COVER N. 275 - SPAIN

Postmark: Oficina Postal de Madrid - 03.07.2023 / Madrid O. P. 03.07.2023

Posted on the 3rd July; Received on the 6th July 2023

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Alex, The Phantom, passed close by, it seems, considering it is only about 600 km from Madrid to this keyboard, as the bird flies.

This time he sent me a nice kitschy cover with stamps of yore and also a current tariff B stamp just to make sure I'd get it . Thanks a lot. Alex... rather spiffy!

The red and blue stripes and the composition evoke much more than just stamps and envelopes, to me: why not a boxing ring? a fight... as old as Man, between good and evil, justice and unjustness, freedom and oppression...

Laaaadies and Gentlemen... on the lower left corner, the quintessential Hero, he who will fight the cruel giants, alone, against all odds, Dooooooon Quijote de la Mancha and his faithful helper Sancho Panza;

On the right upper corner, the cruel giant himself, the dictator,  Francisco Franco, the man who ruled Spain for 40 years with total disrespect for the fundamental rights of his fellow citizens... just like his Portuguese counterpart, Salazar....

Decades passed since the dictator's own passing, I'm pleased to note that  el Caballero de la Triste Figura won the fight in the end, as attested by the General Election coming up in a week's time right across the border, a normal democratic procedure that now everybody takes for granted, but also something that did not happen for quite a long time in the Iberian peninsula, both in Spain and in Portugal, and it was not that long ago, because I do remember quite clearly those times!

Stamps left to right

- On 12NOV1980 Correos de España issued their annual Christmas emmission, comprising two stamps (10 and 22 Pesetas). The lesser face value stamp on the cover is illustrated with an image taken from the Holy Family Mural in  Church of Santa Maria de Cuiña (La Coruña).

- Stamp Day 1980 was clebrated with the issuance on 28JUN1980 of the 8 Ptas. commemorative stamp on the cover, illustrated with the image of a mounted postman, taken form a 12th Century Panel from Banco de la Capilla Marcus, Barcelona.

- Public Transport as an sustainable and rational option has been promoted for quite a long time through many campaigns and media.

On 20FEB1980, Correos issued  a rather nice three stamp set (3, 4 and 5 Pta.) dedicated to this theme.. The 3 Pta. stamp on the cover is illustrated with an image of a train and bears the slogan "Utilice Transportes  Colectivos" (Use Public Transport means).

- If Franco will not be remembered for the best reasons, Juan Carlos I will forever be acknowledged as the promoter of Spain's return to democracy, a task that he immediately took to, right after becoming King of Spain, just two days after the dictator's demise.

Unfortunately, in his later years, he also made it to the headlines for reportedly engaging in  elephant hunting in Botswana, and in alleged controversial businesses in Saudi Arabia, what will probably gather him much more history dust than the light he collected for his important political role.  

The two stamps with Juan Carlos I portrait are part of the definitive series that was issued between 1976 and 1974. The 1.50 Pta. was issued on 15JUL1976 and the 1 Pta. on 08FEB1977.

- Pedro Vives Vich (1858 - 1938) was the first Spaniard to fly in an aircraft and a fundamental name in the development of Spanish aviation, having also been the founder and first Director of the Spanish Air Force.

On 10DEC1980, Correos issued a four stamp set (5, 10, 15,22 Pta.) dedicated to "Pioneers of Spanish Aviation" and besides Pedro Vives, who is portraied in the 5 Pta. stamp with an Henry Farman HF 3 in the background, the series also honoured pioneers Benito Loygorri; Alfonso de Orleans and Alfredo Kindelan.

- On 17MAY 2012, Correos issued a set of 2 self-adhesive  stamps dedicated to Civic Values, the one on the cover,  Tariff B (Europe),  calling on  attention to inclusiveness in sports and a Tariff C stamp (rest of the world)  highlighting the need to end child poverty. 

Further to the regular postmark of Madrid's main Post office, Alex had the ancient stamps on the envelope cancelled with a nice pictorial Matasellos also of Madrid’s central Post  Office, which has been in use since  2015.