Just looking around and found this special postcard from Ulrich. So I decided to write this post for Viridian´s Sunday Stamps.
Here the stamp itself, a bit bigger. It´s beautiful.
The Horse-head Nebula is part of our Milky Way. Though the mist in the form of a horse's head is a deep dark cloud that absorbs all light, you can see it with a telescope - a silhouette in front of the glowing Orion Nebula.
And here the whole set:
A special feature is the tenant of the 55-cent stamps of the solar system in a sheet. The sun and the Milky Way combine both brands. The four special stamps were designed by the graphic artist Hans Werner Schmidt. Year of print 2011.
I received today this wonderful cover from a friend in Bangladesh. You can´t see on it any marking because this picture was made before she sent it :)
To mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Tagore India, Srilanka and Bangladesh issued commemorative postage stamps on 7 May 2011. On this blog you can see more about Rabindranath Tagore stamps.
The 3 roses were issued on 11th february 2010 and are part of a set of 13 stamps. See them all here:
This post is meant for Viridian´s Sunday Stamps (though it is not Sunday yet) with topic odd shaped stamps. So here we go with my favorite theme, railway stamps:
Viceroy Special Sream Train B1 251
Sri Lanka has issued five stamps this year, including the longest ever stamp of this country, to mark 25 years of service of the Viceroy luxury coal powered steam train. The 123mm long and 30mm wide stamp was issued at the Rambukkana Railway station under the patronage of Post and Telecommunication Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga and Transport Minister Kumara Welgama.
The illustrated stamps are as follows: Viceroy Special Steam Locomotive B8 240, Viceroy Special Locomotive B2 213, Sentinel Camel Steam Rail Car V2 331 and Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotive J1 220.
The MS I have received from a friend, Dr. Pulak Barua (many thanks), represents the Viceroy Luxury steam Train, popular charter operation on tracks in Sri Lanka.
The ‘Viceroy Special’ is a 75 year old locomotive train and the only steam train still in operation in Sri Lanka. The train has two air-conditioned observation saloons furnished in period style, with 64 plush reclining seats and individual adjustable tables and a restaurant car.
The Sri Lankan Railway came into operation during the British Era in the 19th century with the main purpose of transporting commodities, especially tea from the up country plantations. It then expanded to many points in Sri Lanka and passenger transportation. The railway continues to be main transportation way until today.
‘Of the journeys to many parts of the island, passengers experience panoramic picturesque views in their 290 kilometer journey to Badulla. This steam engine ‘Viceroy Special’ was introduced as a unique tourism product 25 years ago to offer the visitors and specially tourists a true experience of a journey of colonial times with a modern and relaxing comfort. ‘Viceroy Special’ is one of the few remain steam locomotives in the world’ said Hemasiri Fernando, the Chariman of JF Tours. The 'Viceroy Special' has come a long way making a tremendous contribution to Sri Lanka tourism with popular trips to Pinnawala, Kandy, Hill country as well as the west coast to the beach resorts. The steam – hauled train is passenger friendly to stop on request for guests to photograph scenic spots. Some even opt to take a ride in the engine driver’s cabin.
Would be nice to take a ride. You can watch above a video about the 25th Aniversary, though it is not in English :) For Viridian´s theme I couldn´t resist and I had to add two nice covers, one with round-shaped stamps from Russia and one with hexagonal shaped stamps from Switzerland:
Title: Sri Lanka Viceroy Special Lokomotive
Date of Issue: February 2011 Country: Sri Lanka
Source: http://www.slpost.gov.lk Denominations: 4x5 and 45
This week I saw Vivian´s blog and I thought it is a good idea to join the Sunday Stamps issue. So I have chosen to talk about butterflies. They are not really part of my favorite stamp themes, and at first I bought them for a friend, but I find them lovely. So here they are, flying around in my album:
The butterflies, which are members of the Order Lepidoptera, are the lively colored insects with membranous wings covered with microscopic scales. From a larva or a caterpillar stage they turn into nymphs or pupas and then into a beautiful colorful butterfly. Their life span differs from one species to another; they may live a month or a couple of months, a few hours or even a year. Depending their feeding time, they are both diurnal and nocturnal and they differ by their way of living and also by their appearance. There are so many things there to write about, I try to focus on description and interesting facts (in italic).
The postage stamps issue which Romfilatelia introduced into circulation this year (2011), illustrates the following species: the Old World Swallowtail, the Scarce Swallowtail, the Mountain Apollo, the Peacock Butterfly, the Atlas Moth, the Morpho Butterfly and the Glasswing Butterfly.
The Mountain Apollo (Parnassius apollo) is illustrated on the postage stamp with face value of lei 0.50. It is a very beautiful species of butterfly that were once widespread all over the European and Asian meadows. Unfortunately, nowadays they’re almost extinct and very rarely seen. They inhabit territories in meadows and mountains up to 2200 metres above sea level, ranging from Europe to Central Russia. The various species of butterflies differ in their colouration and the size of the dots on their wings. Apollo’s five to eight centimeter long wings are creamy, with black and red or yellow spots. These colourful spots are intended to confuse predators, mostly birds, because the red or yellow dots hold a similarity to a mammal’s eyes, thus saving the butterfly from certain death. The small head holds a pair of eyes, as well as two long tentacles that act as smell and taste sensors. The butterfly’s chest and stomach are covered with small, white hairs. Pictures here.
The Glasswing Butterfly (Greta oto) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of lei 0.60. It was named this way by the first entomologists who described it in honor of the great Swedish-born American actress, Greta Garbo. The butterfly has transparent wings, the fine veins on its wings making it look like colored glass. It can be found in the area between Mexico and the other Central America states. Glasswing butterflies lay their eggs on a toxic group of plants in the Cestrum genus, or nightshade family, which provide the eggs and larvae with alkaloids that ward away predators, due to the bad taste.
The Morpho Butterfly (Morpho nestira) is illustrated on the postage stamp with face value of lei 2.40. It is a large butterfly, its wingspan being of about 180 mm. The adults feed during the day on the juice of plants and fruits, while the larvae feed on plants and only during night time. It can be found mainly in Central and Southern America. the entire blue morpho life cycle lasts only 115 days. The Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) is illustrated on the postage stamp with face value of lei 3.00. Its wingspan is of 70-90 mm. It can be found over a large area from Western Europe to Japan. The Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) is illustrated on the postage stamp with face value of lei 4.50. It is considered to be the largest butterfly of the Saturnidae Family, having a wingspan of 270-280 mm. It can be found in Southern Asia and Isles of Indonesia. Atlas moths are predominantly tawny to maroon in colour with roughly triangular, diaphanous "eyes" on both forewing and hindwing, bordered in black. The purpose of these dramatic, gossamer portals is not clear, but they are thought to play a role in predator avoidance. Their bodies are hairy and disproportionately small compared to their wings. Neither sex possess fully formed mouthparts and therefore do not feed; throughout their 1–2-week adult life they survive entirely on larval fat reserves that they build up while they are caterpillars The Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io) is illustrated on the postage stamp with face value of lei 5.00 and is part of the Nymphalidae Family. It is a large, diurnal butterfly which has a “peacock eye” pattern on both wings. The specialists consider it to be the most beautiful butterfly in Romania. I have seen myself many of these in childhood.The butterfly has cryptic undersides with flashy eye-spots above and can also make an audible sound by rubbing its wings together, presumably as anti-predator measures
Title: BUTTERFLIESThe Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) is illustrated on the postage stamp of the perforated souvenir sheet with the face value of lei 8.10. Its wingspan is of 70-90 mm. The larvae of this butterfly live on fruit trees. More pictures here.
I don´t have the FDC, but they look interesting too:
Following the link below you will find more posts about Summer on stamps, and maybe more butterflies :)
Date of Issue: 12 April 2011
Country: Romania
Denominations: 0,5L, 0,6L, 2,4L, 3L, 4,5L, 5L and SS 8,1L
Romfilatelia introduces into circulation the postage stamps issue "Parrots" representing the following species: the Illiger’s Macaw, the Scarlet Macaw, the Yellow-collared Macaw, the Eastern Rosella, the Budgerigar and the Cockatiel.
