Jun 30, 2013

Indonesia FDC on "World Environment Day"



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Indonesia


World Environment Day

Date of Issue : 5 June 2013

Jun 28, 2013

Indonesia FDC on "Indonesian Traditional Music Instruments"







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Indonesia


Indonesian Traditional Music Instruments

Date of Issue : 9 March 2013

Jun 26, 2013

Israel FDC on "Endangered Species - Israel Greenland Joint Issue"



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Israel

Endangered Species - Israel Greenland Joint Issue

Date of Issue : 11 June 2013

The sheet features a Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas) and a Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) against the background of their natural habitats.

Jun 25, 2013

Slovakia FDC on "1150th Anniversary of the Arrival of St. Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia - Joint Issue with Czech Republic, Vatican and Bulgaria"



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Slovakia

1150th Anniversary of the Arrival of St. Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia - Joint Issue with Czech Republic, Vatican and Bulgaria

Date of Issue : 12 June 2013

One of the greatest sights of the lower basilica is the fresco “Personal judgement of Saint Cyril” from the 9th century, which became the theme of the stamp. Saints Cyril and Methodius kneel before Christ Pantocrator, whereas Archangel Michael is standing together with Saint Andrew behind Saint Cyril (on the left) and Archangel Gabriel is standing together with Saint Clement behind Saint Methodius (on the right).

The motif of FDC imprint is another fresco of San Clement Basilica in Rome, named “Christ’s descend into limbo” from the 9th century with half of the figure of a monk with a book in his hand. It is assumed that it is Saint Cyril’s portrait made by a Byzantine painter, because the exposure of the fresco is identical with the report from the Life of Constantine that he was buried "on the right side of the altar in Saint Clement Temple". Finally, the FDC cancellation motif is orant/bishop with a cross on the neck, located on the reverse of Great Moravian ending from the grave no. 100 situated near the church no. II at hillfort “Valy” near Mikulčice.

Jun 24, 2013

Algeria FDC on "National School of Administration"



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Algeria

National School of Administration

Date of Issue : 29 April 2013

Jun 23, 2013

Korea FDC on "130th Anniversary of Korea - Germany Diplomatic Relations"



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South Korea

130th Anniversary of Korea - Germany Diplomatic Relations

Date of Issue : 5 June 2013

The year 2013 marks the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Germany through the Treaty of Peace, Commerce and Navigation between Korea and Germany signed on November 26, 1883. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the dispatch to Germany of Korea’s 18,000 mine workers and nurses, which started from 1963. A set of joint stamps is issued featuring Korea’s “Hyangwonjeong Pavilion in Gyeongbokgung Palace” and Germany’s the Temple of Sun in Bayreuth.

Jun 22, 2013

Mexico Postcard



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Bilhete Postal

Mexico

A Mexican card and also the stamp sheetlet feature the paintings of Rodolfo Morales. Thank You very much to my friend !

Jun 21, 2013

Estonia FDC on "Estonian Fauna – Weasel"



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Estonia

Estonian Fauna – Weasel

Date of Issue : 6 June 2013

Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs. In nature it lives three years old, but in artificial conditions it can live up to ten years. It is common everywhere in Estonia, even on small islands.

Jun 20, 2013

Sri Lanka Postcard - Unawatuna Beach



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Bilhete Postal

Sri Lanka

A Sri Lankan postcard which shows a view of Unawatuna beach. Thank You very much to my friend !

Jun 19, 2013

Portugal FDC on "Route of the Portuguese Cathedrals (2nd Series)"



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Portugal

Rota das Catedrais (2.º Grupo)

Route of the Portuguese Cathedrals (2nd Series)

Date of Issue : 6 June 2013

Jun 18, 2013

Israel FDC on "Postal vehicles in Eretz Israel"



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Israel

Postal vehicles in Eretz Israel

Date of Issue : 26 May 2013

Until the mid-19th century, Eretz Israel was a remote province in the outlying regions of the Ottoman Empire and residents had no organized mail service whatsoever. In 1854, when the first Postal Services were founded and operated by Austria and France.

The first stamp features an Austrian Post carriage against the background of the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem. A postmark from the Austrian Lloyd Agency, which operated in Jerusalem, appears below the stamp.

The second stamp depicts the inside of a mail sorting train car, operated by the Mandatory Railway in Eretz Israel. A Travelling Post Office (T.P.O.) postmark is featured below the stamp.

The third stamp features “The Red Automobile” that served the Israel Post in the initial years of the State (one of these vehicles is on display at the Alexander Museum of Postal History and Philately at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv). A Constellation C49 cargo plane used for transporting mail in the 1950’s appears beside it and an Israel Post Airmail label is featured below the stamp.

Jun 17, 2013

Madagascar Postcard - Antananarivo



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Bilhete Postal

Madagascar

My first postcard from Madagascar. It shows a view of Antananarivo. Thank You very much to my friend !

Jun 16, 2013

Mexico Postcard - Day of the Dead



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Bilhete Postal

Mexico

A Mexican postcard features the Day of the Dead. Very special. Thank You very much to my friend !

Jun 15, 2013

Indonesia FDC on "150th Anniversary of International Red Cross"



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Indonesia


150th Anniversary of International Red Cross

Date of Issue : 8 May 2013

2-1 : The Face of J. Henry Dunant
2-2 : Humanitarian Action

Jun 14, 2013

Latvia FDC on "Birds of Latvia - the Long-tailed Duck and the European Bee-eater"





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Latvia

Birds of Latvia - the Long-tailed Duck and the European Bee-eater

Date of Issue : 7 June 2013

LVL 0.35 : The Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) is an aquatic bird species of the duck family. The Baltic Sea is one of the most important overwintering locations of the Long-tailed Duck – approximately 4.5 million of the birds spend the winter there. In 2013, the Latvian Ornithological Society chose the Long-tailed Duck as the Bird of the Year in Latvia.

