Vietnam: "The 200th Anniversary of Karl Marx (1818-2018) - FDC"

Karl Marx (5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, journalist and revolutionary socialist. Marx thought that if a place that works together runs on wage-labor, then there would always be class struggle. Marx thought that this class struggle would result in workers taking power. He believed that no one should have power over another, that everyone should be equal. His most famous book was the Communist Manifesto. He wrote it together with Friedrich Engels in 1848. It is about the ideas and aims of communism. His ideas are called Marxism. His most important work is 'Das Kapital', or The Capital. It is commonly known in English as simply 'Capital.' He spent many years working on the three parts of the book. 'Das Kapital' describes how "capitalism" works and the problems it creates, such as division of labour and exploitation.

I'm very happy to receive this nice FDC from Vietnam sent on 05th May (Marx's Date of Birth) from Ha Noi.

Stamps:
6x 200th Anniversary of Karl Marx - Issued: 05-05-2018


Many thanks for this perfect cover Pham Ngoc Son!

Iceland: Iceland Qualifies for World Cup 2018

The 16th of June was a historic date for Icelandic sport history. On that date Iceland played its first ever World Cup match against Argentina (2x World Cup Winner!). The match ended 1:1, which can been seen as a big surprise. (This year the FIFA World Cup takes place in Russia and was opened on 14th June with a match between Russia and Saudi Arabia.)
It's was an remarkable achievement for the national soccer team of Iceland to qualify for this years World Cup. Iceland with its 346.000 inhabitants becomes the smallest nation ever to participate in the World Cup. To celebrate this achievement a stamp was put into circulation on 26th April 2018 and I'm very happy to receive a cover with two stamps on it (domestic value) sent from the capital of Iceland.

Stamps:
2x Iceland Qualifies for World Cup 2018  - Issued: 26-04-2018

Poland: Champion Kamil Stoch

Kamil Wiktor Stoch (born 25 May 1987) is a Polish ski jumper. He is one of the most successful ski jumpers from Poland, as well as in the history of the sport, having won two overall World Cup titles, two consecutive Four Hills Tournaments, three individual gold medals at the Winter Olympics, individual and team gold at the Ski Jumping World Championships, and individual silver at the Ski Flying World Championships. Stoch is only the second ski jumper in history, after german Sven Hannawald, to win the "grand slam" of all four competitions in a single Four Hills Tournament.

Stamps:
2x Champion Kamil Stoch - Issued: 14-04-2018

Malaysia: "Malaysian Citrus - FDC"

On April 24th Pos Malaysia issued a stamp series featuring the well-known lime flavours frequently used in Malaysian cooking. The three stamps issued - and seen on the first cover - are the Calamondin Lime or Limau Kasturi (60sen), Kaffir Lime or Limau Purut (60sen) and Key Lime or Limau Nipis (60sen). A very nice minisheet was also issued. It can be send on the second cover. The sheet is printed with a gloss varnish finishing to accentuate the pomelo’s flesh. I'm very happy to receive both official FDC's.

Stamps:
Malaysian Citrus (stamps + m/s) - Issued: 24-04-2018


Many thanks to Henry for this great Covers!

Germany: The 150th Anniversary of the Technical University of Munich (TUM)

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) (German: Technische Universität München) is a research university with campuses in the cities Munich, Garching and Freising-Weihenstephan. It is a member of TU9, an incorporated society of the largest and most notable German institutes of technology. TUM is ranked 4th overall in Reuters 2017 European Most Innovative University ranking. 16 Nobel Prize winners have studied, taught and researched at the TUM. The university was founded in 1868 to provide the state of Bavaria with a center of learning dedicated to the natural sciences. This year it celebrates its 150th Anniversary.

With official First Day Cancellation:

Stamps:
The 150th Anniversary of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) - Issued: 12-04-2018

Portugal: Cascais - 2018 European Youth Capital

The European Youth Capital (abbreviated EYC) is the title awarded to a European city for the period of one year, during which it is given the chance to showcase, through a multi-faceted programme, its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development. The European Youth Capital is an initiative by the European Youth Forum, and the first capital was chosen in 2009. The current, capital for the 2018 calendar year is Cascais. It is a coastal town and a municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of Lisbon. On this nice minisheet used on this letter from Portugal, you can see Saint Martha's Lighthouse and the House of Saint Mary (Casa de Santa Maria) in Cascais.

Stamp:
Cascais – European Youth Capital 2018 (m/s) - Issued: 08-09-2017


Many thanks to Antonio for this great cover!

Indonesia: Marine Life - Joint Issue with Singapore FDC

These nice stamps on this FDC from Indonesia were issued as a joint Issue between Singapore and Indonesia to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the bilateral ties between both countries. It follows a 2009 collaboration with stamps featuring tourist attractions of both countries. This time the stamps features coral reefs of both countries. Like the many interdependencies in coral reefs it was intended to reflect the many ways in which Singapore and Indonesia are working together.

I'm very happy to receive this FDC also with a special First-Day Cancellation from Bandung.

Stamps:
Marine Life - Joint Issue with Singapore - Issued: 07-09-2017


Many thanks to Jc for this nice FDC!

Faroe Islands: Flag Stamps

Today is a special day for all the people of the Faroe Islands. The 25th April is National Flag Day. On this day the people commemorates the British recognition of the Faroese flag during World War 2. The Merkið, as the flag is called in Faroese, was created by Faroese students in Copenhagen in 1919.

This cover from Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, is my first cover ever from this country, so I'm very happy to show it on this special date.

Stamps:
The 75th Anniversary of The Faroese National Flag (full Set) - Issued: 24-04-2015

Liechtenstein: Year of the Dog

Chinese new year started on Friday, February 16, 2018. The Dog (狗) is the eleventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. A Dog’s most defining characteristic is their loyalty. They will never abandon their friends, family or work. Famous people born in a year of the dog include:  Issac Newton (1643 – 1727), Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790) or Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965).

Like the years before, Liechtenstein Post issued a very nice stamp dedicated to Chinese New Year. It can be seen on this cover from Liechtenstein sent from the City of Triesen.

Stamp:
Chinese New Year "Year of the Dog" - Issued: 13-11-2017