JAPAN - COVER FROM HIDETOSHI HONDA

JP




Thanks

CZECH REPUBLIC - COVER FROM ZDENEK

CZ











Thanks a lot

LIECHTENSTEIN - COVER FROM VURAL OGUZ

Thanks Vural

POLAND - COVER FROM A FRIEND

Thanks

FRANCE - COVER FROM ALFREDO

Thanks a lot

FRANCE - COVER FROM JEROME

Thanks a lot

AB Philea International auction 280

International auction 280
October 21st, 2009 at 17:00 (GMT+1)
(Running)

Welcome to AB Phileas auction (No 280) at our office in Stockholm. There are more than 2400 lots from many different countries, and unusually good items! The mail bidding deadline is the day before the first auction day. Please observe! The safest way to place bids is through the bid form that is shown to the right, after you have chosen lots below. We will return a confirmation e-mail within a day or so after you have placed your bid. Please observe! We are now planning a major update of the website with e.g. extended mail functions. Therefore, please send your e-mail address as soon as possible!

Lot 5 Reserve 6 000:-

Lot 42 Reserve 7 500:-

Lot 2280 Reserve 1 800:-

I received this morning the official catalog for the International Auction 280 of Octobber 21st.
If you wish some more info please visit the AB PHILEA official site at;

http://www.philea.se/eng/indexJS.php

OR

just give a double click on the title

If you are interested you can get the complete auction's catalog as a .pdf file.

at

http://www.philea.se/pdf/auction280.pdf

VENEZUELA - COVER FROM CCCC

Thanks

SINGAPORE - COVER FROM TERENCE WONG

Thank you Terence

INFO ON THE STAMPS etc.

MINIATURE SHEET

PRESENTATION PACK

DESCRIPTION

SOURCE :

https://shop.vpost.com.sg/vPOSTMall/execute/viewCatalog?catalog=CSF08-Series

2009 SMRT CIRCLE LINE INFO

PRESENTATION PACK

SOURCE :
Source: https://shop.vpost.com.sg/vPOSTMall/execute/viewCatalog?catalog=CSE09

DO NOT FORGET TO DO DOUBLE KLIK ON EVERY IMAGE TO SEE IT LARGER

MALAYSIA - COVER FROM KOW SIEW LAN

Thank you Siew Lan

The stamps

GENERAL INFO

The first day cover (FDC)

The folder

From : http://www.pos.com.my/V1/main2.asp?c=/v1/philately/stamps.asp&dateissue=18-Jun-2009

Birds of Malaysia

(14 May 2005)

The stamp of 20 sen is coming from this stamp set

The original FDC

Technical Details

Date of Issue	14 May 2005
Denomination	20 sen, 30 sen, 40 sen, 50 sen, 75 sen, RM1, RM2, RM5
Stamp Size	25mm X 30mm
Perforation	14
Sheet Content	20 stamps
Paper	SPM Watermarked, Phosphor Coated
Printing Process	Lithography

Bayan Nuri, Long-tailed Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda)

Sized between 40 cm to 42 cm. The males have reddish sides of head with black mandible. They have green crown, dull blue wings and pale blue-green back, with long, blue-purple and narrow tail-feathers. Females are with green nape; darker green crown and upperparts. They have dull ginger bill and dark green narrow band. Tail-feathers are much shorter. Juveniles have pink face with duller green narrow band. The bird usually frequent open green wide leaves forest such as peat swamp forests, secondary growth, mangrove swamps, and lowland areas. They breed between December and July. Lays 2-3 white eggs, sized 30.6 mm X 24.7 mm and they nest in holes in tall trees, 4 meters - 45 meters above the ground. They frequent Andaman and Nicobar Island, Sumatera, Borneo, Southeast Asia, south Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

Kelicap Bukit, Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis)

They are very small, sized at 11.5 cm in length. The upperparts of a male are dull olive brown, metallic blue-black forehead, throat and upper breast (with red stripe edge), contrasting with bright yellow underparts, and white undertail. The females have a de-curved bill, with all yellow underparts and all white tail. The bird is common in deciduous woodland, secondary forests, marshes, mangrove swamps, coastal scrubs, gardens, and vegetations, up to 915 meters. They build a flimsy hanging pear-shaped nest with an overhanging porch at the entrance; at 1 meters - 9 meters above ground. Lay two grey (greenish or pure grey) eggs speckled with light purple-brown or deep purple-brown spots; sized at 16.6 mm X 11.5 mm on average. Found in the Andamans and Nicobars Island, West and South China, Greater Sunda Islands, West Lesser Sunda Islands, the Philippines, Celebes, Moluccas, New Guinea, North Melanesia, Northeast Australia and also found in Southeast Asia, except for North Myanmar.

