Juan de Nova, TAAF

Another TAAF Scattered Islands cover, thanks for Roland. This one is from the island of Juan de Nova. The stamp features the French navy corvette Dauphine. It was during a voyage in 1776 that the crew of the Dauphine rescued the eight remaining survivors of a ship wreck on what is now Tromelin island, 15 years after they were marooned there.

Îles Glorieuses, TAAF

From the Glorieuses: a small group of islands that are part of the French Scattered Islands. Part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territory of TAAF.

Letter Writing Day, FDC Japan

Since I'm heading to Osaka tomorrow I should post this Osaka cover I received last week. The stamps are from this year's letter writing day issue, first-day postmarked with the Osaka postmark.

International Polar Year, Finland

In 2007 the postal administrations a few countries with Arctic interests participated in a joint issue of stamps that recognized the International Polar Year. This souvenir sheet from Finland features a foil snowflake that shimmers. The stamps on the left are from a 2007 set called "Memories of Finland".

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

From the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. This was sent from the largest and and most populated island of Rarotonga. The stamps are a 2016 WWF issue featuring manta rays and they actually say "Raotonga" on them as well as "Cook Islands". Stamps are issued for all three of the main islands : Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Penrhyn, but there are also Cook Island stamps. As I understand it they are all produced by the same entity (I could easily be wrong about that) and I imagine this is done to sell more stamps to collectors. Why else would a county of 20,000 need so many postage stamps.

Native Irish Bees

From the County Clare town of Lios Dúin Bhearna. The honeycomb cell shaped stamps are from a 2024 set featuring native Irish bees. On the left is a honey bee and on the right is a patchwork leafcutter bee.

Hay River, Northwest Territories. Canada

From the town of Hay River. There are three post offices in the Northwest Territories that currently use this polar bear postmark: Yellowknife, Inuvik and Hay River. But you won't see actual polar bears in Hay River. Just black bears. The stamp is from a recent set that recognizes Canadian graphic novelists. On this stamp it's Mariko and Jillian Tamaki and their novel "This One Summer" published in 2014. It's a teen coming-of-age story that was banned by the American Library Association for its mature subject matter.

Liberation Army Caravans, Algeria FDC

The souvenir sheet on this first-day cover from Algeria depicts a caravan of camels carrying weapons for the National Liberation Army across the Sahara desert.

Bern, Switzerland

On this cover from Bern is a 2023 Christmas stamp on the right. And on the left is a 1978 stamp featuring the paddle steamer "Il Verbano" issued as part of a sheet for a stamp exhibition.

The National Flower of Suriname

It's pretty obvious from the postmark where this came from. The stamp from 2021 features the national flower of Suriname: Ixora coccinea or the jungle geranium, also know as "faja lobi" in Sranan Tongo (creole language spoken in Suriname). Fiery Love. Perfectly postmarked at the main post office in Paramaribo. 

Bhubaneswar, India

Stamps on the front and back of this cover from the city of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. The 2023 stamp on the left commemorates the first Tuluvan Queen of Ullal and first female freedom fighter of India, Rani Abbakka Devi, who fought off a Portuguese occupation during the 16th century. And the 2024 stamp on the right commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Bombay Sappers War Memorial in the city of Pune in Maharashtra.

And on the back is a 2008 souvenir sheet. A joint issue with China with stamps showing the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya and the White Horse temple in Luoyang, China.

Rabits from Parepare, Indonesia

The Indonesian city of Parepare is on the south west coast of the island of Sulawesi. The souviner sheet on the right with the European bunnies is from a 1999 stamp set featuring domesticated animals. And the pair of stamps on the left are year of the rabbit stamps from 2011.