Madeira 2025

Madeira

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

one stamp (1.21 €) and one souvenir-sheet (3.51 €)

the stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamps

The sugar industry or ‘White Gold’ (Funchal)
With the collaboration of the A Cidade do Açúcar Museum team, a group of artefacts was selected, including a ceramic sugar loaf form, which is part of the archaeological remains exhumed during the excavation of the house of the sugar merchant Janine Esmenaut, João Esmeraldo to the Portuguese, one of the oldest in the 16th century. This cultural asset, recovered by Modern Archaeology in Portugal, illustrates the important and lucrative island industry of sugar production, which began in 1425 with the planting of sugar cane, a central activity in the economy of the Atlantic islands, soon after the colonisation of the island, discovered in 1419. Within thirty years, Madeira, driven by mainly Genoese capital, initially using hired labour from Morocco and later African slave labour, as well as intensive forest clearing used to feed the sugar factories (around fifty kilos of wood were needed to produce one kilo of sugar), became the largest sugar producer in Europe, earning it the title of the ‘White Gold Islands’. From the first decades of the 16th century, production began to decline, with São Tomé and Príncipe and, above all, Brazil gradually emerging as new production sites, until it was definitively extinguished in 1986 with the closure of the William Hinton factory.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

two stamps (2x 3.20 BAM) 

both stamps are issued mini-sheets of 10 stamps

Hungary 2025

Hungary

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

two stamps (2x 1020.- HUF) issued in one souvenir-sheet of 4 stamps (2 of each)

Somló Hill played an important role in the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, and was most likely the seat of an elite who hid their treasures there during mysterious sacrificial ceremonies. For this reason, this isolated hill is among the most important archaeological sites in Hungary today. Archaeological excavations on Somló have uncovered numerous fascinating finds which provide important information about the history and culture of the region. The archaeologists, with the help of volunteers, found ritual treasures dating from the Late Bronze Age during a metal detecting survey. The neck collar discovered at Somló is a unique find, as it consists of an eggshell-thin bronze plate covered by a thin gold foil held in place by its edges being folded back over the rim of the bronze plate. The neck collar is divided into four fields by three bundles of cord-ribs and is also adorned with densely stamped concentric circular patterns. This jewellery was probably part of a set of ceremonial vestments and may have been a sign of the wearer’s high social status. The gold and amber jewellery is evidence of a flourishing Late Bronze Age culture. These pieces of jewellery indicate that there was probably a close network of European contacts spanning the Baltic, the Alps and the Carpathian Basin. The excavations have also unearthed a set of wild boar tusk trophies and individual weapons, which are indicative of the rich culture and traditions of the region’s warring communities.

The two stamps of the special miniature sheet focus on the bronze neck collar covered in ornate gold foil, and an ornate bronze disc likewise covered in gold foil with amber beads, while the design of the frame features a composition of artefacts from Hoard I.

Turkey 2025

Turkey

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

two stamps (35.- TRY)

The Neolithic City of Çatalhöyük, which witnessed important social changes and developments such as the beginning of agriculture and hunting along with the transition to settled social life, is before us in all its glory. One of the most extraordinary settlements of Anatolia between 7400-6200 BC, Çatalhöyük, located in Çumra, Konya, on an area of ​​approximately 14 hectares, contains many firsts such as the first settlement plan sketch, the first weavings, the first landscape painting, and the mother goddess cult. The stamp design consists of Çatalhöyük excavation site, figures in wall paintings and a pottery with a human face motif.

Andorra (Spanish post) 2025

Andorra (Spanish post)

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

one stamp (1.85 €)

The “Rock of Witches” is an emblematic rock formation in Andorra known for its natural beauty and its rich history. The place is surrounded by legends that speak of ancient folk practices and beliefs The Roc de les Bruixes offers stunning panoramic views, making it an attractive destination for both nature lovers and those interested in local culture and history.

Spain 2025

Spain

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

one stamp (Tarifa B value = 1.85 €)

This stamp is issued in sheets of 25 stamps and also in a mini-sheet of 8 stamp

 

 

 

 A postal stationary has also been issued

 

The Roman City of Clunia was founded in the 1st Century BC and was located in the province of Burgos. It was, for a long time, the most important Roman city in the Northern half of Spain. The remains of the Theater, the Forum and the Baths deserve special mention. The stamp depicts a fragmented statue of 2 metres height of the Godess of Fortune, retrieved from the Theater.

Ireland 2025

Ireland

Date of Issue: 8th May 2025

two stamps (N & W values = 1.65 & 2.65 €) - NOTE both stamps are self-adhesive

the N value stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 8 stamps and the W value stamp in a mini-sheet of 4 stamps only

stamp 1 - detail of an 8th-century bronze ladle adorned with a human head, discovered in Ballynapark, Co. Wicklow.

stamp 2 - Viking oval brooch of cast copper alloy with gilt, silver, and glass, probably from the 9th century. This brooch is one of a pair found in the grave of a woman believed to have been among the earliest Viking settlers in what is now Finglas Village, Dublin.