COVER N. 331 - CZECH REPUBLIC

Postmark: Svĕtový den Pošty Praha 09.10.2023

Posted on the 9th October; received on the 13th October 2023

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World Post Day, instituted by the congress of 1969 of the UPO - Union Postale Universelle/Universal Postal Union, commemorates the establishment, on the 9th October of 1874, in Bern, Switzerland, of  this particular organisation, nowadays a specialised agency of the United Nations.

Given the trans-international character of the date, many are the postal administrations that issue stamps or/and celebratory postmarks related to it, such as the ones on the beautiful cover I received from the Czech Republic. Thanks a lot, Ivan!

This time I'll start with the stamp on the right since it occupied a more important place in the context of this particular cover.

- The 21 Koruna stamp was issued on  05OCT2011, in celebration of World Post Day and its beautiful illustration depicts our  planet being orbited by a line of white doves carrying mail on their beaks, while Hermes, the messenger god, takes a rest on top of the world an blows a post horn. The stamp also carries the  legend "Svĕtový den Pošty" (World Post Day).

- Česká pošta has been issuing quite regularly amazingly illustrated souvenir sheets with stamps themed on Czech flora and fauna.

The 23 Koruna stamp on the left is taken from one such sheet, issued on 07SEP2022, dedicated to the flora and fauna of Lake Macha, an artificial pond in the Liberec region, in the north of the country. The stamp is graced with illustrations of a Purple emperor butterfly (Apatura iris), and of a Martagon lily (Lilium martagon).

As can be seen on the portion attached to the stamp, the frame of these sheets also include drawings of plants and animals, the case at hand featuring a Rosalia alpine, a coleopter of the Cerambycidae family, ánd a gulder rose (Viburnum opulus), a member of the Adoxaceae family.

The First Day Postmark was applied at the country's Capital, Prague.