COVER N.125 - MONACO

Postmark: O.E.T.P (Office de Émissions de Timbres - Poste) Principauté de Monaco 08.06.22
Posted on the 8th June; received on the 20th June 2022

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Another fine and dandy cover from the tiny Mediterranean Principality. Thank you so much Roland.

It is quite evident that the cover went through a philatelic minded post office, given the neat way the marks were applied and the clarity of the marks themselves, all contributing to a very clean and "collectible" effect.

all three stamps used are beautiful creations, to my eye:

 0,10 € stamps showing  a pair of great tits - Parus major –  part of a most beautiful definitive set of 10 stamps (10€; 5€; 2€; 1€; 0,50€; 0,20€; 0,10€; 0,05€; 0,02€; 0,01€) issued on 01JAN2002, dedicated to Mediterranean Fauna and Flora. the illustrations include a plethora of wildlife, ranging from flowers to butterflies, and fishes and sea snails, all drawn with exquisite and delicate craftsmanship for in taglio printing.

0,75€ Euro stamp, part of a two stamp set dedicated to Mediterranean Fauna and Flora, issued on 08MAR2004 illustrated with an absolute gem of an image of  a Mediterranean tree frog (Hyla meridionalis). the other stamp on the in taglio printed set is again of a rather expensive 4,5 € stamp depicting an European Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis) .

The lovely little tree frog, which measures from 50 to 65 mmm long (females being bigger than males) can be found in the south of Portugal, Spain and France (and Monaco, of course).

0,05€ stamp, part of a 2 stamp set issued on 02MAY2017, dedicated to endogenous species. This stamp is illustrated  with images of the red coral (Corallium rubrum).

Corallium rumbrum one of the 31 species of the genus Corallium, was pretty common in the Mediterranean, but the effects of  trawling  and boundless harvesting for jewllery purposes have had a deep negative effect on the existing populations which are now largely protected and slowly recovering, although the warming of the waters brought about by climate change is a new threat the tiny creatures are having a hard time to deal with....

The companion stamp to this one on the set is a rather expensive 5€ stamp featuring the image of  a thick rooted campanula, (Campanula macrorhiza),  endemic to the western Mediterranean.