USA: Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is said to be a founding member of the Justice League, demigoddess, and warrior princess of the Amazonian people. In her homeland, she is Princess Diana of Themyscira, and outside of her homeland, she is known by her civilian identity Diana Prince. Wonder Woman was created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston, with his wife and co-creator Elizabeth Holloway Marston, and artist H. G. Peter. The character first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in December 1941 and first cover-dated on Sensation Comics #1, January 1942. The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986. In 2016 The U.S. Postal Service celebrates Wonder Woman’s 75th anniversary with a set of four stamps.

Stamp:
The 75th Anniversary of Wonder Woman (from a set of four) - Issued: 07-10-2016 with Special First Day of Issue Postmark


Many thanks to Eric for this great Card!

Greenland: Christmas Card from Santa Claus Post Office

This nice Christmas Card comes from Greenland. It got one of the new Christmas stamp from Greenland and a special postmark from Santa Claus Post Office. Greenland Post Service uses this postmark only during the period 1st – 30th December 2016.

Stamp:
Christmas (from a set of two) - Issued: 17-10-2016


Merry Christmas to everyone!

Germany: Christmas Stamps

As every year the German Post issued two christmas related stamps. The first one shows a scene of the Hortus deliciarum (Latin: Garden of Delights). Its a medieval manuscript compiled by Herrad of Landsberg at the Hohenburg Abbey in Alsace, better known today as Mont Sainte-Odile. It was an illuminated encyclopedia, begun in 1167 as a pedagogical tool for young novices at the convent. It is the first encyclopedia that was evidently written by a woman. The scene shows the "Annunciation to the shepherds".

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 02-11-2016 with special Postmark from Engelskrichen


The second stamp shows a very famous part of the christmas tree decoration. The bauble is one of the most popular Christmas ornament designs, and they have been in production since 1847. The german town of Lauscha in Thuringia is known as "Home" of the Christmas Baubles because of its traditional  glassblowing.

The stamps was planned to be issued on 2nd November, but because of some misspelling on the stamp it was issued on 30th November.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 30-11-2016 with special first day of Issued postmark

Germany: The 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Otto Dix (1891-1969)

Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix (2 December 1891 – 25 July 1969) was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of Weimar society and the brutality of war. Along with George Grosz, he is widely considered one of the most important artists of the Neue Sachlichkeit.

Stamp:
The 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Otto Dix (1891-1969) - Issued: 02-11-2016 with Special Postmark

Germany: Heidelberg

Heidelberg is a city situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. The fifth-largest town in the State of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Freiburg im Breisgau, Heidelberg is part of the densely populated Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. In 2011, over 149,000 people lived in the city. On the main picture of the card, on the stamp and one the postmark, you can see the The Karl Theodor Bridge (German: Karl-Theodor-Brücke), commonly known as the Old Bridge (German: Alte Brücke). It is a stone bridge crossing the Neckar River. It connects the Old City with the eastern part of the Neuenheim district of the city on the opposite bank. The current bridge, made of Neckar Valley Sandstone and the ninth built on the site, was constructed in 1788 by Elector Charles Theodore, and is one of the best-known landmarks and tourist destinations in Heidelberg.

Stamp:
Tourism - Germany's Most Beautiful Panoramas "Heidelberg" - Issued: 05-09-2013

Germany: The Bayreuth Festival

The Bayreuth Festival (German: Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special festival to showcase his own works, in particular his monumental cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal. Performances take place in a specially designed theatre, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. This year's Festival took place from 25th July to 28th August 2016.

Stamp:
Flowers "Convallaria majalis" - Issued: 06-05-2010 with special postmark

Germany: Lighthouses in Germany

Staberhuk Lighthouse is one of five Lighthouses of Fehmarn Island at the Baltic Sea in Germany. The tower was originally built with yellow bricks but it turned out that those were not suited for severe Baltic Sea winters. Therefore the north and west sides were later covered in red bricks which makes the lighthouse appear to have vertical red and yellow stripes. The Fresnel lens installed in the lantern was originally used in the Heligoland lighthouse while that North Sea island was under British administration in the 19th century. It was transferred to Staberhuk when the lighthouse in Heligoland was replaced in 1901.

