We hear about a lot of dreadful pen-cancelled and other ruined covers, so here's a pleasing example that arrived this morning of how to do philatelic covers properly, from the other side of the world.



Sadly, as you may be able to detect, this is a plastic cover (and it took some trouble to open it without too much damage), but you can't have everything.

The colourful (and embossed) medals translate as 'Order of Honour', 'Military Order' and 'Order of Parental Glory', the latter requiring you to have reared a family of seven or more children "leading a healthy family life, being socially responsible, providing an adequate level of health care, education, physical, spiritual and moral development of the children, full and harmonious development of their personality, and setting an example to strengthen the institution of the family and child rearing".

Not much time for your stamp album, then!