europa, cept, norden and sepac stamps information blog
Bulgaria
Date of Issue: 16th May 2025
two stamps (1.50 & 3.20 BGN) and one souvenir sheet (1.50 & 3.20 BGN)
both stamps are issued in one mini sheet of 6 stamps (3 of each) with an inter panel
a postal stationery is also issued (0.95 BGN)
The stamps depicts a gold coin of Justinian the Great and a head of a statue discovered in Heraclea Sintica.
Cyprus (Turkish post)
Date of Issue: 8th May 2025
two stamps (2x 17.- TRY)
both stamps are also issued mini-sheets of 8 stamps
A Late Bronze Age anchor stone (ca. 1479–1100 BCE) discovered by archaeologists at the Archaeological Cultural Heritage Research Center. It features 13 inscribed lines in Syrian-type hieroglyphics, and likely belonged to a ship transformed into a talisman by ancient mariners.
A Late Bronze Age “ritual cart” (ca. 1200 BCE), unearthed at Kaleburnu Royal Hill by archaeologist Dr. Bülent Kızılduman. This four-wheeled bronze cart, likely used in sacred ceremonies, was found with over 40 other ritual objects.
Serbia
Date of Issue: 6th May 2025
two stamps (60.- & 120.- RSD)
The most significant prehistoric archaeological sites in Serbia – Lepenski Vir and Vinča, represent important evidence of the life of the first human communities in the Balkans.
Motifs from the Vinča site (Neolithic) on a sheet of 60 RSD denomination: on the stamp – Anthropomorphic figurine (15x6.5cm); on the vignette – Altar with zoomorphic protomes (8.5x11cm).
Motifs from the Lepenski Vir site on a sheet of 120 RSD denomination, sculptures made of quartz sandstone (Mesolithic): on the stamp – Foremother (36x26x48cm, 38.5kg); on the vignette – Progenitor (40x25x53cm, 55kg).
NOTE - The "Foremother" was already depicted on a Europa stamp from Yugoslavia in 1974
Luxembourg
Date of Issue: 6th May 2025
two stamps (L50g & E50g = 1.20 & 1.70 €)
those stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 10 stamps
The Gallo-Roman theatre in Dalheim/Ricciacum
Discovered by chance in 1985, the theatre is one of the most important Roman sites in Luxembourg, both from an archaeological and a tourism perspective, thanks to its good state of preservation.
Built at the beginning of the 2nd century, the theatre was able to seat up to 3,000 people and served as the cultural, religious and administrative centre of an entire region for over two centuries.
The Gallo-Roman villa in Schieren
With 13 known outbuildings, a thermal bath complex with heated pools, and a typical main building, the Gallo-Roman villa in Schieren covers an area of over seven hectares.
The main building had an open colonnade, and its interior was decorated with colourful murals featuring mythological, figurative and geometric designs. The remains of a multicoloured mosaic floor were also found.
Cyprus
Date of Issue: 9th May 2025
two stamps se-tenant (2x 0.64 €)
both stamps are issued in a mini sheet of 8 stamps (4 of each)
both stamps are also issued in one booklet of 8 stamps (4 of each) - stamps from the booklet aren't perforated on one side
Mosaic Floor Depicting a Hippodrome Scene
The mosaic floor depicting a hippodrome scene was discovered during excavations conducted by the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus near the community of Akaki, Nicosia District. It is part of the floor decoration of a rural villa dating to the 4th century AD, which was excavated between 2023 and 2024.
The mosaic floor, measuring twenty-six meters in length, illustrates a chariot race unfolding within a hippodrome, which is rendered with great detail. The euripus or spina is clearly depicted, featuring various shrines, columns, obelisks, and sculptures that were used for timekeeping and lap counting during the race.
Four tethrippon (four-horse chariots) participate in the race, shown in four different phases of the competition. Each chariot is accompanied by two names written in Greek: the name of the charioteer and the name of one of the horses, allowing to follow the progression of the race.
The newly discovered mosaic from Akaki is unique in Cyprus and stands out for its exceptional craftsmanship but also because it provides a rare iconographic representation of chariot race during the Roman period.
Malta
Date of Issue: 9th May 2025
two stamps (1.91 & 2.- €)
the 1.91 € value stamp is also issued in a booklet of 5 stamps + 1 vignette
The MaltaPost issue consists of two new stamps showing artefacts found within Phoenician rock-cut tombs excavated at GKlieb and GQajjet in the outskirts of Rabat, in an area that served as a cemetery for the first Phoenicians who settled in Malta around 2,700 years ago. The Phoenicians were renowned seafarers from the Eastern Mediterranean, who set their sights on Malta's strategic location and established settlements to serve as crucial points along their expansive trade routes - these stretched from the Levant to the Western edges of the Mediterranean.
The three newly discovered Phoenician tombs each consist of a rectangular or oval shaped shaft cut into the rock, which leads to a rectangular or oval burial chamber, where human remains and objects were buried. These tombs shed light on the burial rituals of the earliest Phoenicians on the Islands. The 1.91 stamp shows pottery vessels used as drinking cups, jugs and storage jars. The majority of pottery items were clearly made in Malta as is evident from the distinct local style. The stamp, carrying a denomination of 2.00, portrays personal jewellery items including earrings, bangles, rings and beads found within large storage containers, together with cremated human remains. Such prized objects could have been heirlooms, passed on from one generation to the next. Both the pottery and jewellery items can be dated to the 7th century Before the Common Era (BCE).
