COVER N. 500 - PERU

Postmark: SERPOST Cultura Perú - 07.08.2024

Posted on the 7th August; Received on the 19th August 2024

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500! The number by itself means absolutely nothing more than being one unit above 499, but, for some reason,  we humans, used to decimalising every bit of our existence, are keen on round figures and intra-numeric relations. In fact, even it being exactly the same, five hundred, by itself an interesting, noteworthy  number, gets a whole new dimension when expressed as  half a thousand...

And so I've reached the half a thousand mark, and what's more I do it adding another country to my list, thanks again to international cooperation,  thanks to the care of my friend The Flying Dutchman, who  teamed up with Gloria to get this cover flying to my letterbox. (I first mentioned Matthias as one of the senders, but it turns out I was wrong, and Matthias, who nonetheless has been a great help in getting some very interesting covers before, was not involved this time).

So, Hartelijk dank, Eric y Muchíssimas Gracias, Gloria, for your kind and generous help in making sure my list of countries keeps getting bigger and bigger, this time with the addition of the República del Perú.

To mail me the Andean cover, no condor was used but I am more than happy to see 6 stamps on the face of the envelope.

- The souvenir sheet with 4 x 2 Sol stamps was issued to mark the 50th anniversary of Europa common stamp issues, first appearing in 1956. 

The stamps, issued on 24NOV2005, are illustrated with  photos of pre-Columbian jewels paired with a reproduction of an EUROPA Stamp issued by Spain, highlighting the importance of the relationship between the two Spanish speaking countries.

From left to right, top to bottom:

- Hair adornment of the Mochica Culture and the 1968 issue (Key)

- Ceremonial jewellery of the Chimú culture and the 1960 issue (Roman mail coach wheel) 

- Gold, lapis lazuli and turquoise earrings from the Mochica culture and the 1969 issue ( Ancient temple - 10 years of CEPT)

- Hair adornment of the Mochica Culture and the 1970 issue (Sun)

- FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, is tasked with ensuring food security and access to food for all people on the planet, a mission which is nothing short of impossible, given the obstacles that some regimes are always keen to lay upon not only others, but also on their own people subsistence....

FAO was established in 1945, on the aftermath of the second World War and its first 50 years of existence were honoured by Peru with a single 0.60 Sol stamp issue which began to circulate on 24APR1996, illustrated with a photo of Peruvian farmers (two ladies in the company of three children) and the logo of the Organisation.

- Loincloths of the Paracas is the theme of  a series of 4 x 6 Sol stamps issued on 05NOV2008, of which one can be seen on the cover.

Paracas textiles rose to fame when a burial ground site in the Ica region of the country was studied in the 1920s and many examples of  well preserved textiles were found wrapped around the buried bodies.

The Postmark, other than the country's name,  does not contain any information as to the place of posting.