USA: The History of Hockey

On October 20th the US Postal Service and the Canada Post jointly issued a stamp dedicated to one of the most famous sports in North America: Ice Hockey. In the 1800s, the sport truly began to take shape in Eastern Canada. By the late 19th century, the game had grown popular in the United States. American Malcolm Greene Chace became interested in the game and assembled a group of players from various universities. In 1896, a team from Yale, which included Chace, faced Johns Hopkins University in the first college hockey game. The National Hockey Association began play in 1910 and evolved into the National Hockey League in 1917.

I'm happy to receive some covers with this nice stamp with first-day cancellation and even one cover showing a very nice souvenir sheet.

Stamps:
The History of Hockey (stamps + m/s) - Issued: 20-10-2017


Many thanks to Richard, A.W. Welch and Geoffrey!

South Korea: The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games

Only three day left and one of the major world wide sport events is going to start. The XXIII. Olympic Winter Games will take place from 9 to 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Korea. The 2018 Winter Olympics will feature 102 events in 15 sports, making it the first Winter Olympics to surpass 100 medal events. Four new disciplines in existing sports were introduced to the Winter Olympic programme in Pyeongchang, including big air snowboarding, mixed doubles curling, mass start speed skating, and mixed team alpine skiing. And of course for this special event Korea Post issued a series of stamps dedicated to this event. The design of the stamps includes the official mascot, Soohorang, participating in a number of winter sports including curling, speed skating and bobsleigh, as well as images of Olympic stadiums. I'm happy to receive this nice cover with also a nice special postmark showing the mascot Soohorang.

Stamps:
Winter Olympics 2018 (from a set of 10) - Issued: 01-11-2017


Many thanks to Choonjong Park for this nice cover!

Stamps:
Winter Olympics 2018 (from a set of 10) - Issued: 01-11-2017

Lithuania: EUROPA - "Castles"

Lithuanian Post issued two stamps for the 2017 EUROPA theme "Castles". The stamps on this cover below are showing ancient documents of the castles of Biržai (left stamp) and Klaipėda (right stamp). Biržai Castle is a castle in the city of Biržai, located in the northern part of Lithuania. The city and the whole region is renowned for its many traditional-recipe beer breweries. Klaipėda Castle, also known as Memelburg or Memel Castle, is an archeological site and museum housed in a castle built by the Teutonic Knights in Klaipėda, Lithuania, near the Baltic Sea. It was first mentioned in 1252.

On the left bottom, you can also see a cachet postmark from the International Stamp Fair in Sindelfingen 2017.

Stamps:
EUROPA "Castles" (full set) - Issued: 29-04-2017

Liechtenstein: The 200th Anniversary of the K.K.Briefsammelstelle Balzers

The history of Liechtenstein’s postal service began 200 years ago with a mail collection station in Balzers. On 1 September 1817, the k.k. österreichische Post (Imperial and Royal Austrian Post) opened a mail collection station in Balzers, followed in 1845 by a second collection station in Vaduz.  By 1912, there were a total of five Austrian-run post offices in Liechtenstein. That same year Liechtenstein also began to issue its own stamps. After the First World War, Liechtenstein left its 100-year relationship with the Austrian post and joined the Swiss PTT, concluding a postal contract with Switzerland in 1920. The move was regarded as necessary requirement to adopting the Swiss franc and customs treaty with Switzerland. In September 2017 the Post of Liechtenstein celebrated this Anniversary with several events and also by issuing this nice sheet you can see on the following cover cancelled by Balzers Post Office.

Stamp:
The 200th Anniversary of the K.K.Briefsammelstelle Balzers (m/s) - Issued: 04-09-2017

Kazakhstan: Olympic Champions from Kazakhstan

I will end the year of 2017 with a new country on my Blog. Some weeks ago I received two nice Covers from Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, and the ninth largest in the world. Its capital is Astana. Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The stamps on the Covers are dedicated to Olympic Champions from Kazakhstan.

