The 2022 stamp sheet commemorates a very famous and rare stamp error from 1851. The first postage stamps issued by the German state of Baden on 1 May 1851 included a 9 kreuzer green stamp that was supposed to be printed on pink paper. The green was meant to be used for 6 kreuzer stamps. There are only five known examples in existence. Only one copy is unused and was last sold at auction for over €1.3 million.

Andorra la Vella

From Andorra, sent through Spain Post. The 2021 stamp on the right shows Elderflowers. The stamp on the left, also from 2021, commemorates the annual New Years Eve foot race that starts in Sant Julià de Lòria: Sant Silvestre Sant Juliòa de Lòria.

Hidaka, Japan

From the city of Hidaka in the Saitama Prefecture, just north-west of Tokyo. The stamp on the left is from a 1973 set showing ancient wall murals from the Takamatsuzuka Tomb in Nara prefecture. The painting on this stamp is an Azure Dragon or Seiryū. This is a charity stamp and I believe proceeds went to fund the preservation of the tomb. The 2003 stamp in the middle shows a fireman's coat (Haori) from a set commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the Edo Shogunate. And finally, the stamp on the right from 1965 shows Rausu Lake & Mount Rausu at Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaidō.

Borgo Maggiore, San Marino

From the town of Borgo Maggiore in San Marino. The postmark shows the cable car that takes passengers from Borgo Maggiore up to the top of Mount Treito and the City of San Marino. The stamps commemorate the centenary of the birth of Italian children's book author Gianni Rodari.

Norway Posthorn stamps: 150th Anniversary

From Stathelle, Norway. German-Norwegian architect Wilhelm von Hanno designed the first Norwegian Posthorn stamp in 1872. It is the longest running definitive stamp series. At the bottom on it's side is a 1986 International Year of Peace stamp. I like how the postmark was rotated 90 degrees to mark that stamp.