Italy 2022

Italy

Date of Issue: 25th October 2022

two stamps (B50g & B zona 3 values = 2.70 & 3.10 €) - NOTE both stamps are self-adhesive

 

Colapesce - Colapesce holding up one of the three columns on which Sicily rests, consumed by the fire of Mount Etna, to prevent the island from sinking.

In a version from Palermo, edited by Italo Calvino, Colapesce spends all of his time swimming, until his frustrated mother curses him to turn into a fish. He instantly becomes half fish, with duck feet and a frog's throat. He appears to fishermen and warns them of upcoming storms, and also informs them of the marvels found at the bottom of the sea. A king hears of him and summons him, then gives him orders to swim around the island and explore the bottom of the ocean. The king sends him down on numerous dives around Italy. Nick Fish discovers that Messina rests on three columns, some of which are broken, and brings back hot and fresh water from springs in the ocean around Naples. Finally the king urges Nick Fish to explore a bottomless ocean chasm, despite his resistance. He throws his crown into the chasm and orders him to fetch it. Nick Fish reluctantly dives in. Some lentils he was carrying float to the surface, but he but never returns. Source Wikipedia

Romeo and Juliet - Grieving Juliet in the presence of lifeless Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families.
The play is set in the Italian city of Verona.

Finland 2023

Finland

Date of Issue: 9th May 2023

one stamp (national value = 2.30 €) - NOTE this tamp is self-adhesive

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamp 

 

Europa 2023 - Common design competition

Europe


PostEurop announced during their General Assembly in Dublin on 5 October 2022 the common design who will be used on all 2023 Europa stamps on the theme 

“PEACE – the highest value of humanity”

29 entries were submitted for the design competition, 44 postal companies participating in the voting. 

The winning motif is the one submitted by Luxembourg : “The New Peace Symbol”.

Designers : Linda Bos and Runa Egilsdottir from A Designers' Collective.

PostEurop writes in their press release this about the story of the design: 

The world needs a new Peace symbol, uniting all nations. Cultural differences perchance a barrier for a state of Peace. If only mankind could respect each other's differences by understanding their significance and responding to them with consideration, the world would be a better place. This design shows a visual metaphor for a peacefully integrated, cooperative society in which people embrace each other’s culture. It was inspired by the Celtic Love Knot symbol, with interlocking hearts. The colour palette illustrates all the nations in the world. By adding hands with intertwined fingers, it conveys the message of mutual respect.

I find this logo not very original. You can see a quite similar design already used on the UPU 2016 World Post Day campaign. The design was made by Swiss designers Büro Sequenz. The meaning of this one was explained like this :

The emblem's design represents the two remaining pillars, integration and inclusion. The crisscrossed arms and layered colours act to show the integration of knowledge and processes, enabling seamless and affordable services for all. The intertwined design was inspired by the Celtic knot, which itself has Persian roots. Finally, the clasped hands represent how the Post connects and includes people around the world.

 

On this date, we know only one design proposed by another country in this selection. The design of Ukraine, more about in this post.

Best Europa stamp 2022

Luxembourg

The 2022 Best Europa stamp has been announced by PostEurop in this press release.

Luxembourg (stamp 2/2) is the winner of the 2022 Best Europa stamp contest organized by PostEurop. Finland (stamp 1/2) finished second and Liechtenstein (stamp 2/2) is third.

1. LUXEMBOURG
2. FINLAND
3. LIECHTENSTEIN

As written earlier on this blog, PostEurop changed the rules for this contest. 3 voting panels (public, jury and operators) are selecting the best Europa stamp. The results of these three panels are compiled and gives an overall winner.

Luxembourg wins the overall contest in a deserved way by winning 2 of the 3 voting panels :

Public voting :

1. Finland
2. Georgia
3. Turkey

Jury voting :

1. Luxembourg
2. Liechtenstein
3. Switzerland

Postal operators voting :

1. Luxembourg
2. Finland
3. Åland

Consolidated result of all three panels - top 10 :

1. Luxembourg
2. Finland
3. Liechtenstein
4. Croatia
= Georgia
= Åland
7. Azerbaijan
= Germany
9. Switzerland
= Turkey

Note that Belarus and Russia were excluded of this contest due to their aggression of Ukraine.
Armenia withdrew for "technical" reasons.