The stamps on the first cover depicting Olga Shishigina (Gold Medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in 100m Hurdles) and Ermahan Ibraimov (Gold Medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Boxing). The stamps on the second cover depicting Zhaqsylyq Üshkempirov (Gold Medalist at the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling), Vitaliy Savin (Gold Medalist at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics in 4x100 m Relay) and Vassiliy Jirov (Gold Medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics in Boxing)

Stamps:

Olympic Champions (from a set four) - Issued: 28-12-2007

Stamps:
Olympics Champions (from a set of four) - Issued: 22-09-2005


Many thanks to Wonsik Kang for these nice Covers!

-Wishing everyone a happy new year 2018!-

Canada-India: Diwali (Festival of Lights)

Canada Post and India Post issued joint stamps to commemorate Diwali as well as cultural and historic bilateral ties. Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in southern hemisphere). Its the first ever joint Issue between these two countries. The stamps portray lamps, lights and sparkles in red and yellow shades. I'm very happy to receive covers from both countries showing this nice stamps.

Canada Post:

Stamps:
Diwali m/s and single stamps (full set) - Issued: 21-09-2017

India Post:

Stamp:
Diwali m/s - Issued: 21-09-2017


Many thanks to Tristan and Boben for your nice Covers!

Norway: UCI Road World Championships 2017

The 2017 UCI Road World Championships were held in 2017 in Bergen, Norway. It was the 90th UCI Road World Championships and the second to be held in Norway, after the 1993 world championships in Oslo. Chantal Blaak of the Netherlands won the women's road race and Peter Sagan of Slovakia won the men's road race. Sagan became the first man to win three successive world road race championships.

Stamps:
Cycling - UCI Road World Championships 2017 (full Set) - Issued: 16-06-2017

China: 2017 National Games of the People's Republic of China

The 13th National Games of China were held in Tianjin and Luoyang, Henan in August-September 2017. It is the premier sports event in China at national level. Like the Olympic Games, it is usually held once every four years. A total of 341 events in 31 sports were held at the games. On this very nice Cover you can see a minisheet and two stamps showing the mascot of this games called "JinWa".

Stamps:
Sports - The 13th National Games 2017 (m/s) - Issued: 27-08-2017


Many thanks to Jarod Xia for this nice Cover!

Åland: Sauna Traditions (Joint Issue with Finland)

On 24 May 2017, Åland Post and Posti Finland jointly issued stamps on the theme Sauna traditions. The Finnish sauna is a substantial part of Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants and over three million saunas in Finland - an average of one per household. For Finnish people the sauna is a place to relax with friends and family, and a place for physical and mental relaxation as well.

In summer 2016, both Postal Administrations collected Sauna Photos from their costumers. A jury selected the most beautiful Photos. The Finnish Post then issued a booklet including the four most beautiful Photos from Finland and an additional winning Photo from Åland. On this minisheet from Åland, you can see the both winning Photos.

Stamp:
Sauna Traditions m/s (Joint Issue with Finland) - Issued: 24-05-2017


UPDATE 06-03-2018:

I recently received another cover with this nice Stamp. Many thanks to Kimmo!

Stamp:
Sauna Traditions m/s (Joint Issue with Finland) - Issued: 24-05-2017

India: Traditional Dancing (Joint Issue with Portugal)

On this nice Cover from India you can see a nice mini-sheet as India-Portugal Joint Issue featuring "Dandiya Dance" of India and "Pauliteiros Dance" of Portugal. The Dandiya Dance, also known as Raas or Dandiya Raas, is the traditional folk dance form of Gujarat & Rajasthan India. The Dandiya Raas dance originated as devotional Garba dances, which were performed in Goddess Durga’s honor.
The Pauliteiros are those who practise folk dance which is popular in Terra de Miranda (Terras de Miranda) a region in the northeastern Portugal, lying on the border of Spain. The dance is carried out by a group of men including eight dancers and three musicians, wearing traditional clothes. Characteristic for the dance is the complementation of the rhythmic section by the striking of two sticks by each dancer.

Stamp:
Minisheet - Traditional Dancing (Joint Issue with Portugal) - Issued: 07-01-2017


Many thanks to Kamran for this nice Cover!

Latvia: Academic Center for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia

The stamp on this nice Cover is from the series "Latvijas arhitektūra" issued by Latvia Post (Print-run: 150.000). It shows the newly built Academic Center for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia. The University of Latvia (LU) (Latvian: Latvijas Universitāte) is a state-run university located in Riga, Latvia. It was established in 1919. On September 7, 2015 the newly built Academic Center for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia has been opened in Torņakalns in the presence of the highest state officials. The Academic Center will house around 1500 students from 5 faculties – the faculties of Biology, Geography and Earth Science, Chemistry, Medicine as well as the Department of Optometry and Vision Science department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.