Stamps:
Lighthouses "Staberhuk" - Issued: 07-07-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark


The Kampen lighthouse is located on the geestland core of the German island of Sylt, south of Kampen. It is a white conical stone tower with a broad black band. The Lighthouse was automated in 1997 and from 2004 to 2005 it was elaborately renovated and was therefore completely scaffolded for several months. On 4 June 2006 the 150th anniversary was celebrated with a Turmfest and the rare opportunity was provided to scale the newly renovated tower.

Stamp:
Lighthouses "Kampen" - Issued: 07-07-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Italy: The 90th Anniversary of the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia

The Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana was founded in 1925 by the businessman and philanthropist Giovanni Treccani. His project was to publish the large Enciclopedia italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti (appearing in 35 volumes, 1929-1937, updated with appendices to the present day) and the Dizionario biografico degli italiani.  Both of these works were lacking in Italy at the time. From 1925 to 1943 the scholarly supervisor of the Istituto was philosopher Giovanni Gentile. Included among the rich list of publications are encyclopaedic-lexicographic works (from the Dizionario enciclopedico italiano, 1955-61 to La Piccola Treccani, 1995-97), a vast range of Italian dictionaries, works of historical-literary scope (Enciclopedia dantesca, Enciclopedia virgiliana, Enciclopedia oraziana, Federico II. Enciclopedia fridericiana). Since 1975 the Istituto has produced specialized encyclopaedias on various fields such as art, archaeology, the social sciences, law, cinema, fashion, sport, the human body, the life sciences and the history of cities (Storia di Milano, Storia di Venezia), in addition to art books (Pompeii, Venezia, Firenze).In keeping with the needs of contemporary society the Treccani’s editions are targeting an ever wider audience, branching out into different formats and channels of communication, from paper to multimedia support both on and offline (CD, DVD, Website).

Stamps:
Minisheet "The 90th Anniversary of the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia" - Issued: 31-10-2015 with special postmark
Posta Italiana - Self Adhesive Stamp (0,25 €) - Issued: 13-02-2013


Many thanks to Ivan of this great Cover!

Germany: Büsum

Büsum is a fishing and tourist town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea coast, approx. 18 km southwest of Heide. One of the landmarks of the town is Büsum Lighthouse. Built in 1912/13 from 55 tons of cast iron plates, it was originally painted black until it received its characteristic red and white daymark in 1952. It has been operated automatically since 1976 and is managed by the Water and Shipping Authority Tönning. From the harbor of Büsum, tourists can take trips to sea, either for pleasure or fishing, as nature trips along the Wadden Sea National Parks, or to the island Helgoland. During the first weekend in August, Büsum's fishermen race their boats in the annual Kutterregatta to determine the fastest fishing vessel. The first regatta was held in 1894. It is traditionally the highlight of summer events in Büsum.

Stamp:
Lighthouses "Buk" (from a set of two) - Issued: 03-07-2016

Stamp:
Flowers "Convallaria majalis" - Issued: 0-05-2010

Both stamp got a special ship cancellation from the "MS OL Büsum". Many thanks to my wife for these great cards!

Germany: UEFA Euro 2016 Opening Game

The UEFA Euro 2016 is currently being held in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016. To commemorate the Opening Gamet, the german post issued a special cancellation. The host France played against Romania. France won 2-1 and later also advanced to Knockout phase.

Stamp:
Sports - Balls (from a set of three) - Issued: 02-05-2016 with special cancellation

Russia: 2016 IIHF World Championship Russia FDC

The 2016 IIHF World Championship was the 80th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), being held in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, from 6 May to 22 May 2016. Canada won their 26th gold medal, defeating Finland 2–0 in the gold medal game. For this event Russian Post issued a special FDC and stamp. The stamp features the official mascot of the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship: Laika the Dog in a hockey sweater.

Stamp:
IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship - Russia - Issued: 06-05-2016 with special first day of issue postmark


Thanks to Ivan for sending me this FDC in an envelope!

Andorra: EUROPA - "Think Green" (French Post)

Again a nice cover for my EUROPA Stamps of 2016 collection. This time it comes from Andorra. Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi) and a population of approximately 85,000. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft) above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken.

