2 Lovely bird covers!!

Sharing with you today these 2 beautiful bird covers received from fellow blogger, Ahmet Demir, who loves to mix philately with his beautiful drawings. Thank you very much!!

As previously discussed, the stamps franked on both right corners of the covers were issued on 16th March 2009 to mark the 5th World Water Forum hosted by Turkey from 16th to 22th March, in the two historic areas of Turkey's most populous city, Feshane and Sütlüce.

The forum is organized every three years, with the first of such events held in Morocco in 1997, followed by forums in the Netherlands (2000), Japan (2003) and Mexico (2006). The Forum offers the water community and policy-and-decision-makers from all over the world the unique opportunity to come together to create links, debate and attempts to find solutions to achieve water security.

The 7 identical stamps feature 'Father of the Turks' or 'Father Turk', Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. They belong to the Atatürk definitive series, issued in 2009.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) was considered a hero by many people of Turkish descent, and by many leaders around the world. He established democracy, under single party rule in Turkey, and created significant reforms in there. His policies championed public education in what had previously been a mostly illiterate country, extolled the virtues of Westernization, created reforms for women, and promoted peaceful relationships with Europe and America. Though he sometimes led the country in an autocratic way, he was still considered a fantastic leader. He earned the respect of people like General MacArthur, and has been honored by the United Nations, President Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II, and various other world leaders (past and present) as a true example of leadership, progressiveness, and social reform.

An awesome ICCC cover!

Another awesome cover received from a fellow ICCC member. This time from the Netherlands!

This cover contains 8 lovely semi-postal stamps issued during the 1960s.

Also called charity stamps, semi-postals usually are recognizable by the presence of two (often different) values joined by a "+" sign or an overprint that includes a "+" sign. The funds raised from this surcharge are donated to a charity or cause, usually related to the image on the stamp.

Semi-postal issues first appeared in the late-19th century and have since become common in various stamp-issuing countries, raising funds to fight diseases, aiding environmental efforts, assisting in war efforts, and a variety of other causes.

The pair of green coloured stamps franked on the top right was designed by Dutch children books illustrator, Dick Bruna (His best known creation is Miffy). These stamps were issued in 1969 to help the Child welfare.

Next, we have a pair of crab stamps from the 1967 Marine life series, to raise funds for the Marine Conservation.

Last but not least, are 4 beautiful stamps to help the Animals welfare. They were issued in 1964.

Returned Mail from Monaco

It was indeed a tiring day. I could say it was a tiring week... anyway it's the looonngg weekend!! Friday is a public holiday here in Singapore, it's Hari Raya Haji! I guess that's one of the benefits of living in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious society :)

Hari Raya Haji or the "pilgrimage festival", marks the end of a Muslim's pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, it commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act of obedience to God.

Back to philately, actually nothing much for today... just to share this returned mail from Monaco. The cover took a total of 45 days to travel an estimated distance of 20,840kms from Singapore to Monaco and back!

It's a pity there is no postmark to indicate the date and time that this cover was delivered into the care of the Monaco postal service. Just an imprint in french, 'N'habite Pas a l'Adresse Indiquee. Retour A l'envoyeur F1' meaning 'Don't Live at Indicated Address. Return to sender' ??? (my dear french speaking readers, pls enlighten me whether is the translation correct?? Thanks!)

A lovely Malaysian cover!

Received this lovely Malaysian cover posted from Kelantan, Malaysia, courtesy of Khor Kok Keong. Thank you very much! The miniature sheet depicts the iconic Menara Kuala Lumpur ("Menara" is the Bahasa Malaysia word for "Tower"). It was issued in 1996.

Soaring to 421m, and considered a main feature of the city skyline, Menara Kuala Lumpur is currently the fifth tallest freestanding tower in the world. Menara Kuala Lumpur was constructed in 1983 as a telecommunications tower to upgrade the quality of telecommunications and the clarity of broadcast transmissions.

