New Czech stamps - May 2010 - II.

Here's a continuation of the presentation of new Czech stamps. Let's go back to May where I left off... before these two self adhesive stamps were issued on 26 May, both in booklets of six, as part of the new strategy of the Czech post to produce stamps in new, attractive, ease-to-handle formats. And I love these stamps! They show the famous works by Alfons Mucha, Czech painter and graphic designer, Gismonda - originally a poster for a Sarah Bernhard theatre production (E type = Europe rate), and the Zodiac (Z type - Zámoří = Overseas rate). Europe rate is now 17 Kč (20 Kč from 1 September 2001), Overseas rate is 18 Kč, and from tomorrow 1 September 2010 it goes up to 21 Kč.

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Always on 26 May the Czech Post issued this 10 Kč stamp in the For Children series, showing an elf by Helena Zmatlíková (1923 - 2005), a leading Czech illustrator of children's books with a very distinctive style, known to everyone here also due to her television work.

Cover from Italy no. 8

Zvětšit mapu

And another greeting from Giovanni, this time from Umbria, from the town of Foligno, where the knight historical ring jousting tournament Giostra della Quintana has been held annually since 1946. This event has been commemorated in 2010 by a special postmark, used here together with a stamp of the Roman Odeon in Patras (Greece) taken from the booklet issued on 25 October 2009 on the occasion of "The Day of Europe" (Giornata dell'Europa). Grazie, Giovanni:)

Postcard from Italy no. 5

Hello again! After a summer pause, I am back...

... with this splendid postcard and stamp celebrating the victory of Inter Milan in the Serie A 2009-2010, issued on 24 June 2010. There are two special postmarks: the first "Giorno di emissione" (first day of issue) with a footballer reflecting the footballer in the stamp and the other one, cancelling definitives, of a philatelic counter in Milan. Thank you, Giovanni, for this great souvenir!