Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on Expedition PS136

The Polarstern expedition PS136 started on 22 May 2023 in Bremerhaven, Grmany and led to the Fram Strait between Greenland and the Svalbard archipelago. The expedition wanted to contribute to various large national and international research and infrastructure projects (FRAM, MUSE, iFOODis, HiAOOS, ICOS-D, SIOS) as well as to the new research programme „Changing Earth – Sustaining our Future” („Erde im Wandel – Unsere Zukunft nachhaltig gestalten”) of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). The cruise ended on 19 June 2023 in Tromsø, Norway.

Source: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/57718/1/Expeditionsprogramme_PS136.pdf 

To note, the Alfred Wegener Institute will no longer process collectors mail send to the Polarstern due to the "ever-increasing workload". This is very sad news for any Polarmail collector.

Stamp:

Definitive Issue - "Flowers" - Issued: 03-01-2005

Gibraltar: "Ships - Visit of HMS Queen Elizabeth"

 

Stamp:

Ships - Visit of HMS Queen Elizabeth (m/s) - Issued: 10-05-2018

Many thanks Alexander for this great Cover!

China: Kites

 

Stamps:

4x Kites (full set) - Issued: 09-09-2023

1x World EXPO 2010 Shanghai China - Issued: 19-12-2007

Many thanks to Xu Wei!

Switzerland: "Swiss Inventions - Hook and Loop Fastener"

The original hook-and-loop fastener was conceived in 1941 by Swiss engineer George de Mestral, which he named velcro. The idea came to him one day after returning from a hunting trip with his dog in the Alps. He took a close look at the burs of burdock that kept sticking to his clothes and his dog's fur. He examined them under a microscope, and noted their hundreds of "hooks" that caught on anything with a loop, such as clothing, animal fur, or hair. To note this minisheet got a small piece of a real hook-and-loop fastener on it.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook-and-loop_fastener

Stamp:

Swiss Inventions - Hook and Loop Fastener - Issued: 07-09-2023
 

Poland: The 550th Anniversary of the Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

 

Stamps:

2x The 550th Anniversary of the Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)  - Issued: 29-01-2023

1x Via Carpatia - Issued: 03-10-2018

Many thanks to Roman!

Slovakia: EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity"

 

Stamp:

EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity" - Issued: 09-05-2023

Greenland: "The Huginn Mission" - Joint Issue w/ Faroe Islands

In August 2023, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen began his new mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission has been named "Huginn" after one of Odin's two ravens. On 11th August, Posta Faroe Islands and Tusass Greenland issued a joint issue consisting of a souvenir sheet printed in combined offset and steel engraving. His return to earth is expected in January 2024.

Greenland stamp:

 

Stamp:

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen to ISS - Issued: 11-08-2023

Faroe Islands Stamp:

Stamp:

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen to ISS - Issued: 11-08-2023

 

Happy New Year everyone!

 

USA: Merry Christmas - Snow Globes

With this nice Card from the United States I'm wishing everyone a merry christmas time. 

 

Stamps:

Snow Globes (from a set of 4) - Issued: 19-09-2023

Definitive - "Strawberries" - Issued: 05-05-2017

Christmas Stamps (from a set of 2) - Issued: 31-10-1980

 

Many thanks Yan for this nice Card!

Norway: EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity"

 

Stamp:

EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity" - Issued: 09-05-2023

Germany: Postal Stationary - "Germania: Myth and Stamp"

Germania stamps are definitive stamps that were issued by the German Empire and the Weimar Republic between 1900 and 1922, depicting Germania. Germania is the personification of the German nation or the Germans as a whole. The stamps represent the longest running series in German philately and are in their many variations and derivations an essential part of German philatelic collections. This Postal Stationary was issued during this year's IBRA23 in Essen.

Stamp:

Personalised Stamp

Chile: The 150th Anniversary of German Immigration

German Chileans (Spanish: germanochilenos; German: Deutsch-Chilenen) are Chileans descended from German immigrants, about 70,000 of whom arrived in Chile between 1846 and 1914. Most of these were from Bavaria, Baden and the Rhineland, and also from Bohemia in present-day Czech Republic.

Stamps:

2x The 150th Anniversary of German Immigration (full set) - Issued: 22-08-1996

The 150th Anniversary of Puerto Varas - Issued: 29-11-2002

Austria: Mail from a different World

In a "world premiere" Austrian Post issued this stamp minisheet in 2006 which contains 0.03 grams of star dust. The powder comes from a 19-kilogram meteorite found in Morocco that was crushed through a special process and put on these stamps by hand. 600.000 pieces of this sheet were put into circulation.

 
Stamp:

Post from another World (m/s) - Issued: 24-03-2006

Germany: 100th Anniversary of the "Ernemannturm"

The Ernemann-Werke is a historic complex of production and administration buildings for the optical industry in Dresden-Striesen. The iconic "Ernemannturm" is part of it and celebrated its 100th Anniverary in 2023. Its named after the former owner of this facility Heinrich Ernemann. The covers below were created for this event. The covers are both transported to "Weißer Hirsch" by funicular railway and to "Oberloschwitz" by suspension railway as seen on the special cachets. 