Merbah Beringin, Ochraceous Bulbul (Alophoixus ochraceus)

Sized between 19 cm to 22 cm. The adults are puff-throated, with small and short upright crest. Have warm brown upperparts, with yellow absent from the lowerparts. They frequent evergreen forest, up to 1,525 meters. Normally found in the mid canopy strata of the forest. Usually in pairs or small flocks. Their breeding period is between February and April. A typical clutch of two slightly glossy pinkish-white and almond red eggs, measures 25 mm X 17.5 mm. They are laid in deep cup-shaped nests, 2.4 meters from ground. They are found to reside throughout Sumatra and Borneo. Widespread in Southeast Asia; West, Southwest and South Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Northwest Kingdom of Cambodia.

Murai Batu, White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)

Sized between 21.5 cm and 28 cm. The head, breast and upperparts of the males are iridescent blue-black. The underparts are dark orange-rufous. The females are similar to the males, but they have a more greyish coloration and not blue-black, duller, with a reddish-brown underparts. The juveniles have pale yellow blotchy upperpart, with pale yellow spots on the wing plumage, wide pale yellow blotches are also present at the tips of their wings, as well as their neck and they have a dark diluted yellow breast. They can be located in broadleaved evergreen and mixed deciduous forest, secondary forest, bamboo forest, at the height of 1,525 meters. They are great bathers and their plumage is usually kept in immaculate condition. They breed between the months of March and September. Their nests are near cup-shaped nests, inside hollowed tree trunk or on bamboo culms, 2 meters from ground and they lay 4 to 5 green and blue-green eggs. Resident in India, Southwest and South China, Greater Sunda and Southeast Asia.

Pacat Bukit, Banded Pitta (Pitta guajana)

Sized between 21 cm - 24 cm. The male is easily recognizable for its black crown and black eye-stripes. There are bright yellow lateral crown-stripes and malar-stripes, which turns into reddish-orange on the upper back. Their breast to their lower belly is bluish-black with orange streaks, which are especially visible on its chest and the sides. While the female chests are white, they have grey lower belly. They have fine black stripes on the white feathers. Their upperback is reddish-orange but duller than the male. The young birds have dark brown chest with grey mottling or fine grey streaks. Banded Pittas are endemic in virgin and logged lowland forests, up to 610 meters. Birds are in reproductive condition from February until November. Lay between two to five glossy white eggs. Their nests are round with an opening at the side, built on palm trees or in between young trees, 3 meters from ground. They are a resident species of Greater Sunda, South Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia between the months of March and September. Their nests are near cup-shaped nests, inside hollowed tree trunk or on bamboo culms, 2 meters from ground and they lay 4 to 5 green and blue-green eggs. Resident in India, Southwest and South China, Greater Sunda Islands and Southeast Asia.

Pergam Besar, Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea)

Sized between 42 cm to 47 cm, they are large plump pigeons. Their back wings and tail are iridescent red-almond. They have dull grey-grape crown, neck and underparts, dark almond undertail coverts. Mostly found near riverine, forages in small groups, feeding on plant material in the tree canopy and is recognized by its deep resonant call. They breed between the months of January and May, as well as September. Their nest are poorly constructed flat platform of twigs in a tree and sometimes on bamboo clumps, at a height of 10 meters from ground. Lays 1-2 white eggs, measuring 45.5 mm X 33.5 mm on average.

Punai Tanah, Green-winged Pigeon (Chalcophaps indica)

Medium sized bird, 25 cm in length. The males have blue-grey crown and nape with white forehead and eyebrow. Their bill is red. They have bright iridescent metallic green mantle with white scapulars. Head and underparts are vinous-pinkish. Have two prominent white transverse bars on the rump. The females have duller grey crown, with white shoulder patch absent. Young birds are darker colored with small yellowish brown stripes and unlike the adults which have greenish wings. Can be found in lowland dipterocarp forests and coniferous forests, up to 1,500 meters. Would usually perch under tree cover. They will scuttle quickly at the slightest hint of danger and they often venture out to forage. The bird can be found in Indian Subcontinent (except for Pakistan), China, Taiwan, Sunda Islands, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Celebes, Moluccas, New Guinea, Australia, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.

