Heavy posting and thoughtful franking

Just to prove that it isn't hard to come up with thoughtful commercial franking when posting heavy parcels.

Here is a block of four of the recently issued Ten Dollar Kangaroo and Map stamp, issued as part of the Australia 2013 International Stamp Show.

The heavy parcel presented a great opportunity to use these in a block of four as the price for the postage came in at a touch just under forty dollars.

Nicely centered, clean postmark and sent to the recipient as "full gum" - but most definitely not CTO (Cancelled To Order) as this has seen genuine postal use carrying its heavy contents from Western Australia to Queensland.

So next time you have to send a heavy parcel, please say no to the counter printed labels and ask kindly for real stamps. Who knows, maybe we will see more commercial uses of stamps like this beauty !

Some modern covers arrived this week

Here is a selection of covers that I have received in the mail this last week - all of them utilising recent issue sheet stamps.

First up is the Coronation Issue - a large format stamp with a very attractive design. In addition to the 60c letter rate stamp, a $2.60 International rate stamp was also issued along with a miniature sheet and special sheetlet of 10 stamps.

Commemorating the first banknote - released at the Australia 2013 Stamp Exhibition - another use of the large format, this time in the upright, vertical position. There was also a $2.60 International rate stamp issued and a miniature sheet. 

Australia - Israel Joint Issue Stamp - there was also a $2.60 International rate stamp issued.

The 60c letter rate stamp from the Pardalotes Stamp Issue. Issued in a set of four, the other values are $1.20, $1.80 and $3.00

And lastly, one of my favorite issues this year so far is the Fishes of Christmas Island. Also in this series is another 60c letter rate stamp along with the $1.20 and $1.80 values. 

It's nice to see current day commemorative stamps being used and especially sheet stamps as opposed to peel & stick.

Large hoard of parcel franking this month!

Australian Open Sheetlet

Here is a collection of scans from a single, large parcel that I received in the mail this month from Sydney to Perth.

Some very seldom seen franking here. 

Australian Open Sheetlet

                  

Olivia Newton John Cancer & Wellness Centre Appeal Sheet

Presidents Cup Sheet

Lest We Forget Sheetlet

Flower Show and Festival Sheetlet

Premier's Flood Relief Appeal Sheetlet

Premiers Flood Relief Appeal Sheetlet

Penang Registered Cover to Madras

Here is a lovely cover that I received recently from a fellow member on StampBoards. Its a registered cover posted from Penang to Madras (now Chennai) South India.

The franking is all on the rear of the cover, with the eight Straits Settlements stamps totaling 28 cents paying the postage and fees.

One truly interesting and lovely cover.

Indian Covers

I received these two covers from India in the latest monthly Cover Exchange on StampBoards. 

On the first cover, the minisheet depicts Horses of India whilst the single stamp commemorates the Goa Liberation Golden Jubilee.

On the second cover, the block of four stamps depict images of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official home of the President of India.

The single stamp is of the Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow, India.

Thank you to my exchange partner for these. 

A Post Card from Canada

A Post Card from Canada arrived this week as part of the Post Card Exchange on StampBoards.

The concept of the Post Card Exchange is the same as that of the Cover Exchange.

The image on the post card is from the Tulip Festival in Ottawa and as the message reads it certainly is very colorful !

The stamp is the recent Year of the Snake stamp paying the correct rate for a Post Card from Canada to Australia.

Thanks goes to my Post Card Exchange partner for the month.

If you would like more information about the Post Card Exchange or the Cover Exchange please visit StampBoards.

It's not hard to use real stamps !

It's not hard to use real stamps! Here is a parcel I received this week from South Australia. The person who sent this to me is a regular sender, but was not near his normal Post Office.

Still he made the effort to use real stamps on his parcel to me, complete with lovely hand cancels from Brighton Post Office South Australia.

It isn't that difficult and if we all made the effort our parcels and letters would look far more attractive and possibly even foster more collectors into the future.