Swiss Europa letter

My first 'astronomy - EUROPA' cover! Thanks to Vural.

New WWF stamps!

Thank you very much Keijo for this splendid cover from Finland, franked with the 1993 WWF stamps serie 'Arctic fox' (Alopex lagopus). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Fox)

Have a look at the great cancel too! It's the one used in the Finnish Postal Museum, and I think it looks really nice. :)

World Philatelic Exhibition 'China 2009'

Thank you very much Maksym for this nice and recently issued first day cover from Poland!

(text taken from Polish Post website, http://www.poczta-polska.pl)

Between 10 and 16 April 2009 the World Philatelic Exhibition took place in Luoyang, in the Chinese province of Henan. The exhibition was organised under the auspices of FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie). China had previously hosted exhibitors from all over the world during a show in Beijing in 1999, and between 1999 and 2003 held similar events for Asian countries. This year's exhibition in Louyang gathered philatelists from over 110 countries worldwide. More than three thousand collections were presented. Such events are an opportunity not only to display valuable resources, but also to learn about philately in the world as well as exchange experiences and network new trade relationships.

The city of the peony

Located in the central part of the country on the river Luo He (since the origin of its name), Luoyang is one of the oldest Chinese cities that represents an important centre of trade. During the reign of most of the Chinese dynasties, Luoyang was the nation's capital. The city, as well as its surroundings, abound with tourist attractions such as the famous Longmen caves featuring statues of the Buddha carved in rock or the White Horse Temple dating back to the 1st century AD, which is the oldest Buddhist monastery in China. The symbol of Louyang is the Peony flower which has thus been adopted as the graphic logo of the exhibition and was presented on numerous postage stamps designed especially for this event.

New stamp and first day cover

On account of the World Philatelic Exhibition Poczta Polska issued an occasional stamp in a block, featuring a fish springing out of a stamp-shaped pond. In the Chinese tradition the fish is a symbol of abundance and wealth. Another symbol included on the stamp block and the FDC cover are modelled peonies and flower petals which look as though there were immersed in hand-made paper. It is a reference to the fact that it was the Chinese who invented paper, and also to the symbol of Luoyang as it was earlier mentioned. The issue is accompanied by an occasional date stamp, also featuring the peony motive, in use in Warsaw 1 Post Office.

Lovely cover from Philippines

Thank you very much Myron for your help with my WWF collection! This is the nice cover I received today, indeed a very nice surprise! :)

The stamps picture:

• the Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons; http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Sus_cebifrons.html) and
  
• the Philippine Spotted Deer (Cervus alfredi; http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/4273) and were issued on July 15, 1997.

The envelope Myron used to send me the WWF item is very nice too. The four stamps on the cover were issued on 25/03/2009 and picture different Philippine minerals: Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Malachite and Nickel. Philippine Post also issued a souvenis sheet in this serie, showing four other minerals. (see: http://www.philippinestamps.net/RP2009-Minerals.htm#RP2009-Minerals)


Notice the cancellation on this envelope: Myron sent this cover on my birthday :)

New country: Mozambique

Thanks to Flavio for this nice cover from Mozambique, I'm really glad to have a cover of this country!

New country: Qatar

Thank you very much Rodel for sending me my first cover from Qatar, picturing the Sabre-toothed beetle (Scarites guineensis) and the Arabian Cicada (Platypleura arabica).

Elephant from Malaysia

Thank you very much Kow Siew Lan for this nice elephant cover :)

South Korea

Amazing Canada... :)

After a few days of silence, I'm back again.

I received 5 new covers this week, 1 on Monday (my birthday!) and 4 today. And some of the covers are really great: because they come from countries I missed in my list (Mozambique and Qatar), or because they can be taken up in my topical colelctions (WWF / nature preservation and elephants).

But you will see what I mean in the next few days :)

Let's start with showing you the cover I received last Monday. Thank you Jeff for sending me such a nice cover that arrived on my birthday and made a special day even more exciting!


You will probably recognize the sheet Jeff used on this cover, as I showed in a previous post. Notice the 'normal' stamps at the right side of the cover, very nice to see these on a cover together with the sheet.

Now, what is really special about this cover - and what makes it a very nice piece for my Nature Preservation collection - is the cancellation.

As you can see on the scan, the envelope has been cancelled in Newfoundland, in a town called Witless Bay (province of Newfoundland and Labrador). This town is connected to an ecological reserve, as can be seen on the cancel. And as the cancel also indicates, the Witless Bay reserve contains North America's largest Atlantic puffin colony!


Really a very interesting cover! For those of you who are interested to read a bit more about Witless Bay and its Captain Whittle, check out these pages:

http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/parks/wer/r_wbe/

http://www.explorenewfoundlandandlabrador.com/communities/witless-bay.htm



Jeff also included some other items: the Polar sheet and the 3 sheets on endangered animals, issued in 2006-2008! Really fantastic, thanks a lot Jeff!

First Aland cover

My first cover from Aland, picturing the Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri). Colourful and nice stamps, just great :)

Azores

Thank you very much André for this cover with three beautiful stamps picturing different animals of the Azores lagoons!

Birds from Finland

Thank you Keijo!

Czech cover