Tekukur, Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)

Sized between 30 cm and 31 cm. The crown and the sides of adult's head are grey, have a grey-auburn tinge on the upperpart and are long black broadly streaked, which are iridescent bordered. The nape of its neck is black spotted with white. Have pinkish-brown underparts. In flight, they reveal the white tips of their outer tail feathers. The juveniles are of darker auburn. Have duller grey crown and plumage on their wings. They lack color on collar/neck with small brownish dull yellow stripes. Common and widespread in open grassland, secondary forests. Also found in scrub, vegetations and gardens, up to 2,040 meters. They breed all year round, multi-brooded. Their nest is a flimsy stick platform in a tree, tall bush, or on bamboo cluster. They lay 2 to 3 white eggs, sized 26.9 mm X 20.8 mm on average

Source : http://www.1st-day-covers.com/first-day-covers/2005/birds-malaysia.php

FRANCE - COVER GIFT FROM A FRIEND

Thanks "moust27"

Timbre "Marianne et l'Europe" Jaune

Issue date:
01.07.08

Format:
20 x 26 mm - Feuille de 100 timbres

Printing technique:
Taille-douce

Issuer:
Yves Beaujard
Theme :
Marianne

Marianne

Marianne, a national emblem of the French Republic, is, by extension, an allegory of Liberty and Reason. She represents France as a state, and its values (as opposed to the "Gallic rooster" representing France as a nation and its history, land and culture). She is displayed in many places in France and holds a place of honour in town halls and law courts. She symbolises the "Triumph of the Republic", a bronze sculpture overlooking the Place de la Nation in Paris. Her profile stands out on the official seal of the country, is engraved on French euro coins and appears on French postage stamps; it also was featured on the former franc currency. Marianne is one of the most prominent symbols of the French Republic. The origins of Marianne, depicted by artist Honoré Daumier, in 1848, as a mother nursing two children, Romulus and Remus, or by sculptor François Rude, during the July Monarchy, as an angry warrior voicing the Marseillaise on the Arc de Triomphe, are uncertain. In any case, she has become a symbol in France: considered as a personification of the Republic, she was often used on pro-Republican iconography — and heavily caricatured and reviled by anti-Republicans. Although both are common emblems of France, neither Marianne nor the rooster enjoys official status: the flag of France, as named and described in Article 2 of the French constitution, is the only official emblem.

from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne

Timbre L'Aurochs

NATURE

Issue date:
22.06.09

Format:
40,85 x 30 mm - Feuille de 42 timbres

Printing technique:
Héliogravure

Issuer:
Christophe Drochon

Theme :
Nature

L’aurochs est un bovidé disparu, ancêtre des races actuelles de bovins domestiques. Vraisemblablement apparu en Inde, il aurait ensuite migré vers le Moyen-Orient et le reste de l’Asie pour gagner l’Europe.

Aurochs or urus (Bos primigenius)

The aurochs or urus (Bos primigenius) was a type of wild cattle, the ancestor of domestic cattle. It inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627.

The aurochs was far larger than most modern domestic cattle, being approximately 2 metres (6.6 ft) at the shoulder and weighing 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). Domestication occurred in several parts of the world at roughly the same time, about 8,000 years ago. The aurochs featured in ancient cave art, and more recently it was regarded as a challenging quarry animal, this contributing to its extinction. In the 20th century a breed of modern cattle was created that resembles a small aurochs.

According to the Paleontologisk Museum, University of Oslo, aurochs evolved in India some two million years ago, migrated into the Middle East and further into Asia, and reached Europe about 250,000 years ago.^[12] They were once considered a distinct species from modern European cattle (Bos taurus), but more recent taxonomy has rejected this distinction. The South Asian domestic cattle, or zebu, descended from a different group of aurochs at the edge of the Thar Desert in India; this would explain zebu's resistance to drought. Domestic yak, gayal and Javan cattle do not descend from aurochs. Modern cattle have become much smaller than their wild forebears: aurochs were about 1.75 metres (5.7 ft) tall, while a large domesticated cow is about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) and most domestic cattle are much smaller than this.^[13] Aurochs also had several features rarely seen in modern cattle, such as lyre-shaped horns set at a forward angle, a pale stripe down the spine, and sexual dimorphism of coat color. Males were black with a pale eel stripe or finching down the spine, while females and calves were reddish (these colours are still found in a few domesticated cattle breeds, such as Jersey cattle). Aurochs were also known to have very aggressive temperaments and killing one was seen as a great act of courage in ancient cultures.

from wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs

All philatelic info from:
http://www.laposte.fr/ecommerce/La-Boutique-du-Timbre/Site-La-boutique-du-timbre

ROMANIA - COVER GIFT FROM A GREEK FRIEND

Thanks Chara



ABOUT THE STAMPS

ROMANIAN POTTERY - Peasant dishes (III)

Romfilatelia, the specialized company in editing and trading Romanian postage stamps, introduces in the postal circuit the stamps issue ROMANIAN POTTERY - Peasant dishes (III).

The ornamental motives with which the plates are decorated are basically geometrical, but also phytomorphic, avimorphic, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic.

One of the oldest decorative geometrical motives is the triangle, which is also encountered on the prehistoric ceramics and appears in different forms (a series of triangles of the same size), "the saw" or "the wolf´s fang" (triangles arranged alternatively up-down).

The spiral particularly appears on the old ceramics of Cucuteni and Boian, but also on the plates moulded in Vama, Horezu, Oboga, Romana etc. usually made from white clay. The spiral, although a very old motive, cannot be found in the occidental ceramics of the same period, not even in the later ones, such as the Mediterranean ones.

The "wave" or undulated line, often encountered elements, are applied on the bottom and rim of the plates and form the structure of garlands or beanstalk with leaves and flowers placed on the same registers.

Along with the beanstalk and garlands, as a phytomorphic motive often encountered the fir-tree tweak is, also used by the prehistoric pottery. The fir-tree tweak symbolizes perennial associated to the tree (life tree). Vine (a Christian symbol), and also wheat ears, clovers, clusters of grapes, buds, stylized leaves and flowers are also represented.

The avimorphic, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motives are more rare and more recent and belong to the Byzantine tradition. Doves, fowls, fishes (Christian symbols) are represented. While for Horezu ceramics the "rooster" motive is specific, for Oboga the "hen" is, and for Vama the stylized female silhouette, placed centrally, on the plate bottom.

The symbolic motives are very interesting, being connected to ancient, pre-Christian believes, associated to the cult of Sun, which replaced the one of fecundity from the Bronze era. The Sun is stylized in rosettes, whirls, simple or concentric circles, spirals, or even in the anthropomorphised image of the star. The "laughing sun", crying sun" as well as the stylizations of the Moon, transposed on flat plates particularly by the craftsmen potters from Horezu are the motives of great sensitivity.

On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 0.60 is illustrated a peasant dish made in Tg. Lapus-Maramures.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 0.80 is illustrated a peasant dish made in Luncavita-Tulcea.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 1.10 is illustrated a peasant dish made in Horezu-Valcea.
On the postage stamp with the face value of RON 1.60 is illustrated a peasant dish made in Radauti-Suceava.
The peasant dishes illustrated on the postage stamps of the issue are part of the Romanian Peasant Museum’s collection.

Issue date: 03.08.2007

*****

ROMANIAN PEASANT MUSEUM CENTENARY

One hundred years ago, the Museum of Ethnography, National Art, Decorative and Industrial Art was founded in Bucharest, nowadays the Romanian Peasant Museum.

Now, on the anniversary of a new century of existence of the museum, Romfilatelia, the specialized company in editing and trading Romanian postage stamps, introduces into circulation the philatelic issue Romanian Peasant Museum Centenary.

The Romanian Peasant Museum is not just a museum; it is not that type of museum you only visit once in your life and then pass on to another. This museum was created so that, every time we want to return to origins, we could visit its rooms full of treasure collections from the patrimony of the peasant art and civilization.

With its more than 100,000 items, including apparel collections, pottery, ornaments, furniture, icons on wood and glass, xylographs, religious objects, fabrics, carpets, tools, but also an important collection of foreign popular art, due to the way the museum space was conceived and due to the organization of more than 60 exhibitions of great cultural resonance on all the meridians of the world, the Romanian Peasant Museum decisively contributed to the general development of the theory and practice of ethnographic exhibition.

This recognition took place in 1996, when the Romanian Peasant Museum received the “European Museum of the Year Award” (EMYA), conferred by the European Museum Forum.

