Giuseppe Verdi, Israel

This stamp issued in 2013 celebrates the 200th Anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi's birthday. Thanks to Sauj and friends :)

Armenia

First cover from Armenia thanks to generous Radim, with stamps from 2012 showing Armenian alphabet and Soviet Armenian historian and academic Ashot Hovhannisyan. Very interesting cancellation, and lovely view of Yerevan and Ararat inside :)

Nikola Tesla

This week Sunday Stamps theme is industry, interpreted broadly. I immediately thought of Nikola Tesla and what he had done for the development of electric power industry - today he is reffered to as a 'forgotten genius'. He patented AC induction motor and transformer, and has done extensive and dangerous power experiments. I hope you can see a movie about him one day (I have seen local production but would be great for Hollywood to acknowledge him too) because he was a very interesting and peculiar character..!

Issued in 1993 for the 50th anniversary of tesla's death.
More industrial feats here:

Hermione, France

My roomie is watching all the Harry Potter movies and I plan to embark on the same mission after her - this inspired me to post this cover with Hermione, one stamp from the set of eight (four harries, two hermiones and ronnies) issued in 2007.

Notable Croats

Croatian Mail has been issuing sets on notable Croats for about a decade now - this set was issued in 2005, presenting a renaissance painter Juraj Ćulinović, poets Dragutin Tadijanović and Tin Ujević, and a historian Baltazar Adam Krčelić.

Bob Marley, Jamaica

I have been wanting this stamp for years - and Pat made it a reality, with the whole sheet! Thanks so much :)

Toše Proeski, Macedonia

Last week was the sad 5th anniversary of the tragic demise of one of the most promising artists on the Balkans in the last decade - Todor Toše Proeski was a Macedonian singer, songwriter and actor who was popular across the entire Balkan area, not only because of his talent but also for his humanitarian work. His life was ended abruptly at the age of 26 in a car crash on the road to Zagreb. We all fondly remember him...

Hvala Ana, markice su stvarno prekrasne i kakve zasluzuje.. :)

Here is a song from his last album, in which he sings 'Because my life is a game with no boundaries, a tired story, tearing of the empty pages...'

                                      

Republique Du Niger

A wonderful mix of stamps on this cover! One celebrating the space discoveries, picturing Kennedy and Armstrong. Elvis is quite popular as I've seen more than one edition of Niger stamps with his image :) Very generous with cancellations too. Very very happy with this cover!

San Marino

Very happy to have a cover from San Marino in my humble collection! The 1st stamp is from a joint issue with Slovakia from 2007, showing the 13th-cent. Orava Castle in north-western Slovakia. The 2nd was issued in 2001 and is from a set of 5 showing French painters - this is Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne.

Another great addition from Luca, thanks so much! The cancellation is also gorgeous :))

Horses Of India

Another great cover for the animal group, representing four Indian horse breeds. Issued in 2009. Additional stamp is from the series 'Personalities', with Surendranath Jauhar. There is also a special sparrow cancellation, to raise the awareness that this little bird is actually not as common as it used to be...Thanks Sauj! :)



Sovereign Military Order Of Malta

With the full name: The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta or Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme di Rodi e di Malta in Italian, where the cover has been sent from :) It is the world's oldest surviving order of chivalry, is headquartered in Rome and widely considered a sovereign subject of international law.

Today the order has about 13,000 members; 80,000 permanent volunteers and 20,000 medical personnel including doctors, nurses, auxiliaries and paramedics in more than 120 countries. The goal is to assist the elderly, handicapped, refugeed, children, homeless, those with terminal illness and leprosy in five continents of the world, without distinction of race or religion. Through its worldwide relief corps - Malteser International - the Order is also engaged to aid victims of natural disasters, epidemics and armed conflicts.

My first thought is: the world needs more such orders! I will admit my ignorance, I wasn't aware of its sovereignity esp in postal terms. The funny thing is, it was mentioned to me one day on the forum - and the very next day i've received this FANTASTIC surprise from Luca! The curious coincidences of life eh? :))) The stamp is issued in 2011 and celebrates 200th birthday of this great composer and pianist. Thanks so much Luca!

Francisco de Miranda, Venezuela

wow i was really hopeful when i started this blog..! High time to introduce some of the covers received...i am starting with a letter from my dear friend who travelled through south america with me and saw me off at the caracas airport. some weeks later he sent me a letter...which took 15 months to arrive! better late than never eh? It was sent from Santa Elena de Uairén, a small town near the border with Brazil and Guyana.

The stamp is a joint venezuela-france issue from 2009, showing the venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda :)