My National Covers

Every now and then I have the opportunity to add what I call a "National Cover" to my collection.

These are nothing fancy. In fact they are but covers that I print  at home with the flag and coat of arms of a specific country and which I then either send to a fellow collector who is willing to help or give to friends or family or take my own self whenever travelling abroad, in the hope that these might find a way to a local post office to get a stamp and a postmark.

I will be adding these to a new "My National Covers" section in this blog.

If you don't see your country here and are willing to help me add your own country's national cover to my collection, please email me at pnsoares1@gmail.com. 

You'll get a cover from Portugal (if you want I'll be happy to print a Portuguese National Cover just like the ones I print for myself, although in a somewhat larger envelope) and a printed envelope with the relevant symbols printed, so that you can then return it to me.

Thanks a lot.

Note: Whenever possible I will try to transcribe the flag and coat of arms information from the relevant national site. Failing that I'll transcribe from Wikipedia.

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Republic of Finland / Suomen tasavalta 

The Flag

The Finnish parliament debated the flag issue in spring 1918, and on 28 May approved the proposal of its constitutional committee for a new national symbol. The act, making the design of Eero Snellman and Bruno Tuukkanen the official Finnish flag was issued two days later, and even though some of its provisions have been amended slightly since then, the design itself, a blue cross on a white field, remains unchanged.

Source: History of the flag - Ministry of the Interior

Blue is said to represent the country's thousands of lakes and the sky and white the snow that covers the land in winter.

Source: Flag of Finland - Wikipedia

The Coat of Arms

The Act on the Coat of Arms of Finland (381/1978) describes the emblem as follows:

"A crowned lion rampant on a red field holding a raised sword in an armoured hand replacing the animal's right front leg, and trampling a sabre with its hind legs; the lion, the crown, the hilts and the joints of the armour being in gold, and the blades of the weapons and the armour itself being of silver; nine silver rosettes being scattered in the field."

Source: Coat of arms of Finland - Ministry of the Interior

The Stamps

- Martti Ahtisaari (1937-2023) was the tenth President of Finland, a position he occupied  between March 1994  and March 2000.

He was also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a distinction bestowed on him for  "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts".

The stamp with no indication of face value, illustrated with his effigy, and the legend "In Memoriam  Martti Ahtisaari  1937 - 2000", was isssued on 15DEC2023

- Sauli Niinistö (1948) was the 12th President of Finland, is office tenure occuring between  March 2012 and  March 2024.

The  "First Class" no face value, stamp illustrated with his portrait and the legend "65 (in roman numerals) Sauli Niinistö" was issued on the eve of his 65th birthday, 23AUG2013. 

The Postmark

Applied in Lempäälä, on 08OCT2024, a city of approximately 25000 inhabitants in the south of the country Capital, part of the Pirkanmaa Region. 

My thanks to Esko for his help, care and attention in my obtaining this wonderful cover.