SULTANATE of OMAN

A beautiful Birds cover from Oman, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2016 with the Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus). They are found in sparse, bushy, arid land which is common in central and northern Africa and Southern Asia.

SULTANATE of OMAN

A beautiful cover from Oman, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2016 on topic "Butterflies of Oman".

RUSSIA

A cover from Russia, depicting the EUROPA 2017 stamp on topic "Castles". This stamps depicts the St. Michael's Castle (Mikhailovski Castle), a former royal residence in the historic centre of Saint Petersburg. It was built as a residence for Emperor Paul I by architects Vincenzo Brenna and Vasili Bazhenov in 1797-1801. This monument is part of the UNESCO site "Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Minuments". The 'Venice of the North', with its numerous canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a vast urban project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. Later known as Leningrad (in the former USSR), the city is closely associated with the October Revolution. Its architectural heritage reconciles the very different Baroque and pure neoclassical styles, as can be seen in the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage. All this group of monuments were recognized by UNESCO as an World Heritage Site in 1990.

NEW ZEALAND

A cover from New Zealand with a nice philatelic cancellation, depicting 4 different stamps with several topics.

SWITZERLAND

A cover from Switzerland, depicting 4 different stamps issued in 1983 on several topics.

SWITZERLAND

A very nice cover from Switzerland, depicting a complete set issued in 1965 on topic "Pro Juventute - Wild animals".

ITALY

A nice cover from Italy, depicting a complete set issued in 2017 on topic "EUROPA CEPT 2017 - Castles". In this cover we can see the Castello Scaligero in Malcesine (which has 13th-century fortifications and an old medieval tower in white natural stone) and the Castello Doria-Dolceacqua (from the 12th. century).

 

ITALY

A nice cover from Italy, depicting a complete set issued in 2005 on topic "EUROPA - Gastronomy".

VIETNAM

An amazing WWF cover from Vietnam, depicting a complete set issued in 2010 with the Fishing Cat.
The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a médium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2016, it is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Fishing cat populations are threatened by destruction of wetlands and declined severely over the last decade. Fishing cats live foremost in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps and mangroves.
The fishing cat is the state animal of West Bengal.