Sunday Stamps II - 32

 

Wild Orchids of Canada issued 27 April 1999 

for the (15th) World Orchid Conference held for the first time in Canada

The four stamp set was reissued in August 1999 marking the '99 World Philatelic Exhibition in Beijing

The stamps are from paintings by Poon-Kuen Chow (white background) 

and Yukman Lai (purple background)

clockwise from top left:
Large Yellow Lady's Slipper
Small Purple Fringed Orchid
Dragon's Mouth Orchid
Hulten Roundleaf Orchid

Torquay for sun

Torquay,  the English Riviera in South Devon
sent 21 July 1965, Torquay, Devon to Kilbirnie, Ayrshire
with a particularly fine cancellation

Enjoying ourselves, jolly company, food fabulous, and altogether most enjoyable, lots to see and do.
We have been a number of runs all most interesting. You would enjoy it, but too busy for a car.
A & B Wallace


a summer holiday with a beach or two, some sun and the sea for Sepia Saturday

Sunday Stamps II - 31

A fritillary butterfly on a thistle. This was a stamp design winner for 1990.

The fritillary gets its name from the checkered pattern on the wings (fritilus is Latin for dice box or chessboard). This particular one is possibly a silver-washed fritillary that feeds on brambles and thistles. The males are smaller and paler than the female.

floral pig

2007, Canada for Lunar New Year
Year of the Pig

The gold foil in the stamp is meant to reflect the ancient art form of cloisonné that originated in Beijing in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The stamps were issued on Jaunary 5, 2007 but within a month around 250 of the stamps were found to be missing the gold and silver foil so that the enhancements of the floral design is not seen. Those .52¢ stamps are much more valuable to collectors as a result, some selling for as much as $1,000 each! My sheet are all nicely foiled.

for Sepia Saturday theme of pigs

Sunday Stamps II - 30

1965, Mali for the 1st All Africa Games held in Brazzaville Congo

The All Africa Games were held from July 18 - July 25th, 1965 40 years after Pierre de Coubertin originally proposed the idea. In 1925, the Games to be held in Algeria never materialized. In 1929, the Games in Egypt were cancelled weeks before they were scheduled to begin by the colonial powers who feared they might "unite Africans" and help them break free from colonial rule.

The IOC granted the Games official recognition as a continental multi-sport event (just as the Asian Games and the Pan American Games) and were to be held the year before the Olympics. The 2nd Games were awarded to Mali in 1969, but these were cancelled due to a military coup. Nigeria stepped up to host in 1971, but were delayed until 1973 due to the Biafran War. The Games were plagued by further setbacks and it wouldn't be until the 5th Games in 1991 that they would be held for the first time on the four year cycle. This year the Games will again be held in Brazzaville, Congo, from September 4 - 19.

Mali won a silver in soccer in 1965 and two golds in unidentified events.

for sporting events

next week, as requested by Bob Scotney, we have a butterflies theme

Sunday Stamps II - 29

one of a series of 5 Finnish mailboxes issued in 2011

for postal themed stamps