Austria 1987 - focus

Austria

6th April 1987 - "Modern architecture"
design: Auguste Böcskör
engraving: Wolfgang Seidel
printer: Osterreichische Staatsdruckerei GmbH [OeSD]

I love architecture, that's why I love the 1987 Europa stamps year ! It is hard to take one stamp out of this year but I decided to focus on the Austrian stamp.


The stamp represent the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna built between 1983 and 1986 by the City of Vienna. I was lucky enough to visit it when I visited the Austrian capital. This house is amazing, totally different of the usual standards we know in architecture. Lot's of colours, twisted walls, mosaics, mirors, trees on the roof, etc. It makes me think of a house coming out of a children drawing.

This house came out of the mind of Friedensreich Hundertwasser an Austrian architect who decided to build houses made of windows instead of walls. All his buildings are from the same type but the one depicted on the stamp is his most famous one, that's why it's simply called Hundertwasser-house !

Friedensreich Hundertwasser is not only an architect, he is also an artist who produced many stamps (mainly for Austria but also for Liechtenstein, the UN or more surprisingly for Cape Verde !), a website is even dedicated to them: http://www.hundertwasser-stamps.com

On the top left of the stamp you can see a little E logo. This is the logo of Europalia, an arts festival held every two years in Brussels celebrating one specific country and in 1987 it was Austria's turn. It's the first time that a Europa stamp is bearing this logo. This year's Europalia's invitee is Brazil.

source of the images : http://www.ibolli.it/indexes/cept/index.php

San Marino 1974 - focus

San Marino

9th May 1974 - "Sculptures"
design: V. Nicastro & R. Di Giuseppe
printer: I.P.S. Roma

I decided to start a new type of messages to put a bit life in this blog when the Europa stamps season is a bit down.

I will focus on a stamp or set of the Europa stamps collection. This idea is inspired by the blog of Tomoko - well centred - I hope she won't mind !

The first set I chosed, is the 1974 issue of San Marino.


It's my favourite issue of that year. The beauty of the sculpture is very well given back by the quality of the engraving (two engravers for this set, one for each stamp !). It's also interesting to see that both stamps from this set are representing the same sculpture - a close up of the head and a full size image of the whole sculpture. One more thing I really like about this issue is the use of colored paper. It so much nicer than having a border around the stamp in my opinion. It emphasis the stamp on a cover especially a white one.


About the sculpture: it's a work of Emilio Greco, Italian sculptor born in Sicily almost hundred years ago. I think the work shown on both stamps is "Grande Pattinatrice n.2" (= great skater) of 1971. Surprisingly this sculpture can't be seen in San Marino but in Orvieto in Italy in the Emilio Greco Museum.

source of the images : http://www.ibolli.it/indexes/cept/index.php

2000

Europe

Issue n° 45 - 2000

"New millennium"

Number of countries : 55
Debuting countries : none
Returning countries : none
Withdrawing countries : none
Common design : tower of six stars build up by children on a green field with the letter E of Europe on it
Countries using their own design : Bulgaria (two stamps depicting Madonna's paintings), Croatia (one stamp (out of 2) representing a princess on a horse), Cyprus (Turkish post) (one stamp (out of 2) depicts a map of Europe and a flower made of the European stars and a map of Cyprus in the center, Gibraltar (4 stamps representing stars and children on  a green field), Guernsey (3 stamps (out of 4) depicts a rainbow, sails and a kite), Hungary (one stamp (out of 2) representing a woman with rainbowhair as a puzzle), Jersey (one stamp (out of 2) depicts a map of Europe and map of Jersey) , Monaco (one stamp (out of 2) representing a map of Europa, the PostEurop logo and the flags of the PostEurop members), Yugoslavia (two stamps depicting the number 2000 one with cosmonauts)
Designer : Jean-Paul Cousin (France)

Note : most stamps were issued on the 9th of May = Europe Day ! 

In order to celebrate the year 2000, it has been decided to use a common design again as it was the case before 1974.

source of the image : http://www.ibolli.it/indexes/cept/index.php

 

more here in the Europa stamps History - Part V

Eurovision Song Contest 2000
Stockholm (Sweden)
Winner: Olsen Brothers "Fly on the Wings of Love" (Denmark)

my personal favorite that year: Brainstorm "My Star" (Latvia)

1999

Europe

Issue n° 44 - 1999

"Nature reserves and Parks"

Number of countries : 57
Debuting countries : none
Returning countries : none
Withdrawing countries : none

Note : Gibraltar was the only country not to use the official logo that year.

Moldova used that year the official logo but with a different R letter. I already wrote about that in an earlier message.

source of the image : http://www.ibolli.it/indexes/cept/index.php

more here in the Europa stamps History - Part IV

Eurovision Song Contest 1999
Jerusalem (Israel)
Winner: Charlotte Nilsson "Take me to your heaven" (Sweden)

my personal favorite that year: Bobbie Singer "Reflection" (Austria)

100 years UPAEP

Europe

I wrote in an earlier message about the little cousin of the Europa stamps collection, the America stamps !

PostEurop being in charge of coordinating the Europa stamps, for the America stamps it's the UPAEP (Unión Postal de las Américas, España y Portugal) - PUASP (Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal) en english.

The UPAEP is celebrating their 100 years anniversary this year and it has been commemorated by many stamp issues from the UPAEP member countries.


Besides those anniversary issues, America stamps will also be issued later this year on the common them "Mail boxes".

1998

Europe

Issue n° 43 - 1998

"Festivals and National celebrations"

Number of countries : 57
Debuting countries : Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia
Returning countries : none
Withdrawing countries : none

Note : Gibraltar was the only country not to use the official logo that year.

Moldova used that year the official logo but with a different R letter. I already wrote about that in an earlier message.

more here in the Europa stamps History - Part IV

Eurovision Song Contest 1998
Birmingham (United Kingdom)
Winner: Dana International "Diva" (Israel)

my personal favorite that year: Vlado Janevski "Ne zori, zoro" (Macedonia)

Sepac folder 2011

Europe - Sepac

"Beautiful corners of Europe 3", this special folder contains the 12 Sepac stamps to be issued this year.


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

It's the 3rd and last folder of the first Sepac serie on the theme "Scenery".