#550 Morocco 12/01/09

Thank you, Jean Pierre, for sending this airmail cover from Morocco! It was posted on January 9 and arrived on January 13, 2012.

The stamps are part of the set “Moroccon Currencies”, which was issued on October 20, 2011. The left coin was issued during the reign of Idris I (reigned from 788 to 791), the middle coin was issued under the last Almoravid king Ishaq Ben’Ali (died 1147), and the right stamp depicts a coin, which was issued under the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf (1135-1184).

#535 Serbia 10/12/02

S. Marković sent me this nice cover from Serbia, thank you! It was posted in Niš (Ниш) on December 2 and arrived on December 7, 2010.

The 2009 stamp and cover commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Čegar. The images depict the Serbian commander Stevan Sinđelić (Стеван Синђелић; 1770-1809), who lost his life in this battle against the Ottoman Empire.

#506 Romania 08/06/17

This cover was sent to me by a friend collector from Romania. It was posted in Târnăveni on June 17, 2008.

The left stamp is part of a set which commemorates the centenary of the Romanian Peasant Museum. It depicts a head dress of Argeș. The set was issued on October 5, 2006.

The right stamp is part of a set of mushroom stamps, which was issued on January 18, 2008. It depicts a shaggy parasol (Lepiota rhacodes).

#493 Malaysia 11/04/11

Thanks to Khor Kok Keong I received this beautiful FDC from Malaysia! It was posted in Shah Alam on April 11 and arrived on, April 19, 2011.

The cover and stamps commemorate artifacts of national heritage: gold coins of Sultan Muzaffar Shah of Johor  (1546–1570) and Sultan Zainal Abidin II of Terengganu (1793-1808).

#487 Poland 10/07/31

Thank you Andrzej for sending this registered FDC from Poland! It was posted on July 31 in Malbork and arrived on August 4, 2010. The postmark from July 31 was applied on the back.

The FDC and stamp commemorates the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald (July 15, 1410.). The mini-sheet depicts the 1878 painting by Jan Matejko (1838-1893).

#475 Panama 11/02/17

A. Garcia sent me my first cover from Panama, thanks a lot! It was posted in Betania on February 17 and arrived on March 3, 2011. The cover and special cancellation commemorate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.

The stamp on the front and three on the back commemorate the centenary of the independence of Panama in 1903. They are part of a set, which was issued on November 26, 2003.

The middle stamp on the back was issued in 2007 and commemorates Panama’s national park Sarigua.

The bottom airmail stamp on the back was issued on November 24, 2003. It is entitled “Jewels of the Pollera“.

#473 Latvia 10/11/18

Thank you, Juris, for sending this nice FDC from Latvia! It was issued and posted in Rīga on November 18 and arrived on November 22, 2010.

The stamp and cover commemorate the Freedom Monument (“Brīvības piemineklis”) in Riga.

#472 Latvia 10/11/13

Oleg sent me this nice cover from Latvia, thank you! It was posted in Rīga on November 13 and arrived on November 15, 2010.

The left stamp is part of the set “Declaration of Independence”, which I wrote about already in post #255.

The four definitives depict the coat of arms of Aizkraukle, Zemgale, Auce, and Staicele.

#458 Portugal 10/10/02

On October 7, 2010, I received this nice FDC from Rui José, thank you very much! It was issued on October 2 and commemorates the French Revolution in 1789.

#449 France 10/11/27

Thank you, Roland, for sending this nice FDC from France! It was issued and posted on November 27 and arrived on December 1, 2010.

The stamp and cancellation commemorates the 200th anniversary of the liberty of Latin America and the Caribbean.

#439 South Korea 10/09/14

Ahn Jung Min sent me this nice FDC from South Korea, thank you!

It was issued on September 14 and arrived on September 20, 2010.

For more info see article #400.

#400 South Korea 10/09/14

Thank you very much, Seung Young Oh, for sending me this marvelous FDC from South Korea! The FDC was issued and sent on September 14, and arrived on September 21, 2010.

It is the third set of the Goguryeo Jumong stamps.  The four stamps depict “King Geumwa meeting with Yuhwa” the “Birth of Jumong“, the “Escape of Jumong”, and the “Establishment of Goguryeo“.

More info can be found here.

#390-#392 China 10/05/15

Thank you very much, Hui XU, for sending this beautiful FDCs from P.R. China! The FDCs were issued and sent on May 15, 2010. On the back there are four additional postage stamps and day cancellations (not shown). The three FDCs and six stamps are entitled “Ancient Chinese Calligraphy – Running Script”. The stamps have the titles “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion”, “Poems Composed during the Cold Food Festival in Huangzhou”, and “Elegiac Lament for My Nephew”.

Running Script (Xing Shu) […] originated in the Han Dynasty (206B.C.-A.D.220), and became mature during the Wei (220-265) and Jin (265-420) dynasties. It simplifies the strokes of Regular Script (Kai Shu), transforms the patterns of Regular Script, and loosens the structure of Regular Script, thus being more applicable and practical to daily life compared to Regular Script and Cursive Script (Cao Shu). The “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion” […] is a calligraphic work by Wang Xizhi (303-361) […]. It is said that Wang invited friends to gather at the Orchid Pavilion on the outskirts of Shanyin in Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province), where they drank wine and composed poems for an anthology, to which Wang wrote the preface. The calligraphy features vigorous strokes, an unconstrained structure, and a graceful style, vividly representing the new form initiated by Wang Xizhi. It produced a profound influence upon Chinese calligraphy in the following generations.

The “Poems Composed during the Cold Food Festival in Huangzhou,” […] is attributed to Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) […]. It comprises two five-character-in-a-line poems, describing the author’s sorrowful state of mind and difficult living conditions after being demoted to Huangzhou. This calligraphy features free-style fonts in round shapes, contributed by a stress on the use of marginal tip of the writing brush, and is full of charm. It represents the greatest accomplishment of Su Shi in Running Script.

The “Elegiac Lament for My Nephew,” […] was calligraphed by Yan Zhenqing during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) […]. This work was created by Yan in mourning of his nephew. Yan Jiming, who died during the political turmoil started by An Lushan and Shi Siming. The calligrapher resolutely adopted withered brush and nearl-dried ink to convey his deep grief and striking artistic effect. (FDC’s info texts)

#384 Sri Lanka 10/05/24

Thank you, Ravindra, for sending this beautiful cover from Sri Lanka! It was posted on May 24 and arrived on May 31, 2010.

The attached stamp set was issued on September 16, 2008. It depicts buildings and artefacts of the late Anuradhapura Era (6th to 10th centrury AD).

#376 Bulgaria 10/07/30

Jean Pierre sent me this nice cover from Sofia, Bulgaria, thank you! The cover was posted on July 30 and arrived on August 13.

The two stamps are part of the mini-sheet “150th Birth Anniversary of Bulgarian Commanders”, which was issued on March 26, 2010. The stamps commemorate the generals Ivan Fichev (1860-1931) and Stilian Kovachev (1860-1939).