South Africa - Robben Island

From the 17^th to the 20^th centuries, Robben Island served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Today it is a World Heritage Site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa, of the price paid for freedom.

Robben Island lies about 10 km from Table Bay Harbour and 7 km from Bloubergstrand. It was here that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years with many of his comrades. From here they could see the city from where they would rule the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Today the Island is a UNESCO World heritage site. An Island so integral to this Great Nation’s history, and indeed , to its future. Maria sent these two cards to me.

Finland – Kajaani

Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi (Lake Oulu), which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki (river Oulu). There are 38,137 (31 January 2011) inhabitants and city surface area is 2,264.01 square kilometres (874.14 sq mi) of which 428.94 km² (165.61 sq mi) is water. The population density is 20.78 inhabitants per square kilometre (53.8 /sq mi) . The town is unilingually Finnish. Kajaani is in the center of the region of Kainuu. Folklorist Elias Lönnrot began his travels from here when collecting folklore in Karelia. Eva sent this card.

Finland – Liperi

Merja sent me this pretty card of Liperi which is a small village near Joensuu. The rowing event displayed on the card takes place every year in July. The biggest row boat with seven pairs of oars is called the “Church Boat”. The name comes from olden times when people went to church by these kinds of boats in the countryside.

Liperi is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. Liperi is a picturesque community of 12,253 (31 January 2011) with the growth rate of 83 newcomers in 11 months in 2007. The population density is 16.86 inhabitants per square kilometre (43.7 /sq mi). The municipality covers an area of 1,161.22 square kilometres (448.35 sq mi) of which 434.33 km² (167.70 sq mi) is water, so it can be described as beautiful countryside.

UK - The Baily Lighthouse

The Baily Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the southeastern part of Howth Head in Dublin, Ireland. It is maintained by the Commissioners of Irish Lights. The first lighthouse on this site was built in about 1667 by Sir Robert Reading, and was one of six that Reading had received letters patent to build from Charles II in 1665. The original facility consisted of a small cottage and a square tower that supported a coal-fired beacon. Parts of the original buildings remain. In 1790, the coal beacon was replaced with a set of six Argand oil lamps, each including a silvered copper parabolic and a bulls-eye glass pane. During this period, the lighthouse was maintained by the Revenue Commissioners.

In 1810, the Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin took over the operations. The original building's location was high on the headland, so the light was often obscured by fog. On December 5, 1811 a recommendation was issued that the lighthouse be moved south on the headland to Little Baily, or Dungriffen. A new tower and house for the keeper, designed by George Halpin Senior, the corporation’s Inspector of Works, was completed on March 17, 1814. The top of the tower stood 134 feet (41 m) above the sea, and the fixed white catoptric light was provided by a set of 24 Argand lamps and reflectors. Karen sent this nice card to me.

USA - 1959 Rambler Rebel

Cate from Austin, Texas sent me this nice card. The Rambler Rebel was an automobile produced by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) of Kenosh, Wisconsin from 1957–60, and again in 1966 and 1967. The Rambler Rebel debuted as a special model in the Rambler line showcasing AMC's big new V8 engine for the 1957 model year. It became the first factory-produced lightweight muscle car.

The Rebel name reappeared in the 1966 model year on a top-of-the-line Rambler Classic model. For the 1967 model year, AMC's entire intermediate line took the Rebel name. American Motors dropped the historic "Rambler" marque to become the AMC Rebel in 1968.
The stamps on this card are also very impressive. William Hart and Gene Autry were two very important actors in Wild West movies.
William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. In 1917 Hart accepted a lucrative offer from Adolph Zukor to join Famous Players-Lasky, which merged into Paramount Pictures. In the films Hart began to ride a brown and white pinto he called Fritz. Fritz was the forerunner of later famous movie horses known by their own name, i.e., horses like Tom Mix's Tony, Roy Rogers's Trigger and Clayton Moore's Silver, etc. Hart was now making feature films exclusively, and films like Square Deal Sanderson and The Toll Gate were popular with fans. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, William S. Hart has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6363 Hollywood Blvd. In 1975, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. On November 10, 1962, Hart was honored posthumously in an episode of the short-lived The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show, a western variety program on ABC.
Orvon Grover Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s. Autry was also owner of the Los Angeles/California Angels Major League Baseball team from 1961 to 1997, a television station and several radio stations in Southern California. Although his signature song was "Back in the Saddle Again", Autry is best known today for his Christmas holiday songs, "Here Comes Santa Claus" (which he wrote), "Frosty the Snowman", and his biggest hit, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". He is a member of both the Country Music and Nashville Songwriters halls of fame, and is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Finland - Moomins

Continuing from the previous post.