Parrots are birds making part from the Psittaciformes Order and they belong to the Psittacidae Family. We recognize them after their curved beak. They are found in the entire Southern hemisphere of the Earth, from Australia to India, from Southeastern Asia up to Western Africa, but also in Southern and Central America.
Many parrots’ species can imitate the human conversation and different sounds.
The Illiger’s Macaw (Ara illiger) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 1.60 lei. It may be encountered in the Central and Eastern part of South America. The length of its head and tail reaches 46 cm. It has a big head, a strong beak and a long tail. The body plumage is green, the head plumage is blue and the abdomen is pink-reddish. Its face is white, the beak is black and its iris is orange. The feathers on the wings edges are bluish-blackish. It is extremely intelligent and easily tamed. It is not very noisy, but it is very sociable and talkative. It is a rare species.
The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 2.10 lei. It may be found in Southern Mexico, up to Brazil and Peru. The body length is 85-95 cm, of which half is tail’s length; it weighs about 1 kg. It has a strong beak. Its plumage is mostly scarlet and the sides of its back and its tail are blue. The upper sides of the wings are yellow, with blue flight feathers, as well as the tail. The undersides of the wings and tail are blue with metallic gold iridescence. Some individuals also have green feathers.
The Yellow-collared Macaw (Primolius auricollis) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 2.40 lei. It is found in Northern Argentina, in Brazil up to Eastern Bolivia.
Its length is up to 40 cm, of which the tail represents 59%. It has a green plumage with a yellow collar that is wider on the back part of the neck. The head color is blackish-brown. The feathers on the wings edges are blue and those from the tail are red at their basis, green in the middle and blue at the extremity. The ventral part of the tail is green-yellowish. Its legs are pink and its iris is reddish-yellowish. It has got a black beak sometimes with a grey end. It is an affectionate, clever and ingenious parrot.
The Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 4.70 lei. Native to Southeastern Australia, it lives both in the wooded pre-mountainous areas and in savannas. The wings, as well the body, are 16 cm long. Its fan-like feathers are blue and the ones on its back are black with a yellow-greenish contour.
The Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 5.00 lei. This parrot is native to Australia and it was brought on the old continent several hundred years later than any other parrot species. Their “song” goes from the slow chirp to the high-pitched alarm shout that may be heard from more than 500 m.
The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) is illustrated on the stamp of the souvenir sheet with the face value of 9.10 lei. It is native to Australia. After 1850, the Europeans started to colonize Australia and immediately afterwards these parrots were brought to Europe. It measures about 40 cm. They are some of Australia’s fastest birds.
Title: PARROTS Date of Issue: 24 February 2011 Country: Romania Denominations:1L60, 2L10, 2L40, 4L70, 5L and 9L10 Source:http://www.romfilatelia.ro
The keeper of an important part of the Romanian treasure - ingots, coins and gold objects - the National Bank of Romania also possesses masterpieces of the Romanian painting. This set of stamps “Art reproductions - Paintings belonging to the National Bank of Romania Treasure” represent four paintings belonging to Nicolae Grigorescu, Eugeniu Voinescu and George Demetrescu Mirea, exhibited in the Council Chamber of the Bank.
Nicolae Grigorescu (1838-1907) is considered to be the great master of the Romanian painting who illustrated in his works the symbiosis between the Realism of the Barbizon School, the Impressionism and the Symbolism.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 3.00 is illustrated the master’s painting entitled Rodica. Painted in 1894, the composition presents a hot summer season landscape when people harvest the wheat. The main female character, who may be seen in the foreground of the painting, is a woman carrying a water vessel.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 2.10 is illustrated the painting called Marine made by Eugeniu Voinescu (1842-1909). The painter studied literature and law in Cairo and Paris where he made friends with the Russian painter I.K. Aivazovski, a master of the marine landscape. As a painter of marine themes, Voinescu was the most famous Romanian painter of his time.
We must mention that Grigorescu’s Rodica and Voinescu’s Marine are the most remarkable examples of monumental painting in Bucharest besides the mural paintings of the Romanian Athenaeum.
