#544 Russia 11/07/15

Thank you, Tanya, for sending this nice cover from Moscow (Москва́), Russia! It was posted on July 15 and arrived on July 25, 2011.

The top left stamp is part of the set “Old Carriages”, which was issued on July 25, 2002. It depicts a closed sleigh of Moscow 1732.

The top middle stamp was issued on September 26, 2007. It is part of the joint issue set Russia/PDR Korea and depicts the flower Gladiolus gandavensis.

The stamp top right is part of the bridges set (issued on November 28, 2008) and commemorates the Zhivopisnyi Bridge (Живописный Мост) across Moskva River.

The two definitives on the left were issued on August 29, 2008, and depicts a hare and a fox. The bottom middle stamp is part of the beetles set and depicts a Lucanus cervus. It was issued on July 22, 2003.

Finally, the last stamp commemorates the 1946 bicycle ZiCh-1 (ЗиЧ-1). This bicycle stamp set was issued on December 11, 2008.

See also: Russia 08/11/28

#537 Armenia 09/??/??

Thanks to my friend collector in Armenia for sending this nice FDC! The stamps and FDC was issued on December 14, 2007, but the cover was posted in 2009.

The stamp set is an Armenian-Greek joint issue. The stamps depict sculptures of the goddesses Aphrodite (left) and Anahit (right).

#483 Singapore 09/12/09

Thank you, Jean Pierre, for sending this beautiful cover from Singapore! It was posted on December 9, 2009.

The cover consists of a postal stationery and four stamps. The two stamps on the left were issued on January 9, 2008. They commemorate the Singapore Changi Airport. The two middle stamps are part of the mini-sheet, which I already described in this article. It was issued on October 28, 2009.

#370 Germany 10/02/13

Thank you, my German friend for sending this nice cover from Vaterstetten! The cover was posted on February 13 and arrived on February 16, 2010.

The attached stamp was issued on September 4, 2008. It commemorates the “Alte Rheinbrücke” (Old Bridge over Rhine) between Bad Säckingen and Stein in Aargau. It is a German/Swiss joint issue.

#309 Ukraine 10/02/05

This nice cover was sent to me by John from Dnipropetrovsk on February 05, 2010.

There are five definitive stamps attached and one commemorative, which is a Ukraine/Moldavia joint issue. It was issued on September 6, 2007, and depicts a Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii).

#305 Singapore 09/10/28

Jan Ang sent me this beautiful FDC from Singapore, thank you!

The FDC was issued on October 28, 2009 and commemorates the Singapore/Indonesia joint issue. The stamps show some tourist attractions from both countries: Sentosa and Merlion from Singapore, Singaraja and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah from Indonesia.

On the back Jan Ang attached an additional stamp of 50 cent: the Christmas stamp of 2006.

Jan Ang forgot to write the city and postcode, therefore it was amended in Vienna, where the letter was cancelled on the back upon arrival on November 3, 2009. The inscription “Anschrift ergänzt durch BZW 1000″ means: “Address added by Letter Center Vienna 1000″.

#302 Hong Kong 09/11/24

This interesting cover from Hong Kong was sent to me by Jean Pierre, thank you!

The envelope itself is a FDC envelope issued on December 4, 2009. It commemorates the 2009 East Asian Games. Jean Pierre attached two stamps of the Hong Kong/Brazilian joint issue “Football”, which was issued on November 5, 2009. The cover was cancelled at Hong Kong Airport on November 24, which means that Jean Pierre used the envelope before its actual issuing date! There is another machine cancellation showing the letters “SWLF” and dated November 29.

#291 Singapore 09/08/28

Jan Ang sent me these beautiful first day covers from Singapore, thank you very much!

The FDC and joint issue stamps were issued on August 28, 2009. They commemorate 40 years of diplomatic relations betwen Singapore and the Philippines. The stamps depict the Bamban Bridge, the Cavenagh Bridge, the Henderson Waves, and the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.

#287 Israel 09/12/02

Dr. E. Griver sent me this cover from Jerusalem, thank you!

The cover was posted on December 2, 2009.

The left two stamps were issued on November 26, 2002, and depicts a menorah.

The middle stamp is part of the set “Animal Assisted Therapy” (issued on September 8, 2009). The right stamp is part of the joint issued Israel/France, I already wrote about in this post.

#272 South Korea 09/09/03

Shinchul sent me this nice airmail cover from Seoul. It was posted on September 3, 2009.

The left stamp was issued in 1997. The middle stamp is of the Korea/Mongolia/Kazakhstan joint issue set (issued June 13, 2009). I already wrote about this issue in this article. The right stamp was issued on May 27,  2005. It commemorates the 57th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (Ulsan 2005) and depicts the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus).