During the entire year 2006, on the occasion of the centenary of the museum, all the manifestations shall take place under the auspices of an eloquent motto: A century of singularity, a year of hospitality.

In the month of March of this year, the Romanian Peasant Museum received the “Radu Florescu” award for museum management and marketing, granted by the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, General Direction of the National Cultural Patrimony, for the project “Museum Night”.

The history of this museum, tempestuous like that of other museums that had to cope with the 50 years of forced political and cultural changes, extends on more than a hundred years.

In 1875, upon the suggestion of Titu Maiorescu, the first popular textile art section was formed, attached to the National Museum of Antiques. However, this early idea became consistent only on the 1st of October 1906, when, with the support of another personality of our culture, Spiru Haret, the Museum of Ethnography, National Art, Decorative and Industrial Art was created.

The management of this institution was ensured, between 1906 and 1948, by its first manager, Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaş, who, in 1906, changed its name into the Museum of Ethnography and National Art.
In 1912 started the erection of the museum building, which lasted until 1941. The building, achieved in the so-called neo-Romanian style, which is in fact a national-historic architectonic synthesis, is the work of the architect N. Ghika-Budeşti.

Between the years 1912-1948, the museum was renamed Museum of National Art, then its name suffered many changes, so that, in 1953, it became the Museum of Popular Art of the Republic, and since 1978 until 1990, due to its unification to the Village Museum, it received the name of Village and Popular Art Museum. Finally, in 1990, it became the Romanian Peasant Museum.

The way it is presented to its visitors is an allegory of life, it is always the return to origins, without which no people, no nation could survive.

The Romanian spirituality is unaltered in this museum space, where preconceptions disappear and make room for revelation.

The postage stamps of the philatelic issue presents:

- the image of a head dress of Argeş dating back to the 20th century (postage stamp with the face value of RON 0.40)
- the image of a Turkish string of Dobruja, dating back to the 19th century (the postage stamp with the face vale of RON 0.70)
- the image of a coin necklace from Bucovina dating back to the 19th century (postage stamp with the face value of RON 1.60)
- the image of Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaş, founding manager of the museum (the postage stamp with the face value of RON 3.10).

The images presented on the postage stamps are part of the centenary collection of the Romanian Peasant Museum.


TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Stamp size: 48 x 33 mm
Printing system: offset, in 4 colours, on chromo paper (UK origin)
Number of colours: 4 colours
Face Value: RON 0.40; RON 0.70; RON 1.60; RON 3.10 ROL

TOTAL: 1,000,064 stamps in sheets of 32 pcs. + 4 TABS

Issue date: 05.10.2006

First Day Covers: 550 sets (2 FDC’s), 1 FDC equipped with the postage stamps with the face value of RON 0.40 and RON 3.10 and 1 FDC equipped with the postage stamps with the face value of RON 0.70 and RON 1.60, numbered and cancelled with „the first day“
Designer: Alexandra ANGHELACHE


Info from:

http://www.romfilatelia.ro/

ITALY - COVER FROM LAURA TROISI

Thank you Laura

THE STAMPS AND THE EVENTS


Posteitaliane

G8 Summit
Issue of a stamp celebrating the G8 Summit

Date of issue	July 8, 2009
Denomination	€ 0.65
Print run	three million, five hundred thousand copies
Design	on a white background, it features the logo of the G8 Summit, which will be taking place in L’Aquila, Italy, from 8 to 10 July 2009. The word “ITALIA” and the denomination “€ 0,60” complete the stamp
Design	by the Philately Centre of Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
Printer	Officina Carte Valori – Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato S.p.A., rotogravure
Colours	five
Paper	fluorescent, non-watermarked
Paper size	30mm x 40mm
Print size	26mm x 36mm
Perforation	13¼ x 13
Sheet	fifty stamps, denomination – “€ 32,50”

From ; http://e-filatelia.poste.it/showSchedaProdotto.asp?id_prodotto=12442&id_categoria_prodotto=281&id_catalogo_prodotto=1141&lingua=english

THE EVENT

G8 Summit

G-8 "FAMILY" PHOTO

The world leaders converged in the Italian city of L'Aquila FROM 8 - 10 July 2009

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/g-8-summit-italy---everyt_n_227232.html

for the Group of Eight (G-8) summit,with subjects like the economic crisis and global warming. The summit is comprised of the eight largest industrial nations in the world - United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, Canada and Japan.