LVL 0.98 : The European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a beautiful bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. The European Bee-eater used to be a rare guest in Latvia, but since 2003 it has been nesting here every year, making it one of the latest bird species nesting in Latvia. The European Bee-eater eats mainly bees, wasps, hornets, dragonflies and various insects. The bird can eat as much as 250 bees in a day.

Jun 13, 2013

Slovakia FDC on "Joint Issue with Korea"





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Slovakia

Joint Issue with Korea

Date of Issue : 31 May 2013

Top FDC :
Pansori is a genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist and a drummer. During performances lasting up to eight hours, a male or female singer, accompanied by a single drum, improvises on texts that combine rural and erudite literary expressions. Pansori originated in south-west Korea in the seventeenth century. Since November 7, 2003 Pansori is a part of the world cultural heritage UNESCO as “Masterpiece of the Oral Tradition and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.

Second FDC :
The Lúčnica art ensemble has a history of 65 years (first public appearances are dated as far as 1948). The Lúčnica art ensemble consists of three basic parts: 12-member orchestra, choir and dance ensemble which is managed since its beginning by the artistic director and choreographer prof. Štefan Nosáľ. A dancing young Slovak couple dressed in a ceremonial folk costume from the Central Slovakia area of Podpoľanie represents a motif of the stamp. The motif of a skirt constituting the imprint on FDC comes from the upper Liptov region.

Jun 12, 2013

China FDC on "Little Tadpoles Looking for Their Mother"



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China


Little Tadpoles Looking for Their Mother

Date of Issue : 1 June 2013

5-1 : Coming across Grandpa Shrimp
5-2 : Mother Goldfish with Big Eyes
5-3 : Mother Crab with White Belly
5-4 : Mother Tortoise with Four Legs
5-5 : Their Mother Finally Found

Written by Fang Huizhen and Sheng Lude, "Little Tadpoles Looking for their Mother" is a fairy tale and lively tells about the scientific law for tadpoles' development by metamorphosis. The fairy tale was filmed in 1960 by Shanghai Animation Film Studio and was adapted into a color ink painting cartoon, the very first one of China. The stamps show little tadpoles ask Grandpa Shrimp for information and mistake the goldfish, the crab and the tortoise as their mother before they finally find their mother.

Jun 11, 2013

Israel ATM FDC on "Spotted Rockrose"



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Israel

Spotted Rockrose ATM

Date of Issue : 26 May 2013

Jun 10, 2013

Korea FDC on "20th Anniversary of Korea - Slovakia Diplomatic Relations"



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South Korea

20th Anniversary of Korea - Slovakia Diplomatic Relations

Date of Issue : 31 May 2013

The year 2013 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Slovakia. The set of joint issue stamps features the two countries' performance arts – Korea’s "Pansori" and Slovakia’s "Lucnica".

Presumed to have started from the Joseon Dynasty or even before, Pansori Epic Chant is an oral performance technique where a singer (sorikkun) sings a song composed of a story (chang), words (aniri) and body language (neoreumsae) to the tune of the drummer (gosu). UNESCO recognized Pansori’s uniqueness and designated it as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Lucnica has a 65-year-old tradition. Known around the world as the representative culture of Slovakia (Czechoslovakia before 1993), Lucnica is divided largely into three different parts: dance ensemble, chorus, and orchestra. The stamp features the dance by a man-woman couple in Slovakia’s traditional folk costumes.

Jun 9, 2013

Indonesia FDC on "100 Years of Ki Hadjar Dewantara's Article 'If I were a Dutchman'"



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Indonesia


100 Years of Ki Hadjar Dewantara's Article 'If I were a Dutchman'

Date of Issue : 2 May 2013

Ki Hadjar Dewantara actually named Raden Mas Soewardi Soerjaningrat, was born in Yogyakarta on 2 May 1889. As a writer and journalist, Ki Hadjar Dewantara often-scathing criticism to the Dutch government. Many writings published in the local newspaper. One of the article which contains scathing crirism of the Dutch titled "Als lk een Nederlander was" which means "If I were a Dutchman".

As a result of Ki Hadjar Dewantara's article in the local media that contains critism of the Dutch government, he evently arrested and exciled to the island of Bangka. In 1913, Ki Hadjar Dewantara was transferred to Holland along with Douwes Dekker, and Dr. Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo. These three figures effluent was then dubbed "Tiga Serangkai" (Three as Ones).

Jun 8, 2013

Benin Postcard - Cotonou



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Bilhete Postal

Benin

My first postcard from Benin. It shows a view of Cotonou which is the largest city of Benin. Thank You very much to my friend !

Jun 7, 2013

Israel FDC on "Israel National Trail"



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Israel

Israel National Trail

Date of Issue : 26 May 2013

The Israel National Trail is a hiking route stretching along the length of Israel from the Dan River in the north to Eilat in the south. It is approximately 1000km (620miles) long.

The sheet features select sites along the Israel National Trail : Tel Hai, Ein Hod, Mount Tabor, Yad Kennedy (JFK Memorial), Antipatris fortress, Tel Afek, Beit Guvrin caves, Mount Carbolet, Ovdat, ramon Crater, Solomon's Pillars, Timna Park and the Underwater Observatory in Eilat.

Jun 6, 2013

Bahamas Postcard



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Bilhete Postal

Bahamas

Very beautiful map postcard from the Bahamas. Thank You very much to my friend !