Finland -The Moomins

My Dear Friend Merja sent me these lovey maxicards. Of the Magnificent Moomins! The 2011 Moomin stamps show adventures of the much-loved Moomin characters from Tove Jansson’s picture book “The book about Moomin, Mymble and Little MY”. The different shapes of the stamps bring to mind the intriguing peepholes in the book. The stamps depict Moomin, The Mymble, Little My, Moominmamma, the Hemulen and Hattifatteners. Every stamp has a different form, some have soft edges, the others the angles. Aren’t they all really lovely? The discerning must have detected that one maxi card is missing. That is quite correct, one card has been a tad tardy in the post.

Belarus - 1950 Studebaker

Public reaction is what matters in the auto industry, and "The Next Look" 1950 Studebaker, featuring the company's signature "bullet-nose" look for the first time, was a winner -- more popular than even the 1947. Sales began in August 1949, nearly a month ahead of other 1950 cars. The 1950 models were Studebaker's most successful in terms of sales. Hundreds of dealers sent glowing telegrams describing announcement day: "Showroom crowded to capacity." "Public acceptance best ever." "Huge crowds, all agreed Studebaker still leads the way." "Showing a definite flop, showroom holds 100 people, needed room for 500!" Added in March 1950 were Champ Custom sedans and coupes with no hood ornament or rear fender shields, painted rather than chromed headlamp/taillight rims, and only a small round trunk handle/light assembly. They looked spartan, but at $1,419-$1,519, they were among the most affordable full-size cars around. Studebaker was targeting traditional low-priced leaders Chevy, Ford, and Plymouth, and thus advertised Champ Customs with the clever slogan "It's 4 To See Instead of 3!”. .Demand for the bullet-nose '50s proved so strong that Studebaker added a third shift at its large South Bend factory and ran its Southern California and Hamilton, Ontario, assembly plants at or near capacity. A 14-month model "year" (July 15, 1949, to September 27, 1950) produced 343,164 cars -- the most for any vehicle in Studebaker's long history. By the end of 1950, company employment was up to 25,000, a peacetime record. This card was sent to me by Dzianis from Minsk.

New Zealand - Cape Reinga Lighthouse

Cape Reinga Lighthouse is a lighthouse at Cape Reinga in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand. The lighthouse is a common New Zealand icon and a popular tourist destination although the lighthouse itself is not open to the public. The lighthouse is at the Northern most point of New Zealand. The lighthouse was built in 1941 and first lit during May of that year. It was the last manned light to be built in New Zealand and replaced the Cape Maria Van Diemen Lighthouse, located on nearby Motuopao Island, which had been built in 1879. Accessing that lighthouse was difficult due to the rough seas in the area, so in 1938, it was decided to move the lighthouse to Cape Reinga for safety reasons. The complete lantern fittings from Motuopao Island were reused at Cape Reinga, though the new lighthouse was fitted with a 1000 watt electrical lamp instead that could be seen for 26 nautical miles (48 km). The lamp was powered by a diesel generator. In 1987, the lighthouse was fully automated and the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn. The lighthouse is now monitored remotely from Wellington. In May 2000 the original lens and lamp were replaced by a 50 watt beacon. The beacon is powered by batteries that are recharged by solar cells. The beacon flashes every 12 seconds and can be seen for 19 nautical miles (35 km). Russel sent me this nice card.

Finland - Coat of Arms

Merja gave me this card featuring a Coat of Arms figurehead from a Russian War vessel. The original is in the museum at Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland.

Czech Republic - Centenary of Czech Air Flight

This card commemorates the Special train ride from Prague to Pordubice, on the route of the First Czech air flight 100 years ago. Thank you Stan for this nice card.

Åland –Superheroes with Aland roots

Did you know that the creator behind many of the familiar cartoon superheroes of the 1940s and 1950s came from Saltvik, Åland? Three of his superheroes now appear in an Åland stamp booklet. Paul Gustafson was born in 1916 in Saltvik. Like many other Ålanders of this époque, he emigrated to the USA with his family when he was five. Having studied at Quentin High School and Manhattan’s Cooper Union, Paul spent some years apprenticing under cartoonist Frank Owen, whose wife, Vera, was also born in Åland. At the end of the 1930s, Paul made a name for himself as an independent cartoonist creating many characters, mainly superheroes, for Marvel Comics. Most of Paul’s comics were created between 1938 and 1946, some of them being: The Angel, The Arrow, Black Panter, A-man, Quicksilver, Magno, The Human Bomb, Blackhawk, Jester, Rusty Ryan and Midnight. He later focused on the comic strip Will Bragg. As a cartoonist, he sometimes signed his work Paul Earrol. From 1942 to 1945, Paul took an intermission from drawing to do his World War II military service. At the end of the 1950s, he left his career as a cartoonist to become a land surveyor for New York State. However, he did continue to do comic drawings for the local newspaper in Warwick, New York, where he lived with his family. Paul Gustafson is known to have created a number of different types of super-heroes.

For the stamp booklet, Åland Post has chosen to present The Arrow, The Fantom of the Fair and Alias the Spider. And My Dear Friend Ella sent me these maxi cards with the Super Heroes.

Cuernsey

This set of maxi cards were issued along with the set of five stamps on 15th November 1980 bu the Posta HQ at Guernsey in the Channel Islands to welcome Christmas. My dear friend Maria sent them to me.

Namibia

My Dear Friend Merja sent me this nice set of four maxicards. They show a part of the rich wild life in the Namibian Desert, and scenes from the desert itself. Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek. Namibia is a member state of the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and the Commonwealth of Nations. The dry lands of Namibia were inhabited since early times by Bushmen, Damara, and Namaqua, and since about the 14th century AD by immigrating Bantu who came with the Bantu expansion. It became a German Imperial protectorate in 1884 and remained a German colony until the end of World War I. In 1920, the League of Nations mandated the country to South Africa, which imposed its laws and, from 1948, its apartheid policy.

In 1966, uprisings and demands by African leaders led the United Nations to assume direct responsibility over the territory. It recognized the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) as the official representative of the Namibian people in 1973. Namibia, however, remained under South African administration during this time. Following internal violence, South Africa installed an interim administration in Namibia in 1985. Namibia obtained full independence from South Africa in 1990, with the exception of Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands, which remained under South African control until 1994. Namibia has a population of 2.1 million people and a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy. Agriculture, herding, tourism and the mining industry - including mining for gem diamonds, uranium, gold, silver, and base metals form the backbone of Namibia's economy. After Mongolia it is the second least densely populated country in the world. Approximately half the population live below the international poverty line, and the nation has suffered heavily from the effects of HIV/AIDS, with 15% of the adult population infected with HIV in 2007.

Åland – The Battle of Bomarsund

 I present here a few cards showing the sea battles near Bomarsund a nineteenth century fortress in Sund on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea. It was built in 1832 by Russia but destroyed twenty-two years later in 1854 in the Crimean War by a British-French fleet. The Battle of Bomarsund was fought between the Russian defences at Bomarsund and an Anglo-French task force. After a week of fighting the British stormed the "remaining" fort and at the end of the battle the fort of Bomarsund was destroyed. Royal Navy mate Charles D. Lucas throws a live Russian artillery shell overboard by hand before it explodes, for which he is awarded the first ever Victoria Cross in 1857. The twenty-year-old Irish Mate later rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. Three hundred Finnish grenadiers defending the fortress were captured and taken to Lewes Prison in the United Kingdom. They were later allowed to return to Finland, and they returned with a song telling about their battle and imprisonment, called the War of Åland.

In the Treaty of Paris 1856, the entire Åland Islands were demilitarised, which is a status that has been preserved to this day. For those interested in more details please see my post dated 29^th April 2010 on my blog http://letstalkstamps.blogspot.com/search/label/War .These lovely cards with the paintings of that famous battle were sent to me by My Dear Friend Pia.

Russia – Cruiser Aurora

Aurora is a 1900 Russian protected cruiser, currently preserved as a museum ship in St. Petersburg. She battled the Japanese Navy in the Russo-Japanese War. One of the first incidents of the Communist Revolution in Russia took place on the cruiser Aurora. During the First World War the ship operated in the Baltic Sea. In 1915 her armament was changed to fourteen 152 mm (6 in) guns. At the end of 1916, the ship was moved to Saint Petersburg (later Petrograd) for a major repair. The city was brimming with revolutionary ferment and part of her crew joined the 1917 February Revolution. A revolutionary committee was created on the ship (Aleksandr Belyshev was elected its captain). Most of the crew joined the Bolsheviks, who were preparing for a Communist revolution.

On 25 October 1917, Aurora refused to carry out an order to put to sea, which sparked the October Revolution. At 9.45 p.m. on that date, a blank shot from her forecastle gun signalled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace, which was to be the last episode of the October Revolution. The cruiser's crew actually took part in the attack. Oxana sent me this card.

