Cover - Canada

And another one from Canada. Again courtesy Maryam. Lovely cover.

The two stamps on the left were issued in February 2012 commemorating Viola Desmond and John Ware. The other four stamps are from the low value definitives: beneficial insects sets of 2007 and 2010 respectively. I hope to have all the 10 stamps from both the years in my Canada collection.

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More covers from Canada

I received this second cover from Maryam yesterday. Beautiful cover with the lovely Titanic sheet on it.

Canada's postal agency, Canada Post, announced March 20, 2012, that it will join other agencies and countries around the world by commemorating the centenary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. They did so with a series of new stamps.

The souvenir sheet was issued on April 5 2012. This issue includes five stamps in total, two se-tenant domestic issues showing both the bow and stern of the ship, and one international stamp showing a side view of the ship. In addition, a souvenir sheet, an uncut press sheet, postcards and two OFDCs complete the issue.

The sheet features the international rate stamp, which shows a full colour side illustration of the Titanic, sailing on a calm ocean. Says Illustrator Mike Little "The full colour side illustration of the Titanic was much more of a challenge. No photographic record of a straight on side shot with all of the detail needed exists. Dennis Page, the designer says "Luckily, there was a full-scale model of Titanic being built at the time, based on the most accurate contemporary drawings ever produced. Access to these plans allowed us to be certain about details we couldn't see clearly in old, poorly lit, black and white photographs."

Titanic was almost 280 metres (883 feet) in length and, at the time, it was the largest passenger steamship in the world.

Marked on the map behind the ship are Southampton (England), Cape Race (Newfoundland) and Halifax (Nova Scotia)—all prominent locations in Titanic’s story. Southampton is where the Titanic started her much-anticipated maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. There were more than 2,220 people on board.

It was from Cape Race that a team working at the Canadian Marconi company’s wireless station heard Titanic’s early distress call. It came through late in the evening on April 14, 1912. Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) became the centre of the recovery efforts after the tragic sinking on April 15, 1912. The people of Halifax, faced with a grim duty, stepped up and dealt with the aftermath in a respectful and dignified way.

Near the base of the stamp appears the House Flag of the White Star Line (Titanic’s owners). This red flag—with its white five-pointed star and v-shaped tail—was flown from the top of Titanic’s main mast.

So next on my want wish is a cover with the two setenant stamps of the bow and stern.

Thanks Maryam for three wonderful covers.

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Cover - Myanmar

My second cover from Myanmar. This time, three stamps on the cover.

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Cover - Malaysia

Yesterday was a big cover day for me. Rare in recent times. I had begun to think that such days will never happen again. Four covers in my mailbox, and one of them......this lovely cover from Bree.

Lovely stamps and great cancellations. I like that 30 sen 1 stamp especially. Thanks so much Bree.

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Cover - Serbia, Country #62

Another additon to the list of countries of the world I have covers from. And this cover is actually an FDC as I can see it, of Yugoslavia from 1987. A brief political history of Serbia will clarify how this can be.

A powerful kingdom during the Middle Ages, Serbia was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1389 and remained under Turkish rule until 1829, when it became an autonomous region. In 1878 it became fully independent and led the movement to unite the southern Slavs into a single state under Serbian rule. Occupied by Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria during World War I, the collapse of Austria-Hungary in the autumn of 1918 made it possible for Serbia to realize its national ambitions. 

On December 1, 1918, Serbia absorbed Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Dalmatia and Slovenia, to form the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. 

During World War II, Yugoslavia was broken up by its Axis occupiers, and a German satellite regime was established in Serbia. After the war, it became one of the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 

In 1992, with the dissolution of the greater Yugoslav republic, only Montenegro remained associated with Serbia, first in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2002, in the looser federation of Serbia & Montenego. 

After a referendum on independence on May 21, 2006, Montenegro seceded from Serbia and Montenegro, declaring independence on June 3, 2006. Serbia formally accepted this secession on June 7. 

Could I actually then say that I have covers from two countries, of Yugoslavia and of Serbia??? I suppose I could.

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Postcard - Algeria

Faiza sent me this poscard from Algeria. Tassili is a mountain range in Algeria and is noted for its prehistoric rock art and ancient archaelogical sites.

These occasional postcards I get are also a welcome addition to my collection. Thanks Faiza.

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A beautiful cover from Canada

This is my eight cover and third with odd shaped stamps of Canada. Maryam sent me two covers recently of which I received this one a couple of days back. Eagerly waiting for the other.

Now with this, Ive got a couple of the tourist attractions stamps from the whole series used on a cover. I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts of wanting to have these used and looks like it wont be too long before I have all of them. This is just awesome. Thanks Maryam.

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Kremlin Self-Adhesive Definitives from Russia

Ok, Ive not done a single post on stamps as such this month, only put up covers Ive received and today as I was shuffling through my album of odd shaped stamps this set caught my attention. This definitives set from Russia is a nice set of odd shaped stamps depicting the Kremlins of Russia.
Kremlins are fortified complexes or castles found in historic Russian cities. These stamps were issued in October 2009. A set of 12, these self adhesive stamps have an attractive peculiar shape.
Astrakhan, 1p
Zaraisk, 1.5p
Kazan, 2p
Kolomna, 2.5p
Rostov, 3p
Nizhny Novgorod, 4p
Novgorod, 5p
Pskov, 6p
Moscow, 10p
Ryazan, 25p
Tobolsk, 50p
Tula, 100p

I have the stamps in used and mint but unfortunately not complete as yet.
The used set

Missing ones here are the Tobolsk and Tula Kremlins

The mint set

Quite a few missing ones here, the Kazan, Kolomna, Pskov, Ryazan, the Tobolsk and Tula Kremlins

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Cover - Israel

Got this cover from Israel today. Some good recent stamps on it with even better tabs along with. I especially like the one with the high priest. My second cover from Israel.

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Cover - Myanmar, Country #61

This is my first ever cover from Myanmar and one more country added to the list of countries of the world I have covers from. Something about these stamps and covers from Myanmar is just so exciting... to me atleast. I will sometime soon do a post on my stamps of Burma / Myanmar too. I guess its the fact that they are not so common as stamps of many other countries. Anyway here's it...From Myanmar!!!

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Cover - Indonesia

Yesterday I received two covers and this one from Indonesia is an FDC from September 2011. The stamps depict landmarks of Indonesia.

Issue date: September 27, 2011

Rp 2.500, Ampera Bridge
Rp 2.500,  Lawang Sewu Building
Rp 2.500,  Equator Monument
Rp 2.500,  Garuda Wisnu Kencana
Rp 2.500,  Fort Rotterdam

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Cover - Australia

I received a nice cover from Australia yesterday. I am always a little disappointed when there's only one stamp on a cover but the covers sent inside this one delighted me.

FDCs? No. These are first day issues of pre-stamped envelopes. Its the first of kind in my collection of covers. I really do not know too much about PSEs, as they are commonly known and googling too didn't help much. Those of you that can share more about the envelopes may please do so. What Id like to know? anything and everything I guess.

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Cover - Greece

Mary sent me this cover from Greece that I received just yesterday. She also sent me 50 recent stamps of Greece in it. Thanks Mary.

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