europa, cept, norden and sepac stamps information blog
Finland
Date of Issue: 7th May 2025
two stamps (2x national value = 2x 2.50 €) - NOTE those stamps are self-adhesive
those stamps are issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamp (5 of each)
Two ancient artifacts: a bronze bird pendant discovered in Mikkeli and a golden Ave Maria ring from Pyhtää.
Europe
Åland
Date of Issue: 9th May 2025
one stamp (Europa value = 3.50 €)
"Jettböle clay idol" found in 1906 - The find was the first of such humanoid clay figurines from the Stone Age in Scandinavia. The first Stone Age settlement on Åland was discovered in 1905 in Jettböle, Jomala, and is one of Finland's most significant finds of Scandinavian Pitted Ware culture. Aland museum
Kazakhstan
1. Didymosphenia geminata - Wikipedia article
2. Beluga (sturgeon) (Huso huso) - IUCN Red list - Wikipedia article Europe
Europe
Time again to select the Best Sepac stamp !
As you can read on the official Sepac website : "By casting your vote, you’ll automatically be entered into our
prize draw to win exclusive stamp collections from SEPAC members.
Exciting Prizes Await:
You can cast your vote by email : send a mail to info@sepacstamps.eu with the country you're voting for in the subject line. No need to register to vote this way.
Or you can vote online. You must then register by clicking the "Login" button at the top right of the Sepac website. Log in, and select your favourite stamp from the list.
Voting closes on 31st January 2025.
In the past, the Isle of Man won in 2017, Guernsey won once in 2016, Greenland won once in 2013, Monaco won once in 2018 so did Malta in 2022 and the Faroe Islands won this contest 3 times : in 2007-09, in 2011 and in 2015 so did Åland in 2014 ; in 2019 and in 2023.
France
France is the winner of the 2024 Best Europa stamp contest organized by PostEurop. Monaco finished second and Azerbaijan (stamp from the souvenir-sheet) is third.
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.
France wins the overall contest and won also the postal operators voting :
Public voting :
1. Turkey
2. Armenia
3. Azerbaijan
Jury voting :
1. Jersey
2. Monaco
3. Cyprus
Postal operators voting :
1. France
2. Azerbaijan
3. Italy
Consolidated result of all three panels - top 10 :
1. France
2. Monaco
3. Azerbaijan
4. Cyprus
5. Armenia
= Poland
7. Jersey
= Turkey
9. Portugal
10. Georgia
Note that Belarus and Russia were excluded of this contest due to their aggression of Ukraine.
PostEurop informs us also that the Dutch Underwater Federation
(Nederlandse Onderwatersport Bond) awarded a special diploma to the 2024 Europa stamp from the Czech Rep., selecting it as their favourite.
Regarding the stamp,
the NOB said: ”This stamp represents the variety of all the flora and
fauna there is in the waters. The similarity between all the creatures
visible on the stamp and the ones that exist in the Dutch waters, is
big. Besides that, the stamp itself is full of detail of all the
different plants, fish, reptiles and invertebrates shown on the stamp.”