Stamps:
EUROPA - "Think Green" - Issued: 20-05-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark


Thanks to Roland for this great Cover! 

Germany: Bielefeld, SchücoArena

On the card you can see our local football stadium. The stadium, which has a capacity of 27 300, is owned by the football club DSC Arminia Bielefeld and mostly used for the club's matches. Formerly named Stadion Alm, it is currently known as SchücoArena due to a sponsorship deal with the Bielefeld-based window and solar panel manufacturers.

Stamp:
Sports - Balls (from a set of three) - Issued: 02-05-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Hong Kong: Greetings from...

This nice card arrived some weeks ago. It's a great addition to my "Greetings from" Collection. Hong Kong - officially Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China -, is an autonomous territory on the southern coast of China at the Pearl River Estuary of the South China Sea. It has a total land and sea area of 2,754 km2 and an estimated population of 7,234,800 making it the world's fourth most densely populated sovereign state or territory.

Stamp:
Scientists in Ancient China (from a set of four) - Issued: 08-12-2015 with special postmark of The Grand Canal 


Thanks to Hazel for this great card!

Germany: EUROPA - "Think Green"

Finally my cover with the german Europa 2016 stamp arrived. German Post just issued the stamp with the common design and not a second like many other countries did. But ok, at least I got it with special first day cancellation.

Stamp:
EUROPA - "Think Green" - Issued: 02-05-2016 with special first day of Issued postmark

Germany: Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927 - 2016)

Hans-Dietrich Genscher (21 March 1927 – 31 March 2016) was a German statesman and a member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), who served as Minister of the Interior from 1969 to 1974, and as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1974 to 1992 (except for a two-week break in 1982), making him the longest-serving occupant of either post. In 1991 he was chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He is widely regarded as a principal "architect of German Reunification." In 1991, he played a pivotal role in the breakup of Yugoslavia by successfully pushing for international recognition of Croatia, Slovenia and other republics declaring independence, in an effort to halt "a trend towards a Greater Serbia.

Genscher died at his home outside Bonn in Wachtberg on 31 March 2016 from heart failure, one week and three days after his 89th birthday.

Stamps (left to right):
Numeral Stamp - Issued: 05-12-2013
Numeral Stamp - Issued: 03-12-2015
Mourning Stamp - Issued: 05-12-2013 with special postmark commemorating his day of death

France: UEFA EURO 2016 Stamp

Today I received a nice cover with a stamp I was looking for. The 2016 UEFA European Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 or simply Euro 2016, will be the 15th edition of the UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe organized by UEFA. It is scheduled to be held in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016. For the first time, the European Championship final tournament will be contested by 24 teams, having been expanded from the 16-team format used since 1996. Spain are two-time defending champions.

Stamp:
UEFA European Football Championship 2016 (France) - Issued: 25-03-2016 with special cancellation from Le Carré d'encre


Thanks to Roland for this nice cover!

Switzerland: Rhine Falls

The Rhine Falls (german: Rheinfall) is the largest plain waterfall in Europe. The falls are located on the High Rhine between the municipalities of Neuhausen am Rheinfall and Laufen-Uhwiesen, near the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich. They are 150 m (450 ft) wide and 23 m (75 ft) high. In the winter months, the average water flow is 250 m³/s, while in the summer, the average water flow is 700 m³/s. The highest flow ever measured was 1,250 m³/s in 1965; and the lowest, 95 m³/s in 1921.

Stamps:

Rhine Falls (whole set) - Issued: 05-03-2015 with matching postmark

Many thanks to Hansjürg for sending me these nice stamps!

Thailand: Greetings from...

Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country at the centre of the Indochinese peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Myanmar. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India on the Andaman Sea to the southwest. The capital city is Bangkok.

Stamp:
The 48th Anniversary of ASEAN - Joint Community Issue - Issued: 08-08-2015


Many thanks to Akira for the great card and the special postmarks!

Germany: The 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Nelly Sachs

Born as Leonie Sachs (10 December 1891 – 12 May 1970) Nelly Sachs was a Jewish German poet and playwright whose experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokeswoman for the grief and yearnings of her fellow Jews. With Shmuel Yosef Agnon, she was awarded the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Stamps:
2x The 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Nelly Sachs - Issued: 07-04-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark