Belgium 2007

Belgium

Date of Issue: 30th April 2007

one stamp (0.46 €) and one souvenir-sheet (0.75 €)




The stamp of Baden Powell will be issued in a illustrated sheetlet containing 10 stamps.



Design by Jijé both designs are taken from his comic Baden-Powell, published in Spirou in the 1950's.

France 2007

France

Date of Issue: 2nd May 2007

one stamp (0.60 €)

Estonia 2007

Estonia

Date of Issue: 3rd May 2007

one stamp (20.50 EEK)



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

SEPAC

Europe

After the Cept and Europa stamps, the Norden stamps and the UPAEP stamps, here is a new European thematic stamp collection !!

The SEPAC group of Post Offices (Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation) will issue their first joint stamp issue in the new SEPAC collection on 1st October of this year.

The purpose of the SEPAC stamps is to highlight to the world-wide philatelic industry and to stamp collectors alike, the joint cooperation of the SEPAC member Post Offices/Postal Administrations in connection with the promotion of philately and to make the public aware of the history, nature, scenery and culture of the SEPAC member Post Offices/Postal Administrations’ European countries.

The member Post Offices in the SEPAC Group are Åland Post, Faroes Post, Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau, Post Greenland, Guernsey Post Ltd, Iceland Post, Isle of Man Post, Jersey Post Ltd, Liechtenstein Post Corp., Maltapost plc, Monaco Post and San Marino Post.

The theme chosen by the SEPAC membership for the first Joint Stamp Issue is ‘scenery’. Each member Post Office may interpret this theme in their own preferred manner and eleven of the twelve Post Offices will release their stamps on the same date - 1st October 2007. (San Marino Post is not taking part in 2007).

The SEPAC group has its own official SEPAC logo, the use of which is only available to registered SEPAC members and in accordance with formal guidelines. The SEPAC logo will be reproduced for the first time on one stamp only within each Post Office’s set of ‘scenery’ stamps in 2007. The SEPAC stamp within each set will be that bearing the first weight step postage rate to European destinations.

Joint Issue Folder

A Special SEPAC Joint Stamp Issue folder will also be issued on 1st October 2007. Entitled ‘Beautiful Corners of Europe’, this folder will contain one SEPAC logo stamp from each of the eleven participating Post Offices. The stamps will be housed in protective carriers secured within the folder which will be decorated with attractive illustrations and informative text from each of the eleven countries.

The ‘Beautiful Corners of Europe’ Folder will be available for sale from all eleven Philatelic Bureaux of the participating SEPAC Post Offices.

Further SEPAC Joint Stamp Issues are scheduled to be issued in 2009 and 2011 when San Marino Post and any additional new SEPAC member Post Offices may participate.

SEPAC Membership Criteria

On 16th November 2006, the SEPAC group made a presentation at the PostEurop Philatelic Forum (my post of the 14th November 2006), Brussels to give information to other European Post Offices about the SEPAC group and its Philatelic activities - which include two Conferences each year.

During the presentation, the criteria for membership of SEPAC were explained to the PostEurop Philatelic Forum delegates. Other interested Post Offices that fulfill the membership criteria were invited to register to join the SEPAC group.

The criteria for SEPAC membership are as follows:

• The Post Office/Postal Administration must be located within Europe
• The Post Office/Postal Administration must be independent
• The Post Office/Postal Administration must have a small home market with more than 50% of its Philatelic customers living outside its own country.

During the recent SEPAC meeting held in Brussels, Maltapost representative George Galea was elected vice-chairman of the group presently formed between thirteen countries, as Luxembourg joined the group at the end of the meeting.

An official launch of the SEPAC Joint stamp issue and the ‘Beautiful Corners of Europe’ Folder will take place on 3^rd May 2007 during the Essen stamp exhibition.

Jersey 2007

Jersey

Date of Issue: 6th March 2007

two stamps (0.37 & 0.42 GBP) out of a set of four stamps (only those two stamps are bearing the official Europa logo).



The two Europa stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 10 stamps.

Ukraine 2007

Ukraine

Date of Issue: 28th of April 2007

two stamps (2.50 & 3.35 UAH)



both stamps are issued in a mini-sheet of 12 stamps (6 of each) - 150'000 ex



both stamps are issued in a booklet of 2 stamps. Stamps are smaller in the booklet than in the mini-sheet ! - 30'000 ex

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2007

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date of Issue: 15th of February 2007

two stamps (2x 2.- BAM)




Both stamps are issued in a souvenir-sheet.



Both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 10 stamps.



Both stamps are also issued in a booklet of 4 stamps (2x each stamp).

Sweden 2007

Sweden

Date of Issue: 22nd March 2007

two stamps (2x BREV value)



both stamps are issued in a booklet of 4 stamps (2x of each stamp)

The Europa stamps history - II

Europe

The Europa stamps history

part II - The birth of the CEPT
(1960-1973)

1960 was the first official Europa CEPT issue and on that occasion 20 countries issued a total of 36 stamps, more than the double of 1959! For 11 countries it was their first Europa stamp issue (Denmark, Finland, Great-Britain, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden). The common design was a Roman mail-coach wheel with 19 spokes designed by the Finnish artist, Pentti Rahikainen. (20 countries; 36 stamps).

That year, Liechtenstein issued their first Europa stamp (not with the common design). That issue, only 322'000 stamps, suffered of speculation and became very fast a must because of it's rarity.


During the next decade, the number of countries changed year by year, some countries stayed faithful other issued Europa stamps from time to time. Some smaller European countries issued their first stamps during that period.

1961 new: Cyprus and San Marino. The common design was a stylised dove made up of 19 individual doves designed by the Dutch artist Theo Kurpershoek. (16 countries; 34 stamps), 1962 new: Monaco. The common design was a stylised tree with 19 leaves designed by the Luxembourgian artist Lex Weyer. (18 countries; 39 stamps), 1963, common design a stylised cross, designed by the Norwegian artist Arne Holm. (19 countries; 36 stamps).

In 1964, for the 5 years of the CEPT, the design was a flower, designed by the French artist Georges Bétemps. (19 countries; 36 stamps).


1965, the design was a tree spring, designed by the Icelandic artist Hördur Karlsson. (19 countries; 36 stamps). The 3 leaves suggested to represent: Posts,Telegraphs & Telephone. 1966 new: Andorra (French post). The design that year was a ship designed by the German artists Gregor and Josef Bender. (19 countries; 37 stamps), In 1967, the common design represented cogwheels designed by the Belgian artist Oscar Bonnevalle. (19 countries; 37 stamps), 1968, the Swiss artist Hans Schwarzenbach designed a key with the CEPT logo in handle. (18 countries; 35 stamps).

In 1969 the CEPT celebrate their 10 years anniversary, it was the occasion for many countries to take part again at the Europa stamp issue, that's why we had 26 countries participating that year and 2 new countries the Vatican and Yugoslavia. (26 countries; 48 stamps). Yugoslavia was the first Communist country to take part ! That year the common design was a temple made of the words Europa and CEPT. The design was made by the Italian artists: Luigi Gasbarra and Georgio Belli.



During the Seventies the CEPT felt that the Europa stamps collectors started to get tired of all those similar designs. In 1970 they decided to allow each country to issue one stamp without the common design, thought this new rule wasn't followed by many countries.

1970 a sun composed of 24 interwoven wires designed by the Irish artist Louis Le Brocquy. (19 countries ; 42 stamps), 1971 new: Malta. The design of a chain was made by the Icelandic artist Helgi Haflidasson (21 countries ; 44 stamps).

1972 new: Andorra (Spanish post). Only 200'000 stamps were issued by the Spanish post of Andorra that year and a huge quantity of them were bought, by Spanish philatelist, in order to speculate. The result of it is that this stamp is now more than 200€ worth! The Finnish artist Paavo Huovinen represented an Aurora borealis as common design. (22 countries ; 46 stamps).




1973. The design that year, a stylised post horn, was made by the Norwegian artist Leif Frimann Anisdahl (24 countries ; 50 stamps). The 3 arrows are said to represent CEPT's primary objectives: posts,telgraphs and telephone services. 1973 was the last year the common design was used ! The next year a common theme will be introduced to make the collection more attractive and more interesting...

Part I - The early years (1956-1959)
~
Part III - The common themes (1974-1989)
~
Part IV - The new Europe (1990-1999)
~
Part V - The new millennium (2000-)

The Europa stamps history - I

Europe

The Europa stamps history

part I - The early years
(1956-1959)

The idea of making a "join stamp emission" came up in 1952. The uniform motive for this emission had to symbolise the community of interest and objectives.

Six countries, the same six countries how signed the Treaty of Rome on the 25th of March 1957 (Belgium, France, West-Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) were also the first countries to issue Europa stamps.

On the 15th of September 1956 the first Europa stamps issue was born (6 countries ; 13 stamps). The common design was made by the French artist, Daniel Gonzague, it was a tower formed by the 6 letters of the latin word for Europe: Europa.

In 1957, almost on the same day as in 1956, the 16th of September, a second issue was made and Switzerland took part on this issue as Saarland (German territory under the control of the Allies). That year a common design was not made but the general theme was Peace and Welfare. (8 countries ; 17 stamps).



On the 13th September 1958 the third issue selected again a common design, a dove flying above the letter E of Europe, designed by the Dutch artist, André Van der Vossen. Turkey replaced Switzerland that year. (8 countries ; 17 stamps).

During the summer 1959 in Montreux (Switzerland), a conference of 23 European postal administrations took place and the "Conférence des postes et télécommunications (CEPT)" was born. (note: today we still call the Europa stamps also Europa CEPT stamps !)

On the 19th September 1959 it was the 4th issue. Switzerland and Austria were associate to the 6 first countries in that issue. The common design was a key-ring designed by the German artist, Walter Brudi. (8 countries ; 15 stamps).

Part II - The birth of the CEPT (1960-1973)
~
Part III - The common themes (1974-1989)
~
Part IV - The new Europe (1990-1999)
~
Part V - The new millennium (2000-)

Slovenia 2007

Slovenia

Date of Issue: 23rd March 2007

one stamp (0.50 €)



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

Liechtenstein 2007

Liechtenstein

Date of Issue: 5th March 2007

one stamp (1.30 CHF)



This stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 20 stamps.