Germany - Lighthouses

Standing in splendour on a sandbank is Westerhever lighthouse (below), flanked by two former keepers' houses. Today a popular landmark, it was built to guide shipping through the treacherous sandbanks off the Eiderstedt peninsula and into the Heverstrom. The red and white striped tower has 157 steps. From the top there are panoramic views of the Eiderstedt peninsula and the islands off the North Sea coast. And above is the Lighthouse at List Ost on Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein, in Germany. My Dear Friend Merja sent these cards.

Israel - Sinai Peninsula

Vera from Israel sent me this map card of The Sinai Peninsula; Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt which is about 60,000 km² (23,000 sq mi). It lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa. In addition to its formal name, Egyptians also refer to it affectionately as the "Land of Fayrouz", based on the Ancient Egyptian "Dumafkat", which has the same meaning. The bulk of the peninsula is divided into two Egyptian governorates (with three more splitting the Suez Canal area), and has a population of approximately 500,000 people.

The region has historically been the center of conflict between various political factions, based largely on its location. In addition to periods of direct rule by Egyptian governments (including the Ayyubids, the Mamluks, the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, and the modern Egyptian republic), it was like the rest of Egypt also occupied and controlled by the Ottoman Empire, and the United Kingdom which occupied Egypt from 1882 onwards. Israel occupied Sinai in the Suez Crisis of 1956, and again during the Six Day War of 1967. In the October War of 1973, it was the site of fierce fighting between Egyptian and Israeli forces. In 1982, after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979, Israel withdrew from the entirety of Sinai. Today, Sinai has become a tourist destination due to its natural setting, rich coral reefs, and biblical history. Mount Sinai is one of the most religiously significant regions in Abrahamic faiths.

Netherlands - Friesland

Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands. Up until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân. Nevertheless, Friesland remains in common usage, being the Dutch (and English) name for the province. Friesland has 646,000 inhabitants (2010) and its capital is Leeuwarden (W.Frisian: Ljouwert), with 91,817 inhabitants, in the center of the province. Fryslân distinguishes itself from the other eleven provinces by having its own language, West Frisian, which is also spoken in a small adjacent part of the province of Groningen, to the east. Closely related languages, East Frisian ("Seeltersk", which is different from "East Frisian (Ostfriesisch)", a collection of Low German dialects of East Frisia) and North Frisian, are spoken in the Saterland and in North Friesland areas in Germany, respectively. Friesland is mainly an agricultural province. The famous black and white Frisian cattle and the well known black Frisian horse originated here. Tourism is another important source of income, principal greatest tourist destinations including the lakes in the south west of the province, and the islands in the Wadden Sea in the north. Another interesting feature is the presence of many windmills. There are 195 windmills in the province of Friesland, from a total of about 1200 in the entire country. This lovely map card of the area was sent to me by Mariska.

Czech Republic - Vlasta Burian

Josef Vlastimil Burian, better known as Vlasta Burian (April 9th, 1891, Liberec - January 31st, 1962, Prague) was a Czech stage and film actor and director, singer, sportsman, businessman, author and imitator. His boundless spontaneity and urge to win turned him into a real star on the Czech film and theatre scene. One of the most popular Czechoslovak stars between the two world wars, he was unjustly sentenced for Nazi collaboration. Vlasta Burian, winner of the King of Comedians award, as well as movies starring him are still widely popular among Czech audiences. He is well known in the Czech Republic for his comic roles in many movies before and during World War II. He ran a popular comic theatre until 1944, when the Nazis closed down all Czech-language theatres. After the war Burian was charged and convincted of collaboration with the Nazis. He was briefly imprisoned, and then not permitted to return to the stage until 1950. He was officially exonerated of all charges in 1994. His famous movie partner was Jaroslav Marvan, with whom he made many movies. Thank you Stan for this nice card with the commemorative stamp and the special postmark.

