Cover - Russia

I received this cover just yesterday. Vladimir sent me this one from Russia. While the stamps on the cover are intact, I had to make do with only some of the stamps from the exchange return stamps he sent in the cover. Reason - The cover probably got wet and soiled in transit & all the stamps and sheets sent were stuck to each other. I managed to save most of them after soaking them. It still feels bad to have lost what I could have had if some basic precautionary steps had been taken while sending the stamps.

Anyway thank you for the stamps and the send, Vladimir.

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Andorra French Post, Country #52

I got my first cover from Andorra (French Post) just yesterday. Its always a delight to receive covers from countries I've never received any from. So one more addition to my cover collection and to the no of countries Ive got covers from.
A little about Andorra...An independent state in the Pyrenees under the joint suzerainty of France and Spain.

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Cover - Croatia, Country #51

My first cover from Croatia. I just love it. The stamps are a good selection. The cancellations are neat. One of my top covers. Thanks Ivana.

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Cover - USA

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Cover - Thailand

I received a few covers last week. One of them was this one from Thailand. Nok sent me some real nice stamps of Thailand in it too. I like the sheet on the back of the cover. Nok, a big THANK YOU.

Back of the cover.

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Cover - Japan

And this lovely cover came from Japan. Thanks Masahiko.

The miniature sheet on this one is a 2009 issue of 50th Wedding Anniv of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

Please also take a look at the earlier cover that I received from Masahiko. 

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Cover - Pakistan

A cover after a long time from my trade friend in Pakistan. KH Asad sent me some nice stamps of Pakistan too in this cover.

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USA Christmas stamps Revisited

Through last year, I have managed to acquire a lot more stamps and organize my christmas collection better. Particularly with stamps of USA, I believe, the progress has been better than the rest. My USA stamps overall also has grown significantly. I now have 4 albums for all my US stamps and this page below for the Christmas stamps. I will usually have two sets of christmas stamps, one that goes in my country collection and the other in my christmas. Ofcourse the first set and preference is to complete my christmas album. If I get an extra set then it goes to my country collection. There is no set rule here though, I do as I please :):).

Page 1

Page 2, Contd....,

From the first christmas stamp issued in the USA to many more complete sets, the journey has been exciting. Of the 157 christmas stamps issued in the US from 1962 to 2010, as on date, I have 53 here in my christmas album. About 30% or so and I can't wait to have the rest. You may wish to have a look at my earlier post on US christmas stamps. 

Some of my complete sets:

1971 Christmas
8c - Adoration of the Shepherds
8c - "Partridge in a pear tree"

1972 Christmas
8c - "Mary, Queen of Heaven"
8c - Santa Claus

1973 Christmas
8c - Madonna by Raphael
8c - Christmas tree in needlepoint

1975 Christmas
Madonna & child by Ghirlandaio
Christmas card
No denomination on these stamps. New postal rates were uncertain when production of these stamps began. But Christmas was coming fast, and the press run couldn't be delayed. so these stamps were the very first US stamps printed without a value.

1980 Christmas
15c - Madonna & Child
15c - Wreath & Toys

1982 Christmas - Seasons Greetings
20c - Sledding
20c - Building a snowman
20c - Ice Skating
20c - Decorating the tree

1989 Christmas
25c - Madonna & Child
25c - Sleigh & Presents

Do feel free to add your thoughts, comments or suggestions

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Miniature sheets of Canada - Pt 2

These are the rest of my odd shaped miniature sheets of Canada.

2009 Rhododendrons.

White and pink rhododendrons- 54c.

Deep pink rhododendron- 54c.

2009 Canadian Recording Artists (2nd series)

Robert Charlebois - 54c.

Edith Butler - 54c.

Stompin' Tom Connors - 54c.

Bryan Adams - 54c.

2010 African Violets.

African violet 'Decelles Avalanche'

African violet 'Picasso' (violet and white flowers) 

No denomination on the stamps above. These are PERMANENT™ domestic rate stamps. The PERMANENT™ stamp, identified with the letter P in place of a value, is always accepted at the current domestic postage price. So a PERMANENT stamp bought today can still be used in at any time in the future.

2010 Roadside Attractions (2^nd Series)

These set of 4 stamps, the 2^nd from a series of three year series roadside attractions one will meet along the way on a cross Canada road trip.