On the postage stamps with the face value of RON 1.40 and RON 7.60 are illustrated the allegoric compositions Mercury and Prometheus made by George Demetrescu Mirea (1852-1934). The painter studied at the Belle Arte School in Bucharest with Theodor Aman. Among the important works of the painter G.D. Mirea we can mention the mural decorations from the National Bank of Romania and the Writers’ House in Bucharest, as well as those from the University of Iasi.
Title: PAINTINGS - NATIONAL BANK ROMANIA Date of Issue: 28 January 2011 Country: Romania Denominations:1L40, 2L10, 3L, 7L60 Source:http://www.romfilatelia.ro
Joining the UN and UNESCO Programs and Projects and also many global organisations from which the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) stands out, Romfilatelia continues its mission to foster love and care for the environment.
The first postage stamps issue which Romfilatelia introduced into circulation in 2011, “Reptiles of Romania”, is related to the environmental protection and to the biodiversity preservation.
The stamps illustrate the following reptile species belonging to the Romanian fauna: the Aesculapian snake, the Balkan wall lizard, the horned viper and the Moldavian meadow viper.
The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 0.60, has a slender body, with a small and narrow head. The tail is long and thin and the length of this snake is 1.50-2 m. It can be found in the Southern and Central Europe, in Asia Minor and in Northern Iran.
The Balkan wall lizard (Podarcis taurica) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 2.40. It is small, the head, together with the body has a length of the 77 mm (male) or 66 mm (female). Its body is slightly flattened, has a small head and the tail is 1.5 times longer than the body and is very thin towards the end. The colour is dark brown, sometimes olive brown or greenish on the back side and white, with reddish reflexes on the abdomen. It lives in sandy areas, on sand dunes and in rocky places. It feeds on larvae and adult insects, spiders and other arthropods. It can be found in the Southern Crimea, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, in the North-East of Greece and in the European part of Turkey.
The horned viper (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes) shown on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 3.00, lengths range between 80 and 95 cm. One main feature of this species is the horn on the top of the snout, consisting of 2-4 scales and the dark zigzag on the back. The venom is very toxic. It prefers the sunny areas, with scarce vegetation. It feeds on small rodents and lizards. Usually, it can be found in Eastern Europe where, like in Romania, it has been a protected species since 2001.
The Moldavian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii moldavica) illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 9.10, has an approximate length of 65 cm and is less poisonous. Generally, its colour is grey and the zigzag pattern on the back is dark brown. It can be found in Delta area, in sandy and arid places and also in the Iasi County. The viper from this area is considered a distinct subspecies. It is protected throughout the European Union.
Title: REPTILES Date of Issue: 19 January 2011 Country: Romania Denominations:60 Bani, 2L40, 3L, 9L10 Source:http://www.romfilatelia.ro
Thanks to Carlos who sent me these stamps from Itay. Now I can truly start my collection on gastronomy stamps too. Why food related stamps? Because I like enjoying a good meal :) I can only admire how great Chef´s combine tastes and reveal on a plate small masterpieces. So here we go with a set of 4 stamps about cheese. I guess these could go great with an Italian pizza (Am I getting hungry?).
