Rabbi Judah Loew

I collect stamps almost cancelled, used in postal service. I am sure you know, how hard it is to get such stamps these days, because they are less in use. To find some less common commemorative stamp with higher value on cover is more difficult, so I am very pleased with new piece for my collection:


It is the 2009 stamp from Czech republic, with the picture of jewish rabbi and scholar Judah Loew ben Bezalel, known mainly as Rabbi Loew. Beside his interest in natural sciences he became fame mainly thanks to legend about Golem - clay giant, whom he livened. He was interested in astrology and astronomy too and wrote 17 books. More information about Rabbi Loew can you find e.g. on Wikipedia.
In addition, I own this stamp in double joined with coupon depicting the kiddush cup, which is reputedly from possession of Rabbi Loew.

Cover from India with different themes

Today I would like to show you a cover from India, the sender sticked on it four nice stamps:

On top left you see the face of Majaz Lakhnawi, Indian poet writing his production in urdu. In one's own name Asrarul Haq was born 1911 and died in December 1955 of undercooling after he stayed drunken lying on land.

I introduce the stamps on the right from top to bottom:
The butterfly is from butterfly series from 2008, concretely the male of Pachliopta Rhodifer species. The female has her own stamp, because she differs from male by physiognomy. Together with Papilio Mayo they are endemic butterflies of indian Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The building on the stamp from the year 2007 in the middle is Wilson College - school founded in India by reverend John Wilson of the Scottish Missionary Society. Today is a degree college to the University of Mumbai.

Last stamp right down is dedicated to tiger Reserve Project in indian Sundarbansu, that's why it has the picture of the tiger. Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve was found in 1974 and spreads over 2585 km² of mangrove swamps in West Bengal.

Change for monolingual version

At the beginning I started to write this blog bilingually, in English and in Czech. But with this variant I have some problems which don't enable me to write my blog as often as I wish. Therefore I amend the blog at this internet address to monolingual english version, I hope it becomes better arranged for all readers.
I do not want to close up the czech version also, thus if you prefer Czech, from now on you can follow my blog at http://sbirka.blogspot.com

The different sorts of clouds

I really appreciate the choice of the topic on the USA stamps - various sorts of clouds, here is it specific Stratus opacus and Altocumulus castellanus. It is common meteorological effect, we can watch them anywhere in the world, but few is interested in it or can identify them. I like that the clouds found the way on the american stamps series. It's a pity, that there is a "clouded" print of machine cancel. If you know about another stamps with clouds primary, please let me know!
1$ self-adhesive stamp on the left ist from the year 2003 and displays the Statue of Wisdom on Rockefeller Center in New York City. At home I keep at disposition an older Michel catalogue for North- and Mesoamerica, so I have to assort my american stamps from definitive series. They are very nice and in large numbers, I have a little disorder in them :-)

Stamps from German sets on cover

In the top right corner of this cover from Germany is the lighthouse from the Amrum Island, from popular german lighthouses set. Looks like to me I see these stamps with lighthouses very often, probably they are in Germany very favoured and used.
Next two stamps (tulip and crocus) are too from very frequented set of definitive stamps with the theme of flowers, both from 2005. I seek through my stockbook for this set and found there so far 14 different stamps, I hope I will be lucky to fill in some others yet.

Special R-label

Sometimes happens, that philatelic item comes unexpectedly in common daily post. I was handling the complaint and as an answer came back common cover with the special R-label (used on registered mail). This R-label is to be used from 6th October 2008 until depletion and celebrates the 90th anniversary of postal service (1918-2008).
In addition to issue from Pardubice on the picture, it is used on another six post offices. I received this label this year in January, so it is probably still in stock and you have a chance to get it in common postal service too.

Drops of Happiness

From Finland I received a postcard with interesting self-adhesive drop shaped stamp. When I tried to search something about it on internet, I find that this year in January were issued five stamps, together nicely flower-shaped (see on the picture below) and poetically called "Drops of Happiness".
The one I had got pictures two embracing swans symbolizing the love between two people and together with the others is meant for usage on Saint Valentine's Day. It's a pity I did not wrote it on last Saturday, it could have been just in time :)