Minerals from Yokohama

A pearl and red beryl. These are self-adhesive stamps from a sheet of 10 that was issued in February of 2022. The margin from around the stamps was added to the left of the envelope. The address on this envelope was so perfectly written that it actually looked computer generated. Took me a moment to realize it was hand written.

James Webb Space Telescope FDC, USA

Launched on 25 December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope obits the Sun approximately 1.5 million kms from the Earth. It uses it's large mirror array to capture visible to infra-red light allowing it to see further into space than any telescope before it. 

These are some of the better applications of FD postmarks I've received from the USPS. FD postmarks from the States can be quite large so I also try to keep that in mind when placing graphics on the envelopes. I always try to keep it simple. 

On the envelope above I used a NASA image of the assembled system at Northrop Grumman's facilities in Redondo Beach, California. And on the larger envelope below I added the official mission logo.

Sjöbo, Sweden

Cat stamps form a 2022 series called "My Cat". The names of the cats are on the stamps with "Bengt", from Västerås, on the left and "Valiant", a shelter cat from Kalmar, on the right. I believe this stamp series is a sequel to the "My Dog" set they issued in 2020.

 

2012 Olympic Games from Ahmedebad, India

The stamps from 2012 commemorate the Summer Olympic Games held in London in 2012. Badminton and Volleyball. It's a very nice and tidy cover from Mr Dilip Naik and a shame I have to blur out his beautiful handwriting. This one got a bit crumpled somewhere on it's way to my mailbox but that just gives it more character.

Evansburg, Alberta. Canada

Evansburg is a small town in central Alberta, west of Edmonton. Just a piece of recent domestic mail with lots of older stamps on it. From 1975, Alphonse Desjardins, co-founder of what is now the financial services co-op known as The Desjardins Group.  And below those a stamp from 1995 that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the UN. And on the right is a 1974 block titled "Indians of the Pacific Coast".

Solidarity with the Ukrainian People, Portugal FDC

The stamp shouldn't need much explanation. Any time I see blue and yellow now I think of Ukraine. And wheat on the first-day postmark: that reminds of Ukraine too. I believe money from the sale of this stamp in some way goes to aiding the people of Ukraine.

The 5 cent stamps are from a numismatics (study of coins) series from 2021 and show a gold coin minted between 1495 and 1521 during the reign of King Manuel I.

Thank You Pedro. A very nice cover!

Pordenone, Italy

Pordenone is a city in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in the north east corner of Italy. From left to right, a 2020 stamp commemorating the bicentenary of the GP Vieusseux Science Reading Room in Florence and another 2020 stamp commemorating the G20 Italian presidency in 2021. And below that a Winter Olympic Games stamp from 2006. Biathlon. Lowest value from a sheet of nine.

Toulouse, France

A larger envelope folded down to size so not quite square. Sometimes it's hard to find envelopes that are just the right size. On the left, a 2001 stamp commemorating the 40th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to journey into space. And on the right, a 2019 stamp depicting Île Tromelin in the Indian Ocean.

Stathelle, Norway

Stathelle is a small town in the south of Norway. The postmark on this interesting cover was for a collector's fair in Stathelle that was held a couple of weeks ago on 25 September 2022.

Pony Cars FDC

A pair of stamps from a recent USPS issue featuring "Pony Cars": compact American sports cars. A 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T is on the right and a 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7 GT is on the left. An updated  version of the Challenger has been in production for a few years now. The 1980's were not kind to the Cougar. It became less sporty and was sometimes offered as a 4-door sedan or station wagon. The third stamp on this cover is a 1982 stamp that pays tribute to America's elderly population. An interesting choice to go along with stamps featuring old cars.