#167 South Korea 09/06/13

Seung Young Oh sent me this beautiful FDC from South Korea. The mini sheetlet is a Korea/Mongolia/Kazakhstan joint issue, which depicts earrings of each country. It was issued on June 13, 2009.

The Korean earring […] is an earring made in the 5th-6th centuries for the royal family of the Silla dynasty. It was excavated from a Bubuchong (a couple tomb), in Bomun-ri, Gyeongju city. Boasting sophisticated esthetics and excellent metal craft, this earring is considered the most superb and elaborate example of the Silla period earrings. […]
The Mongolian earring […] was used by noblemen in the 18th-19th centuries. Its 20.0 cm long form hangs down vertically. It is adorned with not only gold and silver but turquoise and coral as well, […].
The Kazakhstan earring […] was used by noblemen from the 2nd century BC to 1st century AD. It features a wild boar attacking humans, and is made of gold, turquoise, and carnelian. […]
The setting of each stamp is in the pattern of Korea’s gold crown of the 5th-6th centuries, Mongolia’s traditional pattern of the 19th century, and the pattern of a Kazakhstan female apparel of the 18th century. These patterns inserted into the setting of the stamp present a sense of harmony with the earrings.
(info sheet text of the FDC)

On the back of the cover one definitive depicting the bird Parus major was attached and cancelled with the postmark of Seoul-Eunpyeong.

Thank you very much for this marvelous FDC!

Czech Republic 08/11/25

Cover from the Czech Republic, posted in Kroměříž on November 25, 2008.

Milan sent me this nice cover with the Czech mini-sheet of the Czech-Austrian joint issue commemorating the two large stamp exhibitions WIPA08 and PRAGA08. Thank you!

Israel 08/11 (2)

Cover from Israel, posted in November 2008.

This cover has attached the Israeli stamps of the joint issue with France, on which I wrote in this article. Because I am collecting tabs of Austrian stamps too, I like the tabs on Israeli stamp sheets.

I noticed that recently a lot of post officers forget to cancel the stamps. In the last month I received some covers without cancellations.

Ori, thank you for sending me this nice cover!

South Korea 08/11/06

Registered first day cover from South Korea, posted in Yeouido on November 6, 2008.

This marvelous FDC has attached the mini-sheet of the Korea-Hongkong joint issue.

Korea’s mask – Chwibari mask seen in Bongsan mask Dance Drama

Having been performed since approximately 200 years ago, mainly as part of the Dano festival, Bongsan Mask Dance Drama is representative of Hwanghae province and its dance movements are cheerful and vigorous. Bongsan Mask Dance Drama is composed of 7 segments: Sasangjwa dance, Palmokjung dance, Sadang dance, Nojang dance, Saja (lion) dance, Yangban (nobleman) dance and Miyal dance. Featuring decadent monks, ruined yangban, his servants, shaman and ordinary folks, this dance conveys the message of “promoting virtue and rejecting vice” through lighthearted satire of the meager lives of ordinary folks contrasted with the Yangban/self-indulgent monks. The stamp features the scene of the Bongsan Mask Dance where Chwibari is hugging his child and of the Saja dance. In Bongsan Mask Dance, the lion is theentity sent by Buddha to chastie the wickedness of the human world.

Hong Kong’s mask – Big Head Buddha mask seen in the Lion Dance of the Southern area

Big Head Buddha appears mostly when a new year commences. There are various stories about the origin of Big Head Buddha, but mostly, it appears with lions. According to the legend, the lion was a spiritual animal in Buddhism , and it seeks deeper enlightenment about Buddha’s teachings. Holding a fan made of palm tree leaves in one hand, Big Head Buddha hits the lion’s head with this fan whenever the lion strays in concentration and leads the lion to the state of enlightenment. He also elevates the festive atmosphere by leading, through funny acts, the lion to make various gestures that are known to bring about good luck and rich harvest.

(Text of the issue’s information sheet)

Thank you, XU Hui and Seung Young Oh, for sending me again such a beautiful cover!

France 08/11

Eric sent me some beautiful covers from the 62nd Salon Philatélique d’Automne 2008 in Paris. This philatelic event was held from November 6 to 9.

The first cover was cancelled on November 6, 2008; the left stamps are a joint issue of Isreali and French post. They commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. They show the departure and arrival of the first postal flight from Haifa to Paris. The right stamp is an ATM label commemorating the philatelic event.

To make this cover perfect, it was signed by the designer of the left stamps, Pierre-Andre Cousin!

The stamps of the second cover are one half of the booklet “Faces of the 5th Republic”, which was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 5th French Republic. They depict the famous Marianne. The bottom two stamps are part of the booklet “Happy Holidays”, which was issued on November 8.

Eric wrote a detailed article about this event and the stamps; it can be found here.

Thank you for this beautiful covers!