Belarus – Mir Castle

Mir Castle is a unique monument of Belarusian architecture, it was built by duke Ilinich in early 16th century near village Mir (Grodno Region) instead of wooden feudal farmstead, which existed there in 15th century. This is a square-planned building with towers at the corners. The fifth tower had a drawbridge and a forged grille chersa which could urgently stop a sudden attack. The castle was well adapted for gunshot defense. Its walls had two rows of loop-holes, and its towers were intended for heavy cannon shooting from them. The basis of the volumetric castle's composition is its high towers which jut out beyond the wall-line. All of them have the same structure - tetrahedral core with octahedral top, but they differently decorated which gives original decorative value and beauty to the castle. Since 1568 the Mir Castle was owned by Dukes Radziwils, who finished its building in Renaissance style. A three-storied palace was built along the eastern and northern walls. Its plastered facades were decorated with lime-stone portals, plates, balconies and porches. During excavations they collected a lot of glazed tiles with vegetable and geometrical ornaments, and coats of arms of the castle's owners. Earth walls were made around the castle with bastions at the corners; a water moat surround them. To the north of the walls an Italian garden was laid, to the south - an artificial lake. Despite numerous destruction's (the heaviest were during 1812 war) the Mir Castle survived till now; and at present it is being successfully restored. This monument is under UNESCO's auspices. This lovely card was sent to me by Maria.

Cyprus – Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
After a standout career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' National Championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards. This cool maxicard from Cyprus was given to me by Merja.

Cyprus – The Green Line of Nicosia

The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus runs for more than 180.5 kilometres (112.2 mi) along what is known as the Green Line and has an area of 346 square kilometres (134 sq mi). The zone partitions the island of Cyprus into a southern area effectively controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus (which is the de jure government for the entire island save for the British Sovereign Base Areas), and the northern area controlled by the Turkish army. The term Green Line refers to the cease fire line that de facto divides the island nation of Cyprus into two, cutting through the capital of Nicosia. It was first established in 1964, when Major-General Peter Young was the commander of a "peace force", a predecessor of the present UNFICYP. After stationing his troops in different areas of Nicosia, the general drew a cease-fire line on a map with a dark green crayon, which was to become known as the "Green Line". The Green Line became impassable following the July 1974 invasion by Turkey which intervened by air, sea, and land, capturing approximately 8% of Cyprus territory in response to a short lived Greek Cypriot coup (Greek-inspired coup d'etat that sought to overthrow the government of President Makarios. Three days later, the coup was dissolved, and the elected government was re-established). When the coup dissolved, the Turkish Armed Forces advanced to capture approximately 37% of the island and meet the "Green Line". The meandering green line marks the southernmost points that the Turkish troops occupied during the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 16 August 1974. With the self-proclamation of the internationally unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Green Line became its de facto southern border.

This line is also referred to as the Attila Line on some maps, named after the Turkish code-name for the 1974 military intervention: Operation Atilla. The closed off zone has become a haven for Cyprus' wildlife, an example of an involuntary park. Traffic across the buffer zone was very limited until 2003, when the number of crossings and the rules governing them were relaxed. My Dear Friend Merja sent me this lovely card.

Moldova – King Petru Aron

Peter III Aaron, bastard son of Alexandru cel Bun, was a Voivode (Prince) of Moldavia on three separate occasions: October 1451 to February 1452, August 1454 to February 1455, and May 1455 to April 1457. The first two were during a civil war with Alexăndrel. Aron ascended to the throne after assassinating Bogdan II, while the latter was at a wedding in Rauseni. Immediately, his rule was challenged by Alexăndrel, whom Petru managed to defeat in March 1455, forcing Alexăndrel to take refuge in the fortress at Cetatea Albă. Petru confirmed his father's commercial privileges awarded to Polish traders in Moldavia, and took an oath of vassalage to King Casimir IV. In 1456, Petru agreed to pay the Ottomans a tribute of 2,000 gold ducats, in order to ensure his southern borders, thus becoming the first of the Moldavian rulers to accept the Turkish demands.

The real challenge to his throne came with Bogdan II's son Ştefan cel Mare. The young prince had been given the protection of Kingdom of Hungary captain-general John Hunyadi and, after John's death, that of Vlad III Dracula (Vlad Ţepeş) - the new Prince of Wallachia. According to the interpretation of the account in the Chronicle (Letopiseţ) of Putna, Vlad had offered Ştefan his full support for his venture. In April 1457, after two battles, Petru was deposed and had to flee, taking refuge first in Poland and then in Székelyföld. There, he played a part in increasing the tensions between Ştefan cel Mare and King Matthias Corvinus. Following Matthias's incursion and subsequent defeat at the Battle of Baia (December 15 1467), Petru was captured and executed.

Petru Aron issued new billon (is an alloy of a precious metal (most commonly silver, but also mercury) with a majority base metal content (such as copper). It is used chiefly for making coins, medals, and token coins.) and copper currency - on the grosh design but struck in better silver, probably as a part of a reform in monetary standards. My Dear friend Leisea sent me this nice maxi card.