Kazakhstan 2022

Kazakhstan

Date of Issue: 28th September 2022

 2 stamps (2x 2000.- KZT)

both stamps are issued in a souvenir-sheet of 4 stamps (2 of each)

Bayterek and Samruk : Ancient Turkic myth a tree of life "Bayterek" and a sacred bird "Samruk". Bayterek in Kazakh means "High poplar tree", every year the Samruk, lays its egg (the Sun) in the crevice between the branches of the poplar tree.

Malta - Sepac 2022

Malta - Sepac

Date of Issue: 13th September 2022

one stamp (0.37 €) out of a set of four stamps (only this stamp is bearing the official Sepac logo).

this stamp is issued in a mini sheet of 10 stamps

Sepac 2022

Europe - Sepac

Sepac 2022
"Local beverages"

16.05.2022 Faroe Is. - 1 stamp (29.- DKK)
24.05.2022 Jersey - 1 stamp (0.91 GB) out of set of 6 stamps
31.05.2022 Greenland - 1 stamp (20.- DKK)

07.06.2022 Liechtenstein - 1 stamp (1.80 CHF)
14.06.2022 Monaco - 1 stamp (1.65 €)
22.06.2022 Guernsey - 1 stamp (1.10 GBP) out of a set of 4 stamps

06.09.2022 Åland - 1 stamp (1.90 €)
13.09.2022 Luxembourg - 1 stamp (E50g value)
13.09.2022 Malta  - 1 stamp (0.37 €) out of a set of 4 stamps

no issue Gibraltar
no issue Isle of Man
no issue Vatican

Ireland 2022

Ireland

Date of Issue: 8th September 2022

two stamps (N & W values = 1.25 & 2.20 €)

According to the Irish folklore tales, Balor caused great pain and anguish to the Tuatha Dé Dannan, the other supernatural race in Irish folklore.

The legend centres on Balor having an eye that, when unleashed, could cause instant death or poisoning.

Balor’s Poisoned Eye is the main focus of one stamp. The second stamp relates to the legend that claimed Balor had only to look on the landscape to cause damage, such as in the Poisoned Glen in County Donegal.

In both cases, contemporary colours are used to create the impression of poison almost leaping off the stamp. 

Isle of Man 2022

Isle of Man

Date of Issue: 12th September 2022

one stamp (1.04 GBP) out of a set of eight [!] stamps (only this stamp is bearing the official Europa logo)

 

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 9 stamps

but this stamp is alos issued in a sheet of 9 stamps + 1 vignette (this sheet is also issued imperforated)

this stamps is also issued in a "mini-book" with 4 panes of 4 stamps (2x the Europa value)

David Bowie starring as Jareth the Goblin King in Jim Henson's film Labyrinth which ties into the wider 2022 PostEurop theme of Myths and Legends

 

 

Special 2022 Europa folder issued by 6 countries

Europe


6 countries - Austria - Germany - Liechtenstein - Luxembourg - the Netherlands and Switzerland - issued a common "Multilaterale" folder containing this year's Europa stamps from the six countries (10 stamps in total).

This folder can be ordered by any of the 6 postal administrations.

It is the 7th issue of this kind after :  2013 (theme - "The postman van") ; 2016 (theme - "Ecology in Europe - Think Green" ; 2017 (theme - Castles) ; 2018 (theme - Bridges) ; 2019 (theme - National birds) ; 2020 (theme - Ancient postal routes) and 2021 (theme - Endangered national wildlife)

Sepac folder 2022

Europe - Sepac

"Local beverages 13", this special folder contains the 9 Sepac stamps issued in 2022.

This folder will be on sale by any of the Sepac countries philatelic offices !

Luxembourg - Sepac 2022

Luxembourg - Sepac

Date of Issue: 13th September 2022

one stamp (E50g value = 1.40 €)

 this stamp is issued in mini-sheets of 10 stamps

Greenland 2022

Greenland

Date of Issue: 31st August 2022

two stamps (18.- & 20.- DKK)

both stamps are also issued in a booklet of 12 self-adhesive stamps (6x each stamp)

 

both stamps are also issued in mini-sheets of 10 stamps

 

 

Aka Høegh, one of Greenland’s most significant living artists, says about her two stamps :

- “The first stamp symbolises Inuit narratives in a broader sense. I have drawn two mask-like faces to represent that our stories are told and passed on. The book is open to let the stories come out. In creating the design, I cut from an old history book with old orthography, as a form of talking flower that grows.

