Sunday 23 August 2020

Australia - Christmas Island

Lunar New Year Dragon 2012


 

Every year Australia and other countries release stamps related to the Lunar New Year celebration. A lot of my swap friends collect lunar new year stamps and so I thought I'd also send this first day cover to myself.  

Issued on 10 January 2012, pictured above are the stamps from the sheetlet showing all 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Below are stamps for standard local letter rates - 60c (50g) and $1.80 (125 - 250g). 

2012 Christmas Island Year of the Dragon Souvenir Sheet
2012 Christmas Island Year of the Dragon Souvenir Sheet

Because these are quite popular with collectors, there is an abundance of related products including gold-foiled souvenir sheets, numismatic covers, medallion covers, etc.
 

Sunday 8 July 2018

USA

Hawaiian Rainforest, Children's Book Illustration


In this cover the sender used one of the stamps from the Favourite Children's Books Illustrations series issued on January 10, 2006 as well as a couple from the Hawaiian Rainforest series (September 1, 2010).


2006 USA Picture Book Animals series
The Children's Book Illustration stamps had a face value of 39c and showed different picture book animals such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Fox in Socks, Wild Thing, Olivia etc.

If I had seen this issue in its entirety before today I would have ordered a set myself as they not only look really cute and colourful but also all because these are books that I've read when I was young.

For those who collect fauna and flora stamps, the Hawaiian Rainforest pane from the Nature of America series is a must have. As with previous issues, these focus on the complexity of plants and animals in the United States and consists of 10 different stamps with a face value of 44c each. USPS also issued pre-stamped cards featuring the beautiful art seen on the stamp pane.


2010 USA Nature of America series - Hawaiian Rainforest 



Tuesday 14 July 2015

Thailand, Pathum Thani

King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit


From Thailand comes this beautiful cover with stamps featuring the King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit.


Th081.12-80
2012 Thailand stamp - THB40 Queen Sirikit
To mark Queen Sirikit's 80th birthday on August 8, 2012, Thai Post issued a sheet with nine stamps. Eight stamps of THB5.00 show a portrait drawing of the queen for every decade of her life and the ninth stamp, value THB40.00, shows a side portrait of the queen wearing a tiara. This stamp was printed with an embossed pearl ink process and with holographic gold printing on the stamp text

Also on the cover is one of the stamps issued on October 10, 2010 showing King Bhumibol Adulyadej. There are 10 stamps in this set with values ranging from 1.00 to 15.00 Baht.
 
This cover also has the 12.12.12 special postmark.

Russia - Moscow, Olympics 2014

Cover showing the logo of XXII Winter Olympic Games and quick response (QR) code stamp. The postmark is the same as the stamp.


One of the many stamps issued by Russia, host of the Winter Olympic Games. This stamp was issued on September 18, 2012 and had an encrypted link which, when scanned, brings you to the official site of Sochi 2014.

Malaysia - Pulau Pinang, Postal History of Kedah

Another first day cover, this time from Malaysia, showing the postal history of Kedah. And I didn't see it before but the postmark is a bit special - 20.12.2012.



image
2012 Malaysia stamp - RM3 souvenir sheet
Kedah pioneered the use of postal services in Malaysia 125 years ago. Malaysia has issued four stamps on the postal history of Kedah to coincide with the centenary of issuance of the first Kedah stamps. The three stamp designs in the collection are in 90sen denominations showing a padi sheaf, Malay farmer ploughing and Balai Besar. The miniature sheet contains a stamp in RM3 denomination featuring the earliest known prepaid items from Kedah. This is one of the few times that Malaysia Post has used the stamp on stamp printed design. 

Saturday 11 July 2015

Belgium - Brussels

A cover from Belgium with a stamp from the Highlights of Belgium set.


Belgium issued on February 12, 2011 a booklet containing five self-adhesive stamps that showed different landmarks around the country. All stamps are marked A, permanent value (EUR1.10), valid for all countries. The general theme was on Art and Architecture including the Atomium (see above), Mardasson Memorial and the Lion of Waterloo.

image
2011 Belgium stamp - Highlights of Belgium booklet

China - Hong Kong

A unique cover showing the full set of stamps issued by Hong Kong to commemorate the 30th Olympic Games in London. Yuen has ingeniously used a McDonald's (an Olympic sponsor) paper bag as an envelope. 


The stamps are pictograms of the eight sports in which athletes from Hong Kong are participating in - swimming, archery, athletics, badminton, cycling, rowing, table tennis and wind surfing.

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Canada - Burlington, Ontario


This cover from Canada held some pretty cool stamps as part of an exchange. Canada is one of the countries where the post office uses a rectangular postmark instead of the circular date postmark.



The stamp used in this cover show moose calves (see photo on left) from the 2012 Baby Wildlife series (January 16). The second in the multiyear series this set also show racoons for the domestic rate PERMANENT stamp, caribou for the US rate stamp (CAD1.05), loons for the oversized mail rate stamp (CAD1.29) and moose for the international rate stamp (CAD1.80). It also comes in a souvenir sheet showing the habitat of the animals in the background.

2012 Canada Baby Wildlife souvenir sheet