Deutsches Reichpost Paul von Hindenburg and "Remember the Lost Colonies" - 1934

DEUTSCHES REICHPOST on 30 June 1934 issued to a set of stamps to "Remember the Lost Colonies", Germany's colonies stripped from her following WWI. The stamps showed famous German colonial figures. This cover also featured former Field Marshal and President Paul von Hindenburg. Postmark cancellation originated from Dusseldorf, dated 4 July 1934.

The stamps depicted:

      3 Pf — Franz A.E. Lüderitz, German Southwest Africa.

      6 Pf — Dr. Gustav Nachtigal, Togo and Cameroon.

    12 Pf — Dr. Karl Peters, German East Africa.

    25 Pf — Hermann von Wissmann, German East Africa.

The “x” values have vertically rippled gum, while the “y” values have horizontally rippled gum.

Deutsches Reich Deutsche Profession Nothilfe and Luftpost 1934

DEUTSCHES REICH issued in 1934 a commemorative set of Deutsche Nothilfe (German Emergency Fund) charity stamps, also known as the Winter Relief. These stamps featured images representing various trades and professions in Germany, including an office worker, smith, stonemason (shown), miner, architect (shown), farmer (shown), researcher, artist, and judge. This particular cover also has an Deutsche Luftpost (airmail) stamp. Postmark cancellation originated from Charlottenburg (Berlin), 22 November 1934.

This set of stamps is considered to be one of the more sought-after  issues from the Third Reich period, and very difficult to find covers.

Egypt (UAR) Air Mail Stamped 1959

EGYPT (UAR)  on 30 September 1959 issued a set of three air mail stamps First Day Cover stamps were issued.

Top Left (5m): Pyramids of Giza, a prominent symbol of Egypt's ancient history.

Top Right (15m): Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, with an airplane flying overhead, signifying airmail. 

Bottom (60m): view of Cairo, likely featuring a mosque or other significant architectural landmark, with "Air Mail" and "UAR" clearly visible, and potentially related to World Meteorological Day based on similar stamps. 

These stamps were issued during the period of the United Arab Republic (UAR), a political union between Egypt and Syria that existed from 1958 to 1961, though Egypt continued to use the UAR designation on stamps for a period afterward. 

Egypt 1927 Statistical Congress in Cairo

EGYPT on 29 December issued a set of three postage stamps to commemorate the Statistical Congress held in Cairo that year. The 1927 Statistical Congress in Cairo was a significant event, marking the first International Statistical Institute (ISI) congress held outside Europe. It also holds historical importance as the first ISI congress to receive a delegation from the Republic of Turkey. The congress took place from 29 December  1927 till 5 January 1928. 

Each stamp featured a seated statue of a pharaoh, likely depicting Amenemhat III or Amenhotep IV, based on similar historical imagery. The stamps were printed in different colours and denominations: 5 Milliemes (brown), 10 Milliemes (red), and 15 Milliemes (blue).

These stamps were issued during the Kingdom of Egypt era, which gained nominal independence from the British Empire in 1922. 

Senegal Lat Dior

SENEGAL on 11 January 1982 issued a First Day Cover  commemorating Lat Dior, a national hero of Senegal. The cover featured two stamps depicting Lat Dior, a significant figure in Senegalese history, known for his resistance against French colonial expansion in the 19th century. Postmark cancellation originated from Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

USPS 20th Universal Postal Congress

USPS issued on 19 November 1989  four First Day Cover stamps to commemorate the 20th Universal Postal Congress which was held in Washington D.C., hence the postmark cancellation on these maxim cards. These 25-cent postage stamps depicted traditional methods of mail delivery in the United States, from Colonial times to the early 1900s, including a stagecoach, a steamboat, a biplane, and a depot automobile.

Some of the transportation methods on these stamps had appeared on stamps before.  The Jenny had appeared on America’s first Airmails, and the Jenny and the stagecoach were included in a block of four stamps honouring the 200th anniversary of America’s independent postal service.  Plus, the automobile in this block is very similar to the one pictured on a 1912 15¢ Parcel Post stamp.

First-time stamp artist Mark Hess was hired to illustrate the Classic Mail Transportation Block.  He worked from a variety of sources, including photos from the National Philatelic Collection at the Smithsonian.  

The stamps:

- Stagecoach – Hess’ stagecoach image underwent the fewest changes.  It depicts a Concord coach, named for the city in New Hampshire where they were made. 

- Steamboat – The design that required the most work was the ship stamp.  Initially, Hess pictured a naval ship off-shore with a rowboat collecting mail for delivery to the ship.  The image had some inaccuracies, and it was ultimately decided that a steamboat on an inland river better represented that form of mail delivery.  The steamboat on which the stamp image was based is the 19th century packet Chesapeake.  The stamp also shows a man with a handcart bringing mail to the boat, which he had seen on one the Smithsonian pictures. 

- Curtiss JN-4H (Jenny) bi-plane – Hess’ original sketch of the Curtiss Jenny showed two open cockpits.  But he corrected it to show that one of the cockpits had been replaced with a mail compartment. 

- Early automobile – Hess based his image of an automobile delivering mail on a photo from the USPS archives.  It pictured a 1906 Columbia automobile on the streets of Baltimore.

USPS Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture"

USPS on 25 April 2025 issued a series of USA Forever stamps entitled "Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture," which honour Native American gatherings. The stamps featured original paintings by Cochiti Pueblo artist Mateo Romero, depicting Native American dancers in traditional regalia. Four different dance styles were represented: Women's Fancy Shawl, Women's Traditional, Crow Hop, and Men's Hoop Dance. Powwows are significant cultural events for Indigenous people, fostering community and celebrating traditions through dance, music, and art.