At Menara KL, visitors will also find a theatrette, an amphitheatre, beautiful cascading pools, a fast food restaurant and souvenir shops. A trip to Kuala Lumpur will simply not be complete without a visit to Menara Kuala Lumpur!

Another awesome cover from United States!

It has been a while since I last posted a cover from the United States so today I would share with you this awesome cover received from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

The beautiful 1999 christmas stamp depicts Italian painter, Bartolomeo Vivarini's 15th century masterpiece painting "Madonna and Child".

This stamp bears the word "Christmas" in capital letters across the top. At the bottom are B. Vivarini and National Gallery of Arts. It is at the latter site in Washington, D.C., that the classic painting is housed. Next, we have a pair of gold borders stamps that were issued in 1991 to mark USPS's official sponsor of the 1992 U.S. Olympics Team. Lastly, the 50-cent black, orange, and tan 1979 stamp of the Americana Issue honors America's light, picturing the Iron "Betty" Lamp from Plymouth Colony (17th-18th centuries) and the wording "America's Light Sustained by Love of Liberty".

Among philatelists, the series is most famous for the CIA invert. An invert error of the $1 lamp stamp, it was so named because the original sheet was bought by a CIA employee who had gone to the post office to buy some stamps. The CIA invert is the one of the most well known inverted color errors in United States collecting; only to the famous Inverted Jenny, C3a, is more widely sought. In the 2008 Scott catalogue it has a value of US$21,000.00, but at auction this stamp would certainly go for more!

Another lovely German cover

Sometime last week, I received this lovely cover from a German eBayer.

The pair of identical stamps franked on the right was issued in 2008 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Wenzel Jamnitzer.

Wenzel Jamnitzer (1508-85) was a leading member of a German family of goldsmiths and engravers. Born in Vienna, he settled in Nuremberg where, as a leading artisan of his day, he executed work for emperors and officials of the court and the church. Examples of his refined workmanship, showing the German adaptation of Italian mannerist forms, are to be seen in the Louvre and in the Victoria and Albert Museum. His gilt bronze nude Spring is in Vienna. As previously discussed, the 2 beautiful flower stamps are part of the ongoing definitive series devoted to fields and gardens flowers.

This cover was postmarked on 12th Nov 2009 in Nürnberg (about 170 kilometres north of Munich) and took 5 days to reach me!

Another great french cover!

How's your weekend? Mine was great! Here, I would like to share this great cover posted from Thiais, southern suburbs of Paris, France. Many thanks to Vrecord Celine!

Issued on 11th Feb 2009, the beautiful stamp is dedicated to the Basilica Sainte-Cecile which rises above the city of Albi in southern France. It is one of the most visited cathedrals of France.

The Basilica of Sainte-Cécile, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style presents a startling contrast between its external austerity of defensive architecture and the internal richness of sumptuous decoration. This stamp depicts a wall paintings of the dome form the biggest (97 m long on 28 m large) and the most ancient (1509-1513) ensemble of the Renaissance Italian painting in France.

A beautiful fauna cover from India!

The North-East India, a paradise of natural beauty is a home to rich bio-diversity. The Eastern Himalayas, marked by a sharp southward bend from the East-West trend of the Central Himalayas, are much greener due to high rainfall and present a rare physiographical picture. The Brahmputra valley and the adjoining plains are as sharply contrasted from the Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Lushai Hills as are the various tribes and non-tribal population. Their geographical isolation has resulted into evolution of exotic and rare plant and animal species.

On 1st October 2009, India Post issued a set of 3 stamps entitled "Rare Fauna of the North East". I am lucky enough to receive an official FDC sent by Jeevan Jyoti. Thank you sooo much!

