From Yokohama, Japan. The stamps are from a set of five marking the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese control. The stamp on the left represents the culture and entertainment of Okinawa and the stamp on the right represents its history. The US occupied the islands after the end of the Second World War and maintained control of them until 15 May 1972.
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
The Return of Okinawa, 50th Anniversary FDC Japan
Friday, May 20, 2022
Hong Kong
From the Hong Kong town of Ma On Shan. The stamp on the left shows the small island Po Pin Chau on the eastern edge of Hong Kong. And the two on the right are 2022 stamps from a set commemorating the third anniversary of the ambitious Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outline Development Plan. The goal is to integrate these cities around the bay into one large business hub. The area already accounts from something like 12% of China's GDP and 37% of the country's exports.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
From Somewhere in Greece
I know it's from somewhere near Athens but I can't make out the postmark to know exactly. The stamp on the left is a Dusky Grouper from 2012 and on the right is an anti-bullying stamp from 2020. I believe this one specifically deals with social isolation.
Friday, May 13, 2022
Ernest Shackleton Postmark
From Germany. The postmark commemorates Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton died of a heart attack on 5 January 1922 in South Georgia at the start of the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition. The stamp on this cover was issued in 2001 and shows an image of the RV Polarstern: Germany's polar research vessel.
Saturday, May 7, 2022
Polar Lights FDC, Germany
FDC postmark on a Polar Lights stamp from Germany. Specifically the Northern Lights over Lofoten, Norway. It is the latest stamp in a series that feature celestial events. The 5c definitives on the left are waterlilies but if you look closely you'll notice the flowers are actually made of letters and pencils. Smart. All are 2022 stamps with new matrix codes.
Friday, April 29, 2022
TAAF, Martin-De-Vives
I'm pretty sure I sent this to the Crozet Islands but it came back from St Paul. The stamp at the top shows the Meurthe at Crozet Island so I'm pretty sure I would have sent this there. No matter. Came back intact. Signed by the station postmaster Christophe Bouchet. Also stamped by Romane Nespoulet who mentions her stamp in her blog.
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
100th Anniversary of the Birth of Yun Yong-ha
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Christmas in Whanganui, New Zealand
Monday, April 18, 2022
Vieux-Port De Montréal, Canada
Saturday, April 16, 2022
Stone Chickens from Austria FDC
The stamp on the right has a pair of Steinhendl (Stone Chickens) on it, cancelled with a first-day postmark. Steinhendl is an old breed of chicken that used to be found on farms in the Eastern Alps but it is nearly extinct today. The Stone chicken is a good flyer and I guess it makes more sense to raise chickens that can't easily get away.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Brazilian Anurans
Anurans: frogs and toads. These three stamps are from a set of five issued in Brazil in 2021. From top to bottom: a Striped tree frog, a Manaus slender-legged tree frog, and a Monkey tree frog.
Monday, April 11, 2022
Concordia Station via Dumont D'Urville, TAAF
Friday, April 8, 2022
USA Year of the Tiger FDC
Not only does this cover feature a USPS digital color postmark but the two stamps on the right are not die-cut. USPS have been making press sheets of self-adhesive commemorate stamps available without die-cuts for collectors but apparently they sell out quickly.
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Beneficial Insects of Brazil
Three stamps from a set of six issued by Correios in December of 2021. Each stamp represents a group of beneficial insects using watercolour and coloured pencil artwork. From top to bottom: bees, dragonflies and praying mantis.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Taguig, Philippines
From the City of Taguig which is part of the Manilla metropolitan area. The stamps were a 2019 joint issue with Singapore celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. On the right is a Common rose butterfly which is the national butterfly of Singapore. And on the left a Luzon lacewing butterfly which is endemic to the Philippines. The stamp values and "Philippines" are printed in red foil. The stamps are much nicer than they appear in this scan.
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Le Bardo, Tunisia
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Padova, Italy
Friday, March 18, 2022
Titanic Centenary stamps from Åland
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Sjöbo, Sweden
Friday, March 11, 2022
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Biella, Italy
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Marsa, Malta
Stamps from left to right are an "Occasions" stamp from 2010, a definitive stamp from 2009 and a Healthcare Heroes stamp from 2021. Marsa sits a short distance southwest of Valletta at the end of Malta's Grand Harbour.
Monday, February 28, 2022
RRS Sir David Attenborough
From the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera research station and carried aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough (the ship pictued on the stamp). This is the first season in the Antarctic for this vessel.
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Royal Visit to Cocos Keeling Islands
The 2004 souvenir sheet on this cover from Adelaide Australia commemorates a visit to the Cocos Keeling Islands by Queen Elizabeth in 1954. The islands were transferred to Australia from the UK in 1955. Google street view has fairly good coverage of the islands which surprised me. The population of the two main islands is around 600 which is quite a few more than I thought it would be.
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Fairfield Heights, Australia
From the Sydney suburb of Fairfield Height. Lots of stamps on this little cover. Clockwise from top left:
- Aboriginal Crafts stamp from 1987 with a basket weave pattern from Queensland.
- Complete strip of 1980 Nation Stamp Week stamps.
- Pair of "Waltzing Matilda" Folklore stamps from 1980.
- Bush Ballad "Clancy of the Overlow" (1889 poem by Banjo Patterson) stamp from 2014.
- A 2014 special occasions map stamp that could have been paired with a label in a special souvenir sheet.
- Pale triangle butterfly stamp from 2016.
Thursday, January 27, 2022
India-Mexico Diplomatic Relations
From Ahmedabad, India. The top half of a souvenir sheet from 2010. It is a joint issue with Mexico that commemorated 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Chișinău, Moldova
From Chișinău, the capital city of Moldova. The stamp on the left is a Moldovan cheese and dill pie from a series about traditional foods. The stamps on the left are from a series about the months of the year as they relate to farming and agriculture.
Saturday, January 22, 2022
John Lennon in New York from Brazil
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
TAAF, Port-Aux-Francais
Monday, January 17, 2022
Russian Knights and Swifts, FDC
Saturday, January 15, 2022
Northern Lights in Finland
Thursday, January 13, 2022
TAAF, Martin-de-Vives
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Amersfoort, Netherlands
Saturday, January 8, 2022
Shanghai, China
The stamps on the left are from a 2015 set commemorating the 70th anniversary of China's victory against Japan during World War II. The the two on the right are 2021 Year of the Ox New Years stamps.