Stamp:

ATM "Brandenburger Tor" 

Stamp:

ATM "Brandenburger Tor"

Vatican: The 250th Anniversary of the Pontifical Lateran University + EUROPA 2022

The Pontifical Lateran University (Italian: Pontificia Università Lateranense), also known as Lateranum, is a pontifical university based in Rome. The university is known as "The Pope's University". Its Grand Chancellor is the Vicar General to the Holy Father for the Diocese of Rome. As of 2014 the Pontifical Lateran university had students from more than a hundred countries.

Stamps:

The 250th Anniversary of the Pontifical Lateran University - Issued: 21-09-2023

EUROPA 2022 - "Stories & Myths” - Issued: 16-05-2022

Switzerland: 100 years Disney

 

Stamps:

2x 100 years Disney "Minnie" (from a set of 2) - Issued: 09-11-2023

Many thanks to Hansjürg for sending this cover on first day from Zermatt!

Luxembourg: SEPAC 2023 - "Traditional markets"

 

Stamp:

SEPAC 2023 - "Traditional markets" - Issued: 12-09-2023

Estonia: Litwinsky House - Joint Issue w/ Israel

The Litwinsky House is an outstanding architectural monument in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was built by Yaakov Elhanan Litwinsky (1852-1916), a well-known businessman who immigrated from Odessa. The house he built with his family at 22 Achad Ha’am Street was one of the most impressive houses in this new neighborhood. Today it is a famous tourist sight.

 

Stamps:

Litwinsky House - Joint Issue w/ Israel - Issued: 28-08-2018

4x Definitives - Post Horn - "2017" Imprint - Issued: 18-01-2017

Many thanks to Simone!

Slovakia: Solidarity with Ukraine

 

Stamps:

2x Solidarity with Ukraine  - Issued: 16-09-2022

Albania: UEFA EURO-2020 European Football Championships

Stamps:

UEFA EURO-2020 European Football Championships (full set) - Issued: 11-06-2021

Many thanks to Sabri!

Cyprus: EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity"

 

Stamps:

EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity" (full set) - issued: 09-05-2023

Refugee Fund Tax Stamp 2023

Belgium: Albert Hustin - Conservation of Blood

 

Stamp:

Albert Hustin - Conservation of Blood - Issued: 12-06-2017

Many thanks to Wesley!

Argentina: Argentina in Antarctica

Many thanks to Julio for this fantastic cover from Argentina. To match the exact postage he added a few more stamps on the back of the cover. In total the postage seems to be 6500 Argentine Pesos for this letter which is around 16-17 Euros. So a big thank you Julio for sending me this cover and also for adding some mint stamp with it.

Stamp:

Argentina in Antarctica (m/s) - Issued: 16-08-2022

Stamps:

11x Definitives - National Parks ($500) - Issued: 15-05-2022

1x Definitives - National Parks ($200) - Issued: 22-07-2019

France: The 100th Anniversary of Polish Immigration

Stamp:

The 100th Anniversary of Polish Immigration - Issued: 01-09-2023

 

 

Many thanks to Eric!

China: Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha (Chinese: 乐山大佛) is a 71-metre (233 ft) tall stone statue, built between 713 and 803 (during the Tang dynasty). It is carved out of a cliff face of Cretaceous red bed sandstones that lies at the confluence of the Min River and Dadu River in the southern part of Sichuan Province in China, near the city of Leshan. It is the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world.

 

Stamp:

Leshan Giant Buddha (s/s) - Issued: 28-04-2003

Many thanks to Xu Wei!

Croatia: World Post Day 2022

 

Stamp:

World Post Day 2022 - Issued: 09-10-2022

I sent this Cover to myself during my visit at the International Stamp Fair in Ulm 2022.

Portugal: EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity"

 

Stamp:

EUROPA 2023 - "Peace - the highest value of humanity" - Issued: 09-05-2023

Many thanks to Jerome!

South Georgia: Bird Island Research Station

Bird Island Research Station is an important centre for research into bird and seal biology. Lying off the north-west tip of South Georgia, Bird Island is one of the richest wildlife sites in the world. The research station, active since 1957, was completely redeveloped in 2005 and today provides accommodation for 10 staff.

To note the second postmark on the cover showing a nice cachet of "RRS Sir David Attenborough". It is a research vessel owned by the Natural Environment Research Council and operated by the British Antarctic Survey for the purposes of both research and logistic support. The vessel is named after broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough. 

Stamp:

Queen Elizabeth 90th Birthday s/s - Issued: 21-04-2016

Italy: Products of Italy with Protected Designation of Origin

 

Stamps:

Products of Italy with Protected Designation of Origin (from a set of 15) - Issued: 20-11-2021

Germany: International Stamp Fair "Ulm 2023"

The International Stamp Fair (Internationale Briefmarken-Börse) in Ulm, Germany took place from Thursday, 26. October to Saturday, 28. October 2023. I sent this cover below to myself during my visit. On the back you can see some postmarks of postal administrations that participated.

Stamp:

Postal stationery "International Stamp Fair Ulm 2023" - Issued: 05-10-2023

Backside: Definitves Stamps "Flowers - Eranthis hyemalis" - Issued: 08-06-2017

Liechtenstein: SEPAC 2023 - "Traditional markets"

 

Stamp:

SEPAC 2023 - "Traditional markets" - Issued: 05-06-2023