Coffee Pot

Happy Rock

Wawa Goose

Puffin

Again these are PERMANENT™ domestic rate stamps.

2011 Sunflowers

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Miniature sheets of Canada - Pt 1

These are my collection of odd shaped mini sheets of Canada. There are more, which I will put up in subsequent posts

1998 Chinese New Year ("Year of the Tiger")
45c Tiger

2003 Chinese New Year ("Year of the Ram")

$1.25 Sculpture of goat's head

2008 Chinese New Year ('Year of the Rat')

$1.60 Rat groom

2008 Peonies.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Coral 'n Gold' - 52c.

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Miniature sheets of Namibia

Some odd shaped miniature sheets and stamps of Namibia.

2004 1st Joint Issue of Southern Africa Postal Operators Association Members. Hexagonal designs showing birds of association members

$3.40 African fish eagle (Namibia);

$3.40 Two African fish eagles perched (Zimbabwe);

$3.40 Peregrine falcon (Angola);

$3.40 Cattle egret (Botswana);

$3.40 Purple-crested turaco ("Lourie") (Swaziland);

$3.40 Stanley ("Blue") Crane (South Africa)

2008 Centenary of the Discovery of Diamonds in Namibia. diamond-shaped designs

Uncut diamonds - $2;

Land mining - $2;

Marine mining - $2;

Diamond jewellery - $2

2011 Frogs

Long reed frog (Hyperolius nasutus) - $5;

Bubbling kassina (Kassina senegalensis) - $5;

Tandy's sand frog (Tomopterna tandyi) - $5;

Angolan reed frog (Hyperolius parallelus) - $5

Do feel free to add your thoughts, comments or suggestions

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Miniature sheets of Vanuatu

I got these two odd shaped mini sheets from Vanuatu Post recently. Currency of Vanuatu - Vatus.

2010 Chinese New Year. Year of the Tiger.

2011 Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea)

Three frogs in flower - 140v

Frog on brance - 200v

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Cover - Canada, Country #50

Not really my first cover from Canada, but one I received just yesterday. First post of a Canada cover though. Four beautiful Christmas stamps on it. Thanks Johanne.

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Cover - Malaysia

Bree sent me this nice cover from Melaka, Malaysia. Thanks Bree. The stamps on the cover are a set of two commemorating a century of progress. Years 1911-2011. These depict underground engineering excellence.

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Papua New Guinea

This is a post on my collection of stamps of Papua New Guinea. Just a few stamps, which I have arranged year wise.

A little about Papua New Guinea....It is located in the Australian continent and  occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands. Its capital is Port Moresby and many of my stamps have cancellations showing Port Moresby on them. 

Miniature Sheet

Of the stamps above, following are some sets which I intend to complete sooner as I continiue to extend my collection of PNG stamps.

1968 : Sea Shells. 
1c Ovula ovum

3c Strombus sinuatus 

5c Conus marmoreus 

7c Mitra mitra

1973 : Definitives 

7c Coastal village

15c Mt. Elimbari

20c Canoe-racing, Manus  

40c Fishing canoes, Madang

1977 : Headdresses
5t Masked dancer, Abelam area of Maprik
10t Headdress from Koiari
15t Woman with face paint, Hanuabada
20t Orokaiva dancer
25t Haus Tambaran dancer, Abelam area of Maprik
30t Asaro Valley headdress
35t Singsing costume, Garaina
1K Wasara

1982 : Definitives, Corals
5t "Acropora humilis"

10t "Dendronephthya sp."

20t "Isis sp"

35t "Stylaster elegans"

1987 : Anemonefish.

17t White cap anemonefisy

35t Tomato clownfish

1987 : Ships. 

5t Dampier - Roebuck, 1700

35t "San Pedrico" (Torres) and zabra, 1606

45t "Neva" (D. Albertis), 1876

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Cover - New Zealand

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A lovely cover from Poland

Greg sent me this really nice cover from Poland. Clear cancellations on the stamps showing date and place of sending. Krakow, 21.12.11. Thanks Greg.

Lovely christmas stamps on them. One with traffic lights. So what are these traffic lights?!! Traffic Lights are small spots indicating what ink colours were used to print the stamps.

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Cover - Algeria, Country #49

My first cover from Algeria. Only no cancels on the stamps. Thank you so much Ouari Khemissi.

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