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.

Philately Week FDC, Osaka Japan

On this cover from Osaka are the 2025 Philately Week stamp issues from Japan Post. Each is postmarked with matching first-day postmarks. On the left is "jo-no-mai" painted in 1936 by Shoen Uemura. The painting depicts a young woman performing the slow and graceful jo no mai dance during a Noh play. And on the right is "Maiko in a Garden" painted in 1924 by Bakusen Tsuchida, depicting a Maiko dancer seated in a Japanese garden.

Traditional Women's Outfits of Eastern Algeria, FDC

The three stamps in this 2025 set from left to right show the Melehfa, Gandoura and Kaftan.
The knowledge and skills necessary to craft the Melehfa and Gandoura are recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage belonging to the Eastern region of Algeria. 

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto. Japan

From left to right are a 1981 stamp depicting the Japanese folk song "Cherry Blossoms" by Takeshima Hagoromo and Rentarō Taki in 1900, a paper mache tiger toy from a 2009 Year of the Tiger stamp set, and a lucky cat from a 2019 Year of the Ram stamp set. The Higashiyama Ward is Kyoto's well preserved historical district with narrow streets lined with wooden buildings and traditional shop.

Forest Hike in Finland

From Pori, Finland. The "Forest Hike" booklet stamps from 2019 feature photos of children in a forest with puppies. The images were composed to highlight the friendship that exists between children and animals.

Lufthansa AWI Charter Flight, Germany

The Lufthansa Airbus stamp on this envelope is pre-printed. The envelope and postmark commemorate the journey of winter staff to Germany's Newmayer III research station in the Antarcitc. They were scheduled to be flown from Munich to the Falkland Islands by Lufthansa charter flight LH-2572 on 10 March 2025. 

Big one from Canada

No postmarks but that's ok. I wasn't expecting actual stamps on this package. The pane of stamps in the top right corner are 1982 Canada Day stamps featuring landscape paintings by Canadian artists. The three on the left from 1991 are from a five year series that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Second World War. And below the pane are a pair of basketball centenary stamps from 1991, a pair of Queen Elizabeth golden jubilee stamps from 2002, three caricature definitives from 1973 featuring the queen, and a lonely 5c 1977 Dodecatheon hendersonii flower definitive.

Kudanminami, Tokyo. Japan

A few older stamps on this cover from the Kudanminami district in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo. The stamps on the left from 1965 commemorate Soma Nomaoi: an annual festival going back 1000 years, that showcases military and horse riding skills. The stamp in the middle from 1988 features the UNESCO listed Itsukushima shrine near Hiroshima. And the stamp on the right from 1989 shows a small gift bowl from Nara's Tōdai Temple, circa 750 AD.

The postmark shows Yasukuni Shrine surrounded by cherry blossoms. The controversial shrine was established in 1869 to commemorate those who died in the service of Japan. It's controversial because some of the individuals honored by the shrine were convicted war criminals. 

Watrous, Saskatchewan. Canada

Watrous is a small town in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Pictured in the postmark is the CBK radio station that has operated outside of Watrous since 1939. It operates a 50kW AM transmitter that provides coverage of the Saskatchewan urban areas of Regina and Saskatoon. The art-deco style main station building is long gone but the antenna and a transmitter shed remain. The station has been fully automated since the 1980's with all programming fed in from CBC studios in Regina.

Concordia Antarctic Research Station

This was returned to me from the French/Italian Antarctic research station Concordia. It's marked with the stamp of the 40th Italian National Research Expedition and signed by Concordia's summer station leader station leader Riccardo Scipinotti. The position "Dome C" stamped at the bottom left gives the coordinates of the base. Dome C is one of several Antarctic ice domes which are large hills or caps of ice accumulation. This particular dome is 3300m thick.

  

The Founding of Québec City in 1608

This postmark from Québec City, the capital city of the Canadian province of Québec, is in the shape of a postage stamp with a design from a 2008 stamp that commemorated the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city. It was a joint issue with France and was part of a series of stamps that commemorated French settlements in North America.

Marsa, Malta

A collection of recent stamps from Malta. From left to right, a SEPAC 2024 tourist attractions stamp featuring the Mgarr Harbour in Gozo, a Malta Railway stamp from 2024 showing the Hamrun railway station, a 2025 Year of the Snake stamp, and below that a Porbeagle Shark stamp from a 2023 set featuring marine life in the Mediterranean.

Hornbills of Malaysia

On this cover from Selangor is a set of stamps from 2024 featuring hornbills found in Malaysia: the Weathered hornbill, Great hornbill and the critically endangered Helmeted hornbill. The stamp at the bottom depicts Boy Scouts in uniform from a Stamp Week 2024 set that shows various student organization uniforms. And the stamp on the left depicts children making music, from a 2018 set feature children's activities.

Marion Dufrense OBS Austral 2025

Where's the postmark? This was returned from the Marion Dufresne during its involvement in an oceanographic campaign in the waters between the Kerguelen Islands and the islands of St Paul and Amsterdam. Lots of handstamps from Amsterdam support staff on the back. And after a few Google searches I think I know why it's not postmarked. Bad weather kept them from disembarking at Kerguelen and then a fire on Amsterdam Island required the vessel to halt all activities and provide rescue assistance. No chance to drop off the mail at a TAAF base.