Stamp:
Architecture - University of Latvia Academic Center of Natural Sciences 2017 - Issued: 28-09-2017


Many thanks again to Vera for this nice Cover!

Germany: Research Vessel Polarstern on the Expedition PS107-ARK-XXXI/2

The Polarstern expedition PS107 to the Arctic (Tromsø – Tromsø) started on 23 July 2017 and led particularly to study areas in the central and eastern Fram Strait. With this expedition it contributed to various large national and international research and infrastructure projects (e.g. INTAROS, FRAM, SIOS, OceanSITES) as well as to the research programme PACES-II (Polar Regions and Coasts in the changing Earth System) of the Alfred-Wegener- Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI). The cruise ended on 19 August 2017 in Tromsø, Norway.

Note the signature on the cover, I'm not sure from who it is, but I suspect its from the Chief Scientist of this Expedition Ingo Schewe.

Stamp:
EUROPA "Castles" - Issued: 11-05-2017

Greenland: Paamiut

Paamiut, formerly known as Frederikshåb, is a town in southwestern Greenland in the Sermersooq municipality. It is located on the coast of Labrador Sea in the southern end of a small estuary called Kuannersooq ("Inlet"). With 1,515 inhabitants as of 2013, it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland.

I choosed this special round stamp, which is an joint Issue with New Zealand Post, to frank this matching postcard showing a Polar Bear. Because of expected habitat loss caused by climate change, the polar bear is now classified as a vulnerable species,

Stamp:
From Pole-to-Pole (Joint Issue with New Zealand) - Issued: 20-10-2014

Switzerland: Postcrossing Stamps

Another country that issued a Postcrossing stamp is Switzerland. Three stamps have been issued with Demoninations of 1,00 CHF, 1,50 CHF and 2,00 CHF. The comic illustrations on the three stamps depict how people in Switzerland use Postcrossing to connect to the world.

This Cover showing the 1,00 and 1,50 CHF stamps was only available at the International Stamp Fair in Sindelfingen, Germany. I was not able to sent it by mail so I just bought it for my collection.

Stamps:
Postcrossing (full Set) - Issued: 07-09-2017


Many thanks to Hansjürg for the upper Cover!

South Korea: Must-visit Tourist Destinations

Korea Post issued this nice set of stamps showing must-see tourist destination in Korea. This is the third edition of this series and it features four different stamps each with a Denomination of 330 won. On the stamps you can see Ullimsanbang Villa and Garden, Jinjuseong Fortress, Soswaewon Garden and Mungyoengsaejae Pass.

Stamps:
Must-visit Tourist Destinations (full Set) - Issued: 15-05-2017


Many thanks to Choonjong Park for this nice Cover! 

Latvia: Latvian Lighthouses - Roja Lighthouse FDC

On 8th September Latvijas Pasts issued the latest in their annual series commemorating Latvian Lighthouses. This issue features the Lighthouse of Roja. Roja is the administrative centre of Roja Municipality (Latvian: Rojas novads). About 6200 people are living in this Municipality and about 2500 in the city of Roja itself.

Stamps:
Latvian Lighthouses - Roja Lighthouse - Issued: 08-09-2017 with special first day of Issue postmark


Many thanks to Vera for this nice Cover!

Indonesia: Postcrossing Stamps

On 14 July 2017,  Pos Indonesia issued three (3) stamps and one minisheet dedicated to Postcrossing. These colourful stamps are illustrating travels through correspondence. The stamps are also commemorating the 12th Anniversary of Postcrossing. Now, Postcrossing got over 700.000 Member around the world in 214 Countries.

I'm happy to receive some Covers with the stamps from my indonesian friends:

All Stamps:
Postcrossing Strip of 3 - Issued: 14-07-2017
Postcrossing Minisheet - Issued: 14-07-2017


Many thanks to Jopi & Muhammad for the nice Covers!