The Summit

The 2009 G8 Summit was held in L'Aquila, Italy -- the country that currently holds the G8 Presidency -- from 8 to 10 July. The G8 group's member countries are Canada, the Russian Federation, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, together with the European Union represented by the European Council's duty President and by the President of the European Commission.

The annual Leaders' Summit is the highest-profile and most important event in the G8 process, but that process does in fact cover the whole year, with meetings at the ministerial and ranking functionary levels. The main issues on the Italian Presidency's agenda are: a response to the global economic and financial crisis; the restoration of grassroots confidence and a boost to growth on a more solid and balanced basis, also through the definition of new, shared ground rules for economic activities; a focus on the social aspect of employment, to help the weaker sectors of society both in the industrially advanced countries and in the poorer countries; the struggle against protectionism and the deregulation of world trade for everyone's benefit; the resolution of regional crises; food security and safety; and the struggle against climate changes.

To debate these issues, the Italian Presidency organized a G8 Summit which was unique in terms of the number of countries attending, comprising as it will both the emerging countries, Africa and the main International Organizations. Some 90% of the world's economy was represented at the Summit in the expanded working sessions.

From; http://www.g8italia2009.it/G8/Home/G8-G8_Layout_locale-1199882116809_Summit.htm

Luigi Pirandello

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Luigi Pirandello (28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello was born into an upper-class family in a village with the curious name of Kaos (Chaos), a poor suburb of Girgenti (Agrigento, a town in southern Sicily). Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and c. 40 plays, some of which are written in Sicilian dialect. Typical for Pirandello is to show how art or illusion mixes with reality and how people see things in very different way - words are unrealiable and reality is at the same time true and false. Pirandello's tragic farces are often seen as forerunners for theatre of the absurd.

"A man will die, a writer, the instrument of creation: but what he has created will never die! And to be able to to live for ever you don't need to have extraordinary gifts or be able to do miracles. Who was Sancho Panza? Who was Prospero? But they will live for ever because- living seeds - they had

the luck to find a fruitful soil, an imagination which knew how to grow them and feed them, so that they will live for ever." (from Six Characters in Search of an Author, 1921)

For more info about Luigi Pirandello make a double klik on Biography

Arturo Toscanini

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arturo Toscanini (Italian pronunciation: [ɑrˈturɔ tɔskɑˈnini]; March 25, 1867 – January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. Toscanini was born in Parma, Emilia-Romagna. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th Centuries, he was renowned for his brilliant intensity, his restless perfectionism, his phenomenal ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory. He is especially regarded as an authoritative interpreter of the works of Verdi, Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner. As music director of the NBC Symphony Orchestra he became a household name through his radio and television broadcasts and many recordings of the operatic and symphonic repertoire.

For more info about the conductor Arturo Toscanini make a double klik on Biography

From the article "List of people on stamps of Italy' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_on_stamps_of_Italy

ITALY - MINI SHEET "NEL BLU, DIPINTO DI BLU"

NEL BLU, DIPINTO DI BLU

Date of issue	February 25 2008
Denomination	€ 0.60
Print run	Two million, five hundred thousand copies
Design	Features a stylised vinyl record and a figure soaring into the air. The words “NEL BLU, DIPINTO DI BLU", "45 GIRI" (45 RPM), “ITALIA” and the denomination "€ 0,60" complete the stamp
Sheet characteristics	The stamp is printed in a perforated box placed in the middle of the sheet. Outside the box there is a watercolour showing a panoramic view of the Riviera dei Fiori which can also be made out through the stamp; on the left side of the sheet there are the logos of the Ministry of Communications and Poste Italiane, placed at the top and bottom respectively
Designer	Cristina Bruscaglia
Printer	Officina Carte Valori - Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato S.p.A., rotogravure
Colours	Six
Paper	Fluorescent, non-watermarked for the whole sheet
Paper size of stamp	48mm x 40mm
Print size of stamp	44mm x 36mm
Perforation	13 ¼ x 13
Sheet size	9.6cm x 8cm

Source;
http://e-filatelia.poste.it/showSchedaProdotto.asp?id_prodotto=10120&id_categoria_prodotto=281&id_catalogo_prodotto=1041&lingua=english

Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu Volare Domenico Modugno

Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più:
mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu,
poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito...

Volare... oh, oh!...
cantare... oh, oh, oh, oh!
nel blu, dipinto di blu,
felice di stare lassù.

E volavo volavo felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su,
mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù,
una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me...