Mumbai, India

Received from Mumbai. The souvenir sheet from 2018 commemorates 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Serbia. The the stamps on the right from 2015 commemorates the International Day of Yoga which is June 21.

Fierce Battle at Chibi, China

Sent to me from Chongqing with a lovely year of the snake postmark. The souvenir sheet on the left with a very large stamp from 1994 depicts the "Fierce Battle at Chibi" aka the Battle of Red Cliffs. It is taken from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms: a 14th century historical novel based on 3rd century records documenting the end of the Han Dynasty. The battle was fought by the three kingdoms over control of the Yangtze River in 208-209 AD. The other stamp from 2018 is from a pane of stamps that commemorate the Yangtze River Economic Zone.

Yokohama, Japan

The bridge depicted in the postmark is the Yokohama Bay Bridge. The stamps are from Japan Post's 20th century series issued in 2000. This pair of stamps was from a sheet of ten that was sheet number 17 in the series. The stamp on the left commemorates the Japan National Team at the FIFA Worldcup in 1998 and the stamp on the right commemorates Japanese astronaut Mohri Mamoru participating in STS-47 aboard NASA space shuttle Endeavour in 1992.

USA Christmas FDC

USA first day postmarked 2024 Christmas stamps from Park City, Utah. Sometimes mail can take a really long time to reach its destination, even when it doesn't have to cross an ocean. The blue jay stamp on the right is one of fifty stamp designs in the 1987 North American Wildlife stamp pane. The label at the bottom advertises the upcoming international philatelic exhibition planned to take place in Boston in May of 2026.

Bački Petrovac, Serbia

From the town of Bački Petrovac in the north Serbian province of Vojvodina. The envelope theme and postmark are "Flora". I'm not sure if it was a special event or a first-day postmark for another stamp. The stamp on the right is from a set of six bringing attention to the World Expo to be hosted by Belgrade in 2027. The stamps in the set all have a space exploration theme. And the pair of stamps on the left from 2019 promote online safety for children.

Liège, Belgium

From the Belgian city of Liège with a lonely 2013 King Philip worldwide priority mail definitive.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

A nice postmark from Halifax showing the city skyline with the Macdonald bridge and city hall in the foreground. Halifax is the capital city of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

Rotterdam in the Netherlands

From the Dutch city of Rotterdam: gateway to Europe. Rotated stamps and a machine postmark. They weren't put there to look pretty. A strip of three stamps from a set of six from a sheet of ten from 2012 featuring Dutch cattle breeds. From left to right are Witrik, Lakenvelder and Groningen White-headed. And the stamp on the right is a December holiday stamp from a sheet of ten from 2005. It makes more sense when you see the rest of the stamps in the sheet. 

Zele, Belgium

From the Belgian town of Zele, situated between Ghent and Antwerp. The stamp on the left from 1988 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Belgian Royal Escort. And the 2024 stamp on the right commemorates the Paris Olympic Games of that year.

Year of the Snake from Ōshika, Japan

Ōshika is a small mountain village in Japan's Nagano prefecture. it is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Japan. The stamps are 2025 year of the snake lottery stamps.

Brazzano, Italy

Brazzano is a small town in the commune of Cormons in the north-eastern Italian province of Gorizia. The stamps on the left from 2023 commemorate Bergamo and Brescia being named twin European Capitals of Culture in 2023. And the stamps on the right from 1981 feature the Riace bronzes: ancient Greek bronze statues that were found in the sea near the southern Italian commune of Riace in 1972.

Tasty Treats from Osaka, Japan

The two stamps are from 2025 sheet of ten stamps featuring traditional sweets and snacks from Osaka. On the left is instant ramen and on the right is a beef cutlet sandwich. Osaka is the food capital of Japan. The city's unofficial motto is "kuidaore" or "eat until you drop". Amazing street food in Osaka.

Eschen, Liechtenstein

Eschen is a town in the north end of Liechtenstein. In the postmark is an image of the parish chuch and the Pfrundbauten. The stamp on the left is a 2013 SEPAC stamp featuring an alpine marmot. And on the right is a view of Vaduz castle.

USA Year of the Snake with shiny foil

A little cover from the US with a Year of the Snake stamp on it featuring shiny red foil embellishments. Next to that is the 2025 "love" stamp that features a 1985 drawing by American artist Keith Haring. And a little assortment of low value stamps brings it up to the international letter rate. This was postmarked in Mid Island which is a collection of neighbourhoods in the middle of New York City's Staten Island.

World Peace Day in Germany

The postmark says World Peace Day. It's the postmark of the month. I'm not exactly sure what it commemorates because there is an International Day of Peace but that's September 21st. It's a nice postmark though. The stamp on the left is a Europa 2021 endangered wildlife stamp. And on the right is a stamp that shows how the Frauenkirche in Dresden appeared in 1957 and after restoration in 2015.

Year of the Snake from Shizuoka, Japan

First thing I notice about this Year of the Snake self-adhesive souvenir sheet from Japan is the increased postal rates. They went up 30% last October. The 25g domestic letter rate is now 110 yen and the domestic postcard rate is now 85 yen.