Gorgonzola is a veined Italianblue cheese, made from unskimmed cow's and/or goat's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a 'bite' from its blue veining. Today it is mainly produced in the northern Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. Under Italian law Gorgonzola enjoys Protected Geographical Status. Gorgonzola may be eaten in many ways. It may be melted into a risotto in the final stage of cooking, or served alongside polenta. Pasta with gorgonzola is a dish appreciated almost everywhere in Italy by gorgonzola lovers. Because of its distinctive flavor, it is frequently offered as pizza topping. Parmigiano reggianois a hard granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, andBologna (all in Emilia-Romagna), and Mantova(in Lombardia), Italy. Under Italian law only cheese produced in these provinces may be labelled "Parmigiano-Reggiano", while European law classifies the name as a protected designation of origin. Uses of the cheese include being grated with a grater over pasta, stirred into soup and risotto, and eaten in chunks with balsamic vinegar. It is also a key ingredient in alfredo sauce and pesto. Slivers and chunks of the hardest parts of the crust can also be employed as an ingredient in soups (to which they add a subtler flavour) or even be slowly chewed until soft; Italian mothers have fed parmigiano crusts to their children for generations, trusting in their high calcium content to help them develop stronger teeth and bones. One traditional use of a whole Parmigiano round is to use it as a serving pot. On special occasions, when one has dozens of guests to serve the whole head is used up and thoroughly hollowed out so that the bare crust remains, steaming pasta can then be poured in it and served from therein. Mozzarella di Bufala Campanais a mozzarella made from the milk of the domestic water buffalo rather than from cow milk. In Italy, the cheese is produced in areas ranging from Rome in Lazio to Paestum (near Salerno) inCampania, and there is a production area in near Foggia, Puglia. It is an Italian trademark. Generally, buffalo mozzarella is enjoyed with pasta, calzone, vegetables, salads, on pizza (a low moisture content buffalo mozzarella is preferred), on grilled bread, or by itself accompanied by olive oil. Ragusano is one of the most favorite Italian cheeses produced in Sicily. The cheese usually has a shape of a brick and it is made from unpasteurized cow's milk. Thischeeseis most commonly considered a cookingcheeseand is quite salty and flaky. It can be served in a number of dishes, but is best suited to mild dishes as these balance out its saltiness. It pairs well with mild, sweet wines and dark beers such as stouts and porters.
So if you like cheese, these stamps are great, though you cannot use them in a recipe to get this result:
Aubergine Parmigiana
Title: Made in Italy - fromaggi (cheese) Date of Issue: 25 March 2011 Country: Italy Denominations:4 x 0,60 euro
I think it would be nice and useful to have a list of recent issues all over the world.
For example what new stamps will be issued this month by your country?
Can you help me out by sending a link to the website of the post office or philatelic bureau in your country?
I will list everything here, on a monthly basis. If available, I will add pictures too. And in your comments, I will really appreciate if you can mention weather you can procure those stamps for others (resell or exchange, as you wish). So if somebody needs an item knows whom to contact. For now I know these:
The German Post has issued a set of two stamps illustrating two famous world heritage sites of UNESCO – Yakushi-ji Temple of Nara (Japan) and old town of Regensburg (Bavaria, Germany).
Yakushi-ji (55 cents) is one of the Seven Great Temples ofNaraand the head temple of the Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism.It was constructed by Emperor Tenmu in the late 7th century for the recovery of the emperor's sick wife. One of Japan's oldest temples, Yakushiji has a strictly symmetric layout, with the main and lecture halls standing on a central axis, flanked by two pagodas, shown on the stamp.
The main hall was rebuilt in the 1970s after being destroyed by fire, and houses a Yakushi trinity, a masterpiece of Japanese Buddhist art. The East Pagoda is the temple's only structure to have survived the many fires and dates from 730. It is an UNESCO site since 1998. For those who would like to visit it, here is a link.
The Old Town of Regensburg (75 cents) was registered as UNESCO world heritage in 2006. Located on the Danube River, Regensburg with Stadtamhof is an exceptional example of a central-European medieval trading center, which illustrates an interchange of cultural and architectural influences. A notable number of buildings of outstanding quality testify to its political, religious, and economic significance from the 9th century. The historic fabric reflects some two millenniums of structural continuity and includes ancient Roman, Romanesque, and Gothic buildings. Regensburg’s 11th to 13th century architecture still defines the character of the town marked by tall buildings, dark and narrow lanes, and strong fortifications. The buildings include medieval patrician houses and towers, a large number of churches and monastic ensembles as well as the 12th-century Stone Bridge.
The stamp illustrates St. Peter's Cathedral surrounded by medieval buildings. St Peter’s Cathedral is indisputably the city’s spiritual center. When you look up towards the spires of this imposing Gothic building, you will see kings on horseback, foolish virgins, and gargoyles with animal and human faces. Websitehere.
I will surely go to visit them, at least Regensburg, that is one hour away from my home, by car :)
Title: UNESCO World Heritage Site Date of Issue: 3 February 2011 Country: Germany Denominations:0,55 and 0,75 euro