Post Danmark Cover

This POST DANMARK cover was received  from a fellow stamp collector who I had purchased a series of 1980  Olympic stamps from the former German Democratic Republic. 

This cover included a June 2025 souvenir sheetlet showing the theme "Nordisk Mytologi - Mytiske Steder" (Nordic Mythology - Mythical Places), specifically "Hólm Høje" and "Feggeklit". 

It  also came with a souvenir sheetlet  celebrating classic Danish films including: "Kosmorama", a silent film from 1910; "Lykkehjulet" (The Wheel of Fortune), another silent film from 1910, with Urban Gad credited; "Café Paradis" (Paradise Cafe), a film from 1950; and "Olsen-banden" (The Olsen Gang), a film from 1968.

Another sheetlet included the 2013 Europa stamp from Denmark featuring an electric postal bicycle, reflecting Denmark's commitment to sustainable mail delivery. 

A single stamp issued in 1976 commemorated the 100th anniversary (1876-1976) of the Carlsberg Foundation. It featured Professor Emil Hansen, a former director of the Carlsberg Laboratory.

USPS William Jennings Bryan & Scopes Monkey Trial

USPS on 19 March 1986 issued a First Day Cover stamp and cachet commemorating William Jennings Bryan and the Scopes Trial. Postmark cancellation on this FDC cachet originated from Cave-in-Rock, Illinois. Another FDC cancellation (not shown here) originated from Salem, Illinois, the birthplace of William Jennings Bryan.

Tom Broad designed the stamp. It was one the first stamps released in the Great American Series which included 64 patriots. The stamp had a $2 face value and was released on Bryan’s 126th birthday. One fun fact about the stamp is that it had the longest name in the series; so long that it needed to wrap around two sides of the stamp. A total of 57,250,000 were printed by Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

The cachet on the envelope depicted the core conflict of the Scopes 'Monkey Trial' by illustrating "Evolution" on the left (showing early humans and fire) and "Creation" on the right (showing Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden).

William Jennings Bryan, U.S. Congressman for Nebraska, three-time Democrat presidential candidate and former secretary of state under President Woodrow Wilson, argued for the prosecution, while famed labour and criminal lawyer Clarence Darrow served as the principal defense attorney for Scopes.  This landmark legal case in Tennessee debated the legality of teaching evolution in public schools.

High school teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating the Butler Act, a Tennessee state law which outlawed the teaching of human evolution in public schools. The trial was deliberately staged in order to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held. Scopes was unsure whether he had ever actually taught evolution, but he incriminated himself deliberately so the case could have a defendant. Scopes was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, which had offered to defend anyone accused of violating the Butler Act in an effort to challenge the constitutionality of the law.

Scopes was found guilty and was fined $100 (equivalent to $1,800 in 2024), but the verdict was overturned on a technicality. 

William Jennings Bryan elicited mixed views during his lifetime and his legacy remains debated amongst historians. That said,  many recognise he played a major role in shaping U.S. public policies for more than 40 years. Known as “The Great Commoner,” William Jennings Bryan  is remembered for his impassioned speeches on a variety of topics, including anti-trust, anti-imperialism, prohibition, populism, and trust-busting. 

He is best known for his role in the Scopes Trial, hence the cachet design. Since his death in 1925 -- a week after the trial and in Dayton (Tennessee), incidentally -- scholars have warmed to his motives, if not his actions in the Scopes Trial because he rejected eugenics, a practice that many evolutionists of the 1920s favoured.

Source: Wikipedia and Mystic Stamps

Islamic Republic of Iran Post Solidarity with Bosnian Muslims

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN POST on  27 December 1993 issued a  set of First Day Cover reflecting Iran's solidarity with the Muslim population of Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Bosnian War.  Postmark cancellation originated from Tehran.

The three stamps depicted various scenes, including children, a man raising his hand in a gesture of solidarity, and a Muslim woman in a yellow headscarf, all set against backgrounds that included architectural elements reminiscent of Bosnia-Herzegovins mosques, symbolising support for the Bosnian Muslim community. The face value of these stamps were 40 Ris and 10 Ris denominations.

The cachet shown on the envelope contains various Iranian cultural and symbolic elements, including a mosque, the Iranian flag, and Olympic rings, suggesting a blend of national identity, religious significance, and perhaps a nod to sporting achievements. 

Islamic Republic of Iran Post Ayatollah Khomeini

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN POST on 27 July 1992 issued a set of First Day Cover stamps to  honour Ayatollah Khomeini, an Imam and founding patriarch of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is shown in  traditional attire whilst fixing his turban and praying. Postmark cancellation originated from Tehran.

China Post 50th Anniversary of Three Battle Victories

CHINA POST on 14 November 1998 issued a set of five First Day Cover stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of the battles waged at Liaoshen, Pingjin and Huaihai during the Chinese Civil War that was fought between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1927 to 1949. The stamp designers were Chen Xiaocong, Wei Chuyu, Ji Hongmin. An offset printing process was used. Size was 50x30mm. This set of stamps is rendered here on maxicards.

- Making Splendid Plans, 50 fen (not shown)

- Conquering Jinzhou, 50 fen

- Decisive Battle Field in Huaihai, 50 fen

- Liberating Beiping, 50 fen

- Supporting the Forefront, 150 fen

From autumn and winter of 1948 to early 1949, the People's Liberation Army launched strategic and decisive campaigns against the Kuomintang army in northeast, north and central China. The three major campaigns: Liaoshen, Pingjin and Huaihai liberated a large area and some important cities, this wiping out the effective strength of the Kuomintang army and led to the Communist victory. 

The victory of these three major campaigns was waged by more than 10 million people who participated in repairing bridges and roads, transporting materials and rescuing injured soldiers.

Poste Française Cover

POSTE FRANÇAISE stamp cover of a letter sent to me from a fellow stamp collector.