Total Solar Eclipse from the U.S.A.

Cool version of the stamp.

Heated version of the stamp.

The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 was a total eclipse visible within a band across the entire contiguous United States, passing from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts. As a partial solar eclipse, it was visible on land from Nunavut in northern Canada to as far south as northern South America. The United States Postal Service issued the Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp on June 20th. This is the first U.S. stamp application of thermochromic ink. By rubbing a thumb or finger on the eclipse image, the heat thereby imparted to it will cause an underlying image of the full moon to be revealed. Afterward, the image reverts back to the eclipse as it cools.

Butterflies from India

On the front of the card there is a picture of a "Painted Lady" (Vanessa cardui), which is a large butterfly (wing span 5-9 cm) identified by the black and white corners of its mainly deep orange, black spotted wings. It can be found almost anywhere in the world. The stamp was issued by India Post in January 2017.

UNESCO Forteiland Pampus from the Netherlands

I visited Forteiland Pampus with the family, a day-trip to this tiny island that is part of the Defense Line of Amsterdam. The fort was built between 1887 and 1897 to defend Amsterdam against an attack from the river IJ. The vast quantities of material were delivered by ship out of Amsterdam. A German Company built the steel gun turrets. The whole Defense Line of Amsterdam ("Stelling van Amsterdam" in Dutch) was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is a 135 km long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam, consisting of 42 forts located between 10 and 15 kilometers from the centre, and lowlands that can easily be flooded in time of war. On the island it is possible to buy and mail postcards with matching stamps depicting the site itself.

Franz Josef I Emperor of Austria from Austria

On 21st November 1916 the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I died of pneumonia in Schönbrunn Palace. He reached the age of 86 and reigned for almost 68 years. The subject for the commemorative stamp to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his death is taken from one of the jubilee stamps designed by Koloman Moser in 1908 to celebrate 60 years of the Emperor’s reign. On the front of the postcard he is depicted with his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria, commonly known as Sisi,

Beach Life from Sweden

A series of stamps dedicated to the "Life on the beach" issued in May 2016 by Posten Sverige. The series is available in a booklet of 10 stamps with 5 different motifs depicting everyone's holiday dream, the typical summer destination, away from stress and musts.

Owls from Czech Republic

This is a postcard that celebrates a popular bird of prey. The upper part of the stamp shows the flying snowy owl. This large tundra predator represents owls in the far north. The lower part of the stamp shows the tawny owl sitting in front of a castle ruin. This is the most common Czech owl species. The stamp is part of a commemorative miniature sheet issued in September 2015 by Česká pošta.

Miffy / Nijntje from the Netherlands

Miffy is a popular character created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. Miffy's original name is Nijntje and this character is so famous all over the world that has her own museum in Utrecht (www.nijntjemuseum.nl), which is perfect for toddlers and children. PostNL has issued several minisheets to celebrate Miffy and her friends. The stamp used on this card is part of the "Nijntje in de speeltuin" series, issued on 1st September 2015.