Barbe's Leaf monkey is sometimes referred to as the dusky or spectacled leaf monkey. They are mostly dark grey-black in colour with lighter grey on their chests and the top of their heads. Spectacled leaf monkeys are named for the white rings around their eyes that look like they are wearing glasses or “spectacles”. They also have white skin around their mouth. The rest of their face is black. The Red Panda is also called the Firefox or Lesser Panda. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs. It eats mainly bamboo, but is omnivorous and may also eat eggs, birds, insects, and small mammals. It is a solitary animal, mainly active at dusk, dawn, and night, and is largely sedentary during the day. The Red Panda is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list (2009.01), and is listed in CITES appendix I.

The Marbled cat’s coat is very similar to that of the clouded leopard, although the black-edged blotches on the sides of its body are less distinct, and black spots on the limbs more numerous. It also has a long tail, equivalent to or longer than head-body length. The marbled cat is endangered due to the dramatic loss of tropical rainforest, which is their habitat.

That's all for today! Enjoy your weekend!

Finnish Postcard

Another lovely postcard mailed from Pori, Finland! Thank you once again, Johanna! The simple yet elegant stamp depicts Mr Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland (1994-2000) and also the winner of the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel statement said that Ahtisaari has played a prominent role in resolving many conflicts in Namibia, Indonesia, Kosovo and Iraq, among other areas.

The blue-tinted 0.80€ stamp bears a picture of Ahtisaari, his name and "Nobel 2008 Peace Prize" in four languages. The stamp was issued on the same date as the prize award, which was 10th Dec 2008.

This postcard features another great Finnish man, Mr. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Sibelius was a composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. One of his most popular work is the Finlandia hymn. Written in 1899 and 1900, it is one of the most important national songs of Finland. As suggested by Johanna, one should listen to it on You Tube and definitely without lyrics.

That's all for today folks! Enjoy your stamps!

An awesome Spanish cover!

Received this awesome cover posted from Barcelona, Spain! Many thanks to David Fornies!

On 15th July 2009, the Spanish Post marked the bicentenery (200th anniversary) of the birth of 3 famous science personalities with a set of beautiful stamps entitled "Science Personality". The trio namely Claudio Moyano, Charles Darwin and Louis Braille were commemorated for their contribution toward science and the development of society.
Claudio Moyano (1809-1890) was a educational reformer, professor and minister of Queen Isabella II. He was most well-known for the reform of the Spanish educational system between 1840 and 1843. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a British naturalist who achieved lasting fame by outlining the Theory of Evolution and proposing that evolution could be explained through natural and sexual selection. This theory is now considered an integral component of biological science.

Louis Braille (1809-1852) was the inventor of braille, a world-wide system used by blind and visually impaired people for reading and writing. Braille is read by passing the fingers over characters made up of an arrangement of one to six embossed points. It has been adapted to almost every known language.

It is one of many stamps issued by postal services around the world to commemorate the bicentenery of the birth of Louis Braille in 2009.

Andorra (24th Jan)
Aruba (5th Jan)

Austria (20th May)

Barbados (6th July)

Belarus (4th Jan)

Belgium (23th Feb)

Brazil (4th Jan)
Cape Verde
Cyprus (12th Mar)
Czech Republic (2nd Jan)
Estonia (4th Jan)
France (4th Jan)
Greece (30th Mar)
Hungary (15th Oct)
India (4th Jan)
Ireland (23th Jan)
Kazakhstan (20 Mar)
Kenya (10th July)
Korea (2nd Jan)
Luxembourg (Sept)
Macau (4th Jan)
Macedonia (17th Jun)
Moldova (4th Jan)
Monaco (29th Apr)
Montenegro (30th Jan)
Morocco (16th Jan)
Netherlands (10th Jan)
Peru
Poland (4th Jan)
Portugal (29th Sept)
Romania (1st Nov 2008)
San Marino (16th Jun)
Sao Tomé (15th Apr)
Senegal (20th May)
Serbia (4th Jan)
Slovak Republic (18th Dec)
Slovenia (30th Jan)

Sweden (14th May)

Syria (15th Jan 2008)

Uzbekistan (2nd Feb)

Vatican (4th Nov)

Wallis & Futuna (7th Mar)