German Reptiles for the Youth

First-day postmarked in Berlin, the stamps on this cover are surcharged in support of youth services. The reptiles featured are all native to Germany. On the right is an Eastern green lizzard, a grass snake top left and a European pond turtle bottom left. All three are considered endangered in Germany. 

Pratovecchio, Italy

Three stamps from 2023 on this cover from the Tuscan commune of Pratovecchio. At the bottom are  stamps commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of Italian film director, producer and politician Franco Zeffirelli, and the 120th birth anniversary of Italian economist Pasquale Saraceno. And the top stamp is an International Women's Day stamp commemorating women entrepreneurs. 

Polch, Germany

From the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Polch. The stamp top right features the Hulk on a 2024 Marvel "Superheros" stamp. I've seen Ironman and Spiderman on stamps from prior years. I assume this one is part of an annual series. The sticker on the bottom left: "Gemeinsam für den Frieden" (together for peace), refers to an initiative by the Volksbund, the German war graves commission, to collect funds to support their work.

Shaker Design, USA FDC

A nice FDC from the States. Three stamps from a set of 12 issued on 20 June 2024 to coincide with the arrival of the first Shakers in the Americas. Shakers, aka United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, were a Christian sect founded in the mid 18th century. The stamps in the set depict iconic examples of Shaker design: minimalist with high quality craftsmanship. 

Toa Payoh, Singapore

From the residential area of Toa Payoh in central Singapore. An interesting spray-on postmark. The stamp in the right corner is a 2024 Olympic stamp from a set of 10. This stamp represents sailing.

Riga, Latvia

From Riga, the Latvian capital. On the left is a 2017 stamp commemorating the 500th anniversary of the reformation of the church. And on the right are a pair of Europa "think green" stamps from 2015.

ASEAN 2024, Thailand

From Bankgkok. It's current 2567 on the Thai solar calendar, hence the "67" year in the postmark. The stamps, which show an image of the Bangkok general post office, commemorate the 2024 ASEAN summit to be held in Laos in October. This is a joint stamp issue with other ASEAN members issuing similar stamps with images of post offices. ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.