Volare... oh, oh!...
cantare... oh, oh, oh, oh!
nel blu, dipinto di blu,
felice di stare lassù.

Ma tutti sogni nell'alba svaniscon perché,
quando tramonta, la luna li porta con sé,
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli,
che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle.

Volare... oh, oh!...
cantare... oh, oh, oh, oh!
nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu,
felice di stare quaggiù.

E continuo a volare felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su,
mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu,
la tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me...

Volare... oh, oh!...
cantare... oh, oh, oh, oh!
nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu,
felice di stare quaggiù.

Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu,
felice di stare quaggiù,
con te!


VOLARE (English Translation)

I think that a dream almost never returns:
I was painting my hands and my face blue.
Then suddenly I was coming, carried off by the wind,
And I was beginning to fly into the endless sky.

To fly, Oh!, Oh!,
To sing, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
In the blue, painted blue,
Happy to be up there.

And I flew and flew happily to the heights of the Sun
And higher and higher into the sky.
While the world slowly, slowly
Disappeared in the distance down there.
Sweet music sounded
For me alone.

To fly, Oh!, Oh!,
To sing, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
In the blue, painted blue,
Happy to be there.

But all the dreams vanish at dawn because
When it sets, the Moon takes them along,
But I continue dreaming in your beautiful eyes
That are blue like a sky dotted with stars.

To fly, Oh!, Oh!,
To sing, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
In the blue of your blue eyes
Happy to be there.

But I continue to fly happily to the heights of the Sun
And higher and higher into the sky.
While the world slowly, slowly
Disappears in your blue eyes,
Your voice is sweet music
That sounds for me.

To fly, Oh!, Oh!,
To sing, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!, Oh!
In the blue of your blue eyes
Happy to be there.

BRASIL - COVER FROM VITTORIO ESPOSITO

THE STAMPS




Thanks Vittorio

NEDERLAND - COVER FROM ERIC ALTMAN

Thank you Eric

Beautiful Netherlands Delfzijl

Description

In the range beautiful Netherlands 2009 now the last postzegelvel appear: Delfzijl.

The history of Delfzijl has been linked with the sea.

minisheet price 2.20 euro

http://collectclub.tntpost.nl/pages/detail/s1/10200000003657-2-21010000000080.aspx/

Delfsiel is a municipality and city in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is situated on the left bank of the river Ems estuary, which forms the border with Germany

Delfzijl is the fifth biggest seaport in the Netherlands and the home of an aluminium plant run by the company Aluminium Delfzijl (part of Corus Group). In 2004 the smelter produced a record 112,400 tonnes of liquid aluminium. The foundry produced 157,700 tonnes of raw product. Delfzijl is also known because of its chemical industry, on the edge of the town lies an industrial site with an area of 3 square kilometers which is one of the biggest job employments in the area. This site is responsible for the second biggest export of chemicals in the Netherlands (after Rotterdam), and is known for its major exports of chlorine and related products.

RUSSIA - COVER FROM VLADIMIR OGOL

Thanks Vladimir


Russian Regions

3 values

2009

CANADA - POSTCARD FROM A FRIEND

Vancouver, B.C.

From Granville island to Science World,
False Creek has a myriad
of Vancouver's main attractions along its shores.



About the stamp

Vancouver 2010 Winter Games

Mascots and Emblems

Issued: Jan. 12, 2009

Article published in

Canada's Stamp Details (Vol. XVIII No 1; January to March 2009)

Some 3,000 years have passed since the first Olympic Games, but the lustre of this celebration remains unrivalled today. It is now, as it was then, the ultimate sporting goal—the pinnacle of athletic accomplishment.

Olympic and Paralympic emblems and mascots capture the values and essence of the Games and represent the people, geography and spirit of their home country. While this task can seem daunting in a country as diverse as Canada, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has introduced a vibrant set of emblems and mascots that accomplish this goal with flair. As an Official Supplier to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Canada Post will issue five definitive stamps showcasing these dynamic symbols.

The Emblems

Of the two PERMANENT™ domestic rate stamps, one features the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games emblem, which is a contemporary interpretation of the inukshuk—a traditional Inuit sculpture that provides guidance to travellers. The other features the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games emblem, an image that embodies the harmony between athlete, the sport and the environment.