Cyprus – Euro Coins

A slight digression from postcards. But, I just could not stop myself from sharing these beautiful coins with you. I am sure numismatists would appreciate it. Beautifull FRESH and NEW UNCIRCULATED coins from the original rolls in 2008. This is official and original legal money within the euro-zone! Issued by Cyprus the New Euro Country in 2008 - Brand New 8 Coins Euro Set, presented to me by my Dear Friend Merja. The coins are displayed here, both sides showing. The description of the Coins in brief is as follows:-

The Mouflon : a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis orientalis . Populations of Ovis orientalis can be partitioned into the mouflons ( orientalis group) and urials or arkars. The Kyrenia ship: a wreck of a 4th century BC Greek merchant ship that sank in open waters less than a mile from the anchorage of Kyrenia .The Idol of Pomos: a prehistoric sculpture from the Cypriot Village of Pomos. It dates back to the Chalcolithic period, circa the 30th Century BC .
€ 0.01€ 0.02 € 0.05 The Mouflon € 0.10 € 0.20 € 0.50 The Kyrenia ship
€ 1.00 € 2.00 The Idol of Pomos

Singapore - Philatelic Museum

The Singapore Philatelic Museum is a museum about the postal history of Singapore and its stamps. The museum, located at 23-B Coleman Street in Singapore, was formerly part of the Anglo-Chinese School, completed in 1906. In the 1970s, the building became the Methodist Book Room until it was restored to become the present museum. Singapore Philatelic Museum opened on 19 August 1995 to promote interest in and the appreciation of Singapore's history and heritage in philately. Besides the permanent galleries, the theme galleries offer a host of changing exhibitions throughout the year. These include displays from the private collections of renowned philatelists, travelling exhibitions from overseas and themed exhibitions to commemorate new stamp issues. The museum has a stamp shop, and is popular with stamp collectors. There are files where visitors can inspect all of the Republic of Singapore stamps issued. Also on exhibit is a German forgery of a British postage stamp printed during World War II which intentionally has a printing error which mocks King George VI.
Shashi and I visited this fantastic Museum on 26^th April 2011. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Any and Every tourist to Singapore should unfailingly include it in his, her or their tour itinerary. You will never regret it. Shashi even posted this special card from there for me, with the special postmark of the Day.

Montenegro - Maritime Museum of Kotor Montenegro

The rich maritime history of the Boka Kotorska and Montenegro is best seen in the buildings and among the collections of the well-known Maritime Museum of Kotor. Along with numerous historic manuscripts and exhibits, of great interest to visitors are the scale models of old ships and boats. Brave seamen sailed over the world in such ships. This is well illustrated on this card sent to me by Karoly Bunyik. Their portraits, picture of ships, a multitude of photographs, parts and instruments of old ships bear witness to the development of maritime navigation and make this collection unique in the world. In this museum the curious visitor may familiarise himself with the history of the many centuries of tradition of the famous Boka Navy.

Cyprus – Vintage Cars

For car lovers, these two maxicards may be of interest. The car on top is the famous Ford Model T, a 1917 American car. It is one of 15 million cars made during the period 1908 to 1927. The car shown below  was imported from England to Cyprus in 1932. It is a Baby Ford Y 8HP. The cards were issued in 20.3.2003 and were sent to me by my Dear Friend Merja.

Denmark – Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix

Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix is a vintage motor sports car race held annually on the grounds of Fælledparken in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has been arranged since 2001 and takes place in the first weekend of August. HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark is a regular participator along with numerous Danish and International professional racing drivers. Cars compete separately in various classes, including a large number of vehicles in the pre-WW II class. Around 200 vintage cars participate, such as Bentley's from the 20s, Bugatti's from the 30s, Jaguar's and Porsche's from the 50s and Lotus Cortina's, Alfa Romeo's and Jaguar E's from the 60s. The Royal Pro-Am Class is the class where Prince Joachim and other amateurs share their cars with professional drivers. In 2008, 25 Le Mans drivers attended the race, including the eight time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. Apart from the multiple races, various other demonstrations, presentations and car shows take place as well as the marking of historic car models. The cars shown on these Maxi cards issued on 5.8.2006 are, Car at the Left Top is the versatile Renault Alpine A 110 I; the one at the Left Bottom is the well known Jaguar E – type hybrid Volvo P 1800; the racer at the Right Top is the Alfa Dana Midget; and Right Bottom is the Austin Mini Cooper 5. These delightful cards were sent to me by my Dear Friend Ella.