- The second stamp depicts a myth about the children between the willow twigs. After Earth came into being, humans appeared. It is said that the little children came forth out of the earth between the willow bushes, covered in willow leaves. Then they lay there with their
eyes closed, between the bushes, squirming. Then the children crawled around and ate of willow twigs and of the soil. This is an Inuit narrative of the genesis of man.”

Ukaine 2023 - Design national selection

Ukraine

UPDATE 2 - On PostEurop's request, the Ukrainian winning stamp (with the sunflowers) has been replaced in the European contest by the design that took second place (n° 1 - girl with dove). This stampa arrived 2nd in the European selection behind Luxembourg who won the contest.

UPDATE 1 - stamp n°2 (with the sunflowers) won the Ukrainian national selection as announced the 26th of July by the Ukrainian post :

Not sure if it will suit the European voters as this "peace" stamp is too much related to Ukraine. I think n° 1 or n° 4 would have been a better choice. They have less Ukrainian symbols depicted, making it more a design in which more Europeans can relate to.

---------------------------

What I wrote earlier when the Ukrainian national selection was launched :

No information about the 2022 Europa stamps issue of Ukraine yet...

But the Ukrainian post is already actively working on their 2023 issue ! 

On the 15th of July, Ukrposhta published an online voting on Facebook (but also on Instagram and Telegram) in order to select the design of their entry for the 2023 common Europa stamp issue.

Their entry will enter a European "final" who will select the design used on all Europa stamps next year.

The 2023 common theme will be : "PEACE - the highest value of humanity"

The result of the Ukrainian selection will be announced on the 22nd of July 2022.

 

Montenegro 2022

Montenegro

Date of Issue: 24th June 2022

one stamp (0.95 €) and one souvenir-sheet (0.95 €)

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 8 stamps + 1 vignette

 

 

The legend of Bukumir Lake - The legend of Bukumir Lake tells of an Illyrian tribe that inhabited the area of today's Kuči, near the city of Podgorica. he tribe opposed the evil dragon from the lake by setting fire to a pile of trees on a nearby rock. When the rock glowed with heat, they threw it into the lake, which boiled. A man on a white horse jumped out of the lake and cast a curse on Bukumiri to mutually exterminate themselves. The curse came true, and only stones remained around the lake, the so-called kiljans, in memory as a remembrance of Bukumiri.

Azerbaijan 2022

Azerbaijan

Date of Issue: 16th June 2022

two stamps (0.50 & 0.60 AZN) & one souvenir-sheet (1.- AZN)

both stamps are issued mini-sheets of 8 stamps

 

both stamps are issued in a booklet of 8 stamps (4 of each) - the stamps aren't perforated on one side

Tepegöz - In Turkic mythology, Tepegoz or Tepegöz is a legendary creature who has only one eye on his forehead – a kind of cyclops. He is an ogre that appears in the Book of Dede Korkut, a famous epic story of the Oghuz Turks. Source Wikipedia

Div or dev are monstrous creatures within Middle Eastern lore. Most of their depictions derive from Persian mythology, integrated to Islam and spread to surrounding cultures including Armenia, Turkic countries and Albania. Although they are not explicitly mentioned within canonical Islamic scriptures, their existence was well accepted by most Muslims just like that of other supernatural creatures. They exist alongside with jinn and shayatin within South- and Central Asia demon-beliefs. They are described as having a body like that of a human, only of gigantic size, with two horns upon their heads and teeth like the tusks of a boar. Powerful, cruel and cold-hearted they have a particular relish for the taste of human flesh. Some use only primitive weapons, such as stones: others, more sophisticated, are equipped like warriors, wearing armour and using weapons of metal. Despite their uncouth appearance - and in addition to their great physical strength - many are also masters of sorcery, capable of overcoming their enemies by magic and afflicting them with nightmares. Source Wikipedia 

Simurgh is a benevolent, mythical bird in Persian mythology and literature. It is sometimes equated with other mythological birds such as the phoenix. The figure can be found in all periods of Iranian art and literature and is also evident in the iconography of Georgia, medieval Armenia, the Eastern Roman Empire, and other regions that were within the realm of Persian cultural influence. Source Wikipedia