Christmas Mail 2015 4 - Finland

My good friend, Kimmo Liljeroos, sent this beautiful card from Finland for Christmas. Thank you Kimmo.

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Christmas Mail 2015 3 - Finland

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Cover - Liechtenstein

Its been a while since I've put up anything here on the blog. Was busy for various reasons but hopefully now will be regularly posting. For now, I have some covers I received lately and also a few stamp purchases I made that I will be posting about over the next few days.

This one is from Liechtenstein.

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Cover - Poland

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Christmas Mail 2014 20 - Brazil

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

To commemorate the sporting event, New Zealand Post on Feb 4 2015 has issued official ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 memorabilia, consisting of a unique dome-shaped commemorative coin, a sheet of stamps and a set of first day covers that represent the fourteen contesting teams.

The sheet you see below has been customised as per Indian requirements and includes an image of the World Cup trophy with the inscription ICC Cricket World Cup Champion 1983 &2011 INDIA. The souvenir sheet is available for sale in India on the Indian portal E Post Office and at all Indian philately bureaus.

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Odd Shaped Sheet - Botswana - White Rhinoceros 2011

Botswana Post launched these stamps illustrated by local artist, Jacob Disele on November 21st 2011. The stamps depict white rhinos and are endorsed by the World Wildlife Fund, WWF.

"The white rhino is being ruthlessly hunted for its horn, which is believed to have medicinal properties and also for use as decoration for daggers and swords in Asia and Middle East." said the CEO at Botswana Post during the launch. He mentioned that they have also recognised the need to preserve the white rhinoceros and its habitat, by coming up with the stamp issue. The idea is to sensitise the public and the entire world about the threatened, extra- ordinary animal, which has been mercilessly hunted and killed.

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Odd Shaped Sheet - South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

This one is by far my favourite. A set of four stamps along with this minisheet was issued in 2008 depicting the chinstrap penguins, an easily identified species of the islands. The sheet is large and measures 140 x 198 mm. This is my only set of stamps or a sheet of this island territory. The territory previously had been governed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. Under the new constitution, effective 3 October 1985, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ceased to be dependencies of Falkland Islands.

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Butterfly Shaped Sheet - Botswana

Another butterfly shaped sheet added to my collection. This one is from Botswana. The sheet and the stamps were issued in the year 2000 depicting Moths. Please click on the country names here to have a look at my other butterfly shaped sheets from New Zealand, Pitcairn Islands and Taiwan in my earlier posts on butterfly shaped sheets

The diamond shaped stamps on the sheet
35t Mopane moth
70t Wild silk moth
1p Crimson speckled footman (Tiger moth)
2p African lunar moth
15p Speckled emperor moth

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Laos - Butterfly Shaped Sheet

This butterfly shaped souvenir sheet features a single stamp of the Common Tiger butterfly, Danaus genutia. It was issued as part of a series on butterflies on Mar 8th 2003.

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Iran - Global Celebration of Nowruz - Hexagon Shaped Stamps

This miniature sheet titled The Global Celebration of Nowruz was issued on 15th February 2011 to commemorate the celebration of the Persian New Year, Nowruz 1390.

1000r Bowl of coins
1100r Bowl of decorated eggs in grass (meadow)
1300r Bowl of Sumac
1400r Bowl of apples
1500r Bowl of garlic
1700r Bowl of oleaster
2000r Hyacinth and book
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Iran - World Post Day - Hexagon Shaped Stamps

This miniature sheet titled World Post Day was issued on 9th October 2010. Its got seven hexagon shaped stamps.

1000r Aircraft
1100r Coins (Financial Post)
1300r Mail Lorry (Pishtaz Post)
1400r Shopping trolley full of presents
1500r username@post.ir
1700r Mailman driving motor scooter
2000r UPU emblem

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Indonesia - Flora and Fauna - Leaf shaped Sheet

This sheet was issued by Pos Indonesia on 5th November 2011. Cut around in the shape of a water snowflake leaf, the two stamps depict the bleeding toad and the water snowflake plant.

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Indonesia - Athens 2004 - Round Shaped Stamps

2004 Olympic Games Athens. Complete set in the form of horizontal strip.

2500r Swimming
2500r High Jump
2500r Hurdling

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Hong Kong - Volunteerism - Heart Shaped Stamp

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of International year of Volunteers in 2011, Hong Kong Post issued a set of four stamps and a special sheet to pay tribute to volunteers of all ages.

The first ever heart shaped stamp from Hong Kong symbolizes the spirit of selfless love shown by volunteers.
 

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Hong Kong - Fan shaped stamps

60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China

$1.4 Victoria Harbour and Tiananmen Square
$1.8 National Flag and 'Forever blooming Bauhina' (symbol of Hong Kong)
$2.4 National Stadium
$2.5 CZ-2F rocket
$3 Temple of Heaven, Beijing
$5 Dragon and Great Wall of China

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Thailand - Provincial Seals - Round shaped stamps

This beautiful sheet is part of the 1st series of stamps issued by Thai Post on 11th October 2007. Two sheets each containing 10 round stamps within square designs showing provincial seals were released.

This is the first of the two sheets.

Sorted by Thai alphabet of their name, the stamps of the provincial seals on the sheet are as follows

1. Bangkok Metropolis- Indra God surmounting the Erawan Elephant
2. Krabi- Crossed swords with the Chawa Prap Mountain and the sea in the background
3. Kanchanaburi- The Three Chedi Outpost
4. Kalasin- The grass, a black pool, the mountains and the clouds
5. Kampaeng Phet- The Province's boundary wall decorated with diamond studded Sema slabs
6. Khon Kaen- Phra That Kham Kaen (A chedi on a wood Stump)
7. Chanthaburi- A rabbit in the moon
8. Chachoengsao- The former Ordination Hall of Sothon Wararam Worawihan Temple
9. Chonburi- The Sammuk mountain by the coast on the Gulf of Thailand (Pattaya is located in this province)
10. Chai Nat- The Dhamma Chakra Wheel placed in front of the mountain and borne by the Garuda

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Thailand - Pandas - Round shaped stamps

2005, July 1. 30th Anniv. of Thailand - People’s Republic of China Diplomatic Relations
a, Panda showing tongue. b, Panda feeding on bamboo.

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Thailand - Roof Gables

2005 Roof Gables. A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof.
Prasat Phanom Rung Gable
Wat Phra Phai Luang
Uposatha Hall, Wat Khao Bandai It
Scripture Library, Wat Phra Sing Woramahawihan

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Thailand - Turtle shaped Sheet

2004, Mar. 1. Turtles. Sheet shaped in the form of a turtle.
3b, Cuora amboinensis.
3b, Platysternon megacephalum.
3b, Indotestudo elongata.
3b, Heosemys spinosa.

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