The blue and green colour scheme in the stamps’ background represents the Vancouver 2010 Sea to Sky theme—a concept linking the scenic coastal city with Whistler’s majestic ski slopes. An added dash of creativity makes these domestic definitives extra special. Danielle Trottier, Manager of Stamp Design and Production at Canada Post, explains, “For the first time ever, two different stamps will alternate throughout the same coil.”

The Mascots

The Vancouver 2010 mascots—Miga, Quatchi and Sumi—were inspired by British Columbia’s iconic geography and are rooted in Aboriginal legend. Together, they capture the spirit of Vancouver and Canada.

Sumi*, an animal guardian spirit, is the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic mascot and is found curling on the oversize denomination stamp. Miga is a sea bear who transforms from orca whale to white Kermode bear. She shows off her ski tricks on the US rate stamp. Quatchi, a shy, adventurous sasquatch, plays hockey on the international rate stamp.

The stamps’ designers, Naomi Broudo and Violet Finvers of Vancouver’s Tandem Design, were quickly drawn in by these whimsical creatures. “We really enjoyed getting acquainted with the mascots,” says Broudo. “They’re all so interesting and their energy is contagious; we wanted to use the stamps and souvenir sheet to share this vitality with others.” Their sense of connection with the mascots runs especially deep. “They’re so tied to Canada’s West Coast, as are we,” Broudo elaborates. “From their favourite pastimes to the tradition of First Nation legends that inspired their creation, they really speak to the lively atmosphere and rich history of the region.”

Get acquainted with the mascots and share your Olympic Spirit with the world.

To meet the mascots and learn more about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit vancouver2010.com

*NOTE: Issue date for the oversize denomination stamp, souvenir sheet of five and associated official first day cover: February 12, 2009. The date for the oversize denomination stamp issue differs from the other stamps in this series to mark the one-year countdown to the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

From;
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/collecting/stamps/2009/2009_jan_olympic_emblem.jsf

general info: http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/collecting/stamps/index.jsf

SINGAPORE - COVER FROM EDNA CHIN

Thank you Edna

THE STAMPS

THE EVENT

The Youth Olympic Games

The first ever Summer Youth Olympic Games

The Vision

The vision of the Youth Olympic Games is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values. It was during its session in Guatemala in July 2007 that the IOC decided to create a nw sporting event to educate, engage and influence young athletes inspiring them to play an active role in their communities.

What are the YOG?

The Youth Olympic Games are a sporting event for young people, balancing sport, education and culture. These Games work as a catalyst in these fields throughout the Olympic Movement.

The YOG’s objectives are:

1. to bring together the world’s best young athletes and celebrate them
2. to offer a unique and powerful introduction to Olympism
3. to innovate in educating and debating Olympic values and challenges of society
4. to share and celebrate the cultures of the world in a festive atmosphere
5. to reach youth communities throughout the world to promote Olympic values
6. to raise sports awareness and participation among young people
7. to act as a platform for initiatives within the Olympic Movement
8. to be an event of the highest international sporting standard.

Who? What? When?

The Youth Olympic Games aim to bring together talented athletes – aged from 14 to 18 - from around the world to participate in high-level competitions, but also, alongside the sports element of the event, to run educational programmes on the Olympic values, the benefits of sport for a healthy lifestyle, the social values sport can deliver and the dangers of doping and of training to excess and/or of inactivity.

The first ever Summer Youth Olympic Games will bring together approximately 3,200 athletes and 800 officials in 2010. The sports programme will encompass all 26 sports on the programme of the 2012 Summer Games, with a limited number of disciplines and events. The first Winter Olympic Youth Games will bring together around 1,000 athletes and 500 officials. The athletes will compete – for the first time in 2012 - in all seven Olympic Winter Sports. The YOG follow the traditional cycle of four years, with Summer Games in 2010, 2014, 2018, etc and Winter Games in 2012, 2016, 2020, etc.


Singapore to host the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010

Singapore will host the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010. The result of the election based on the cast of 105 IOC members eligible to vote, was unveiled 0n 21 February 2008 by IOC President Jacques Rogge at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

Nine cities took part in the candidature process that started in August 2007: Athens (Greece), Bangkok (Thailand), Debrecen (Hungary), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Moscow (Russian Federation), Poznan (Poland), Singapore (Singapore) and Turin (Italy). Singapore beat Moscow in the final by 53 votes to 44.

Official Website of Singapore

Info from ; http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=2477

SINGAPORE - COVER FROM EDNA CHIN

Thank you Edna
for the very beautiful cover