Austria: EUROPA - "Castles"

Schönbrunn Palace (German: Schloss Schönbrunn) is a former imperial summer residence located in Vienna, Austria. The 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in the country. Since the mid-1950s it has been a major tourist attraction. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. This beautiful Palace was chosen by the The Austrian Post for their 2017 EUROPA theme.

Stamps:
2x EUROPA - Issued: 09-05-2017

Germany: 2017 G20 Hamburg Summit

The 2017 G20 Hamburg summit was the twelfth meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20), which was held on 7–8 July 2017, at Hamburg Messe, in the city of Hamburg, Germany. Apart from the recurring themes relating to global economic growth, international trade and financial market regulation, the G20 Hamburg summit was expected to focus on the following "issues of global significance":Migration, digitisation, occupation, health, Women's Economic Empowerment and development aid. In the weeks prior the summit and during the summit a lot of protest actions and marches took place. In total, more than 15,000 police were deployed from across the country, while 100,000 protesters attended.

Stamp:
German G20 Presidency - Issued: 01-03-2017

Vietnam: ASEAN 50th Anniversary

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising ten Southeast Asian states which promotes Pan-Asianism and intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, military, educational and cultural integration amongst its members and Asian states. Since its formation on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the organisation's membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Its principal aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and sociocultural evolution among its members, alongside the protection of regional stability and the provision of a mechanism for member countries to resolve differences peacefully.

Stamps:
4x The 50th Anniversary of ASEAN - Joint ASEAN Issue - Issued: 08-08-2017


Many thanks to Huynh for this cover!

Germany: Fix and Foxi - First-Day-Cover

Fix und Foxi, created by the comic book editor Rolf Kauka, is one of the most successful and best known German comic series. The weekly magazine, taking its name from the two fox protagonists, was published for more than 40 years between 1953 and 1994. Re-christened Fix & Foxi, it was relaunched as a monthly magazine in 2000, 2005 and 2010 respectively. Since the end of 2010 publication has once again ceased.

I'm happy to receive this cover with special First-Day-Cancellation. The Facevalue of the stamp is 1,00 € (0,70 Cent as postage + additional 0,30 Cent for the "Stiftung für Philatelie und Postgeschichte")

Stamp:
Fix & Foxi - Issued: 07-09-2017 with special First Day of Issue postmark

Japan: Year of the Rooster

The Rooster is the tenth sign of the twelve year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac (and similar zodiacal systems) related to the Chinese calendar.  The name is also translated into English as Chicken. Rooster is the only bird included in the Chinese zodiac. However, the Chinese term is more generic, as it applies to barnyard fowl of either sex. The Rooster is strong and athletic. Great at sports. There are many football Athletes that became pro that are roosters. It is also said that the rooster is also incredibly smart.

I'm happy to receive this nice cover from Yokohama with minisheet stamp and beautiful postmark.

Stamp:
 Chinese New Year - Year of the Rooster (m/s) - Issued: 16-01-2017


Many thanks to Mitsuhiko for this nice Cover!

Poland: The 100th Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions

Our Lady of Fatima is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary based on the famed Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria, in Fátima, Portugal. The three children were Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto. Bishop José da Silva declared the miracle worthy of belief on 13 October 1930, officially permitting devotion within the Catholic Church. The event is commemorated each year on that same date.

This is a Joint Issue with Luxembourg, Portugal & Slovakia.

Stamp:
The 100th Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions - Issued: 12-03-2017


Many thanks to Roman for this nice Cover!

Indonesia: World Press Freedom Day

Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. This year the UNESCO, the Government of Indonesia, and the Press Council of Indonesia co-organized the World Press Freedom Day's main event and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 1-4 May 2017.

This nice cover was sent to me from Pontianak, Indonesia. The city is located precisely on the equator, hence it is widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equatorial City). The city center is actually less than 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of the equator.

Stamps:

World Press Freedom Day (full Set) - Issued: 03-05-2017

Many thanks to Muhammad for this nice Cover!

Åland: EUROPA - Kastelholms Slott

Kastelholm Castle (Swedish: Kastelholms slott) is a Swedish-buil medieval castle located in Sund, Åland, Finland, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of of the capital Mariehamn, overlooking a fjord to the south of the village of Kastelholm. Built in the 14th century, and held in fief during the Middle Ages by various nobles, feudal chiefs, and kings, it had significant period in the 15th and 16th centuries. Today it is an important part of the tourist circuit in Åland.

I'm happy to receive this cover with a matching illustrated postmark from Kastelholm Castle!

Stamp:
EUROPA "Castles" - Issued: 09-05-2017 with matching postmark

Latvia: EUROPA - "Castles"

Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe, one of the three Baltic states. The capital of Latvia is Riga. For this year's EUROPA theme Latvian Post issued two stamps. The first one shows Bauska Castle (Nom. 1,71 €). It is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a later palace on the outskirts of the Latvian city of Bauska. The other one is Cesvaine Palace (Nom. 0,78 €). It is located in the town of Cesvaine in the Madona District. Next to the palace are the old medieval castle ruins, remains from the old bishops castle. Cesvaine Palace was built in 1896 for the German baron Emil von Wulf.

Stamps:
EUROPA Castles (full set) - Issued: 21-04-2017


Many thanks to Vera for this nice Cover!

France: EUROPA - "Castles"

For this year's EUROPA Issue the french Post put together three castles on one stamp. You can see Castles of the Loire Valley, Chambord (Loir-et-Cher), Azay-le-Rideau (Indre-et-Loire) and Chenonceau (Indre-et-Loire). The Loire-Valley, the region, where all these castles are located is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. 

Stamp:

EUROPA 2017 "Castles" - Issued: 14-05-2017

Many thanks to Eric for this nice Cover!

USA: Total Solar Eclipse of August 21st 2017

Today, on the 21st of August 2017, a total solar eclipse crosses the USA from Oregon to South Carolina. On this day, the Moon completely obscures the Sun.  The day instantly turns to deep twilight and the Sun's corona becomes visible for a precious two minutes. As you can see on the card the total eclipse is only visible within a 110-km (70-mile) wide path that crosses the USA. In other countries it will only be visible as a partial eclipse.

I'm very happy to receive this special card for this lifetime event with also a special stamp. The stamp looks black, but if you press your finger on it the moon will appear.

Stamp:
Total Solar Eclipse - Issued: 20-06-2017


Many thanks to Nancy for this great Card!

Germany: Search and Rescue Vessels of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS)

The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (German: Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger - DGzRS) is responsible for Search and Rescue in German territorial waters in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, including the Exclusive Economic Zone. The headquarters and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the Society are located in Bremen, Germany. It was founded in Kiel on 29 May 1865. It owns 61 lifeboats at 54 stations which are operated by 185 employed crew members and 800 volunteers.

The DGzRS operates 59 vessels on 54 stations in the North Sea and Baltic. 20 of which are seagoing cruisers (German: Seenotrettungskreuzer) between 20 m and 46 m of length and 39 vessels are classified as inshore lifeboats (German: Seenotrettungsboote). A feature of the cruisers is that all but the 20-m class carry a fully equipped small lifeboat on deck which can quickly be released through a gate in the aft for conducting operations in shallow waters.

In this Post I'd like to show you some Covers from my collection with Ship-Cancellations and/or Cachets of these Cruisers and Lifeboats.


1. SK Bernhard Gruben

This is a 23.1-m class Cruiser. It's homeport is Norderney, which is one of the seven East Frisian Islands off the North Sea coast of Germany. As you can see from the Cachet this Cruiser got a small but fully equipped lifeboat on Deck. The Cruiser was built in 1997 and was named after Bernhard Gruben, a foreman, who died in accident in 1st January 1995.

2. SK Anneliese Kramer

This is a 28-m class Cruiser. It's homeport is Cuxhaven. This is a very new Cruiser, which was built in 2017 and it also got a lifeboat on Deck. The Cruiser was named after Anneliese Kramer, who donated much of her fortune to DGzRS after she died.

3. SRB Secretarius

This is a small 9,5/10,1-m class Boat and also one of the newest. It's homeport is the East Frisian Island Langeoog. The Ship Commissioning Ceremony was held on 12th August 2017 in Berne, Germany. On the Cover you can see the Cachet for this Ceremony. The Boat was named after the Organisator of the so-called "Bremer Eiswette", which is an annual bet since 1829 if the River Weser in Bremen is frozen on the 6th of January or not.