Tuesday, September 14

Norden stamps (1956-)

Europe


Norden stamps (1956-)



The Norden stamps is a common issue between the Nordic countries. It is as old as the Europa stamps !

The idea of a Norden issue with a common motif was bred by Foreningen Norden [the Norden Association] in a letter to the five Nordic Postal Administrations already in 1951. At the conference of the Nordic Postal Association in March the same year the consensus was to accede to the idea, but of practical reasons it could only be accomplished later.

The first issue of 1956 had a common motive representing five flying swans. The Swan motif emanated from a poem from 1946 by Hans Hartvig Seedorff Pedersen titled "Svanerne fra Norden" [The Swans from the Nordic Countries], which is a tribute to the free community in the five countries each symbolized by a swan - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

A competition with an artist from each five country : Viggo Bang (Denmark), Signe Hammarsten-Janson (Finland), Johannes Haukland (Norway) and Mark Sylvan (Sweden). Iceland participated with an illustration to the poem by artist Jón Stefánsson.

It was decided to choose the Danish contribution and that the stamps (two from each country) should be ready for during second half of 1956. As well proofs as stamps were engraved by Swedish chief engraver Sven Ewert.


On the 1st October 1956, the postal administrations of the five Nordic countries announced at the same time that "in order to accentuate the Nordic cohe-sion and the importance of the Nordic cooperation in various fields" they were going to "issue some special stamps with common motif on the Nordic Countries' Day, 30th October 1956". Each country issued the stamps with two values in red and blue colours respectively.

We had to wait 13 years to see the next Norden issue (although 3 Nordic countries Denmark, Norway and Sweden, issued in 1960 a common stamp to celebrate the common airline company SAS – this issue is often considered by Norden collectors as being part of this collection). In 1969 the common design was five Viking ships from a rock carving.

In 1973 - The Nordic House in Reykjavik and in 1977 five water-lilies in pure water symbolising the environmental collaboration. Since that year, the Norden stamps bear a common logo – a post horn made of five horns.


In 1980 it was decided to issue the Norden stamps every three years and (as the Europa stamps since 1974) to follow a common theme instead having a common design.

  • 1980 - Handy crafts
  • 1983 - Tourism
  • 1986 - Twin cities
  • 1989 - Folk costumes
  • 1991 - Tourism - I - since that year Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland also take part making a total of 8 countries issuing Norden stamps.

The Faroe Islands issued in 1989 two stamps following the common them « folk costumes » but those stamps don’t bear the Norden logo.

  • 1993 - Tourism - II
  • 1995 - Tourism - III
  • 1998 - Boats
  • 2002 - Modern art - since that year, the Norden stamps are being issued every two years.

Since 2004, the Norden stamps are issued in souvenir-sheets following a common them who runs during 3 issues:

2004-2006-2008 - Nordic mythology I - II - III.


This year the new 3 years common theme is « Life by the sea » who will run from 2010 until 2014.

source: http://www.ptt-museum.dk/en/online_magazine/previous_articles/post/?id=71/
official website: http://www.topoftheworld.nu

Monday, August 30

America-UPAEP

Europe

Did you know that the Europa stamps had a little brother on the American continent ?

Since 1989, the member countries of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (UPAEP) issue the so called America-UPAEP stamps.


As the Europa stamps, each country issue a single or a set of stamps following a common theme. Each stamp bears, the word "America" and/or just the "UPAEP" logo.



Two European countries are member of the UPAEP: Portugal and Spain. Portugal took part only a few years at the America-UPAEP issues - 7 times between 1993 and 2003 as Spain is taking part non-stop since 1989.

This year's common theme is : "National symbols".

If somebody want's to swap America stamps with me for Europa stamps, don't hesitate to contact me ! :o)

Monday, August 16

European postal administration who don't issue Europa stamps

Europe

European postal administration who don't issue Europa stamps (for the moment) :

1. Alderney

Alderney is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and its stamps are valid throughout the Bailiwick. Stamps issuing since 1983.

official website: http://www.guernseystamps.com
State website: http://www.alderney.gov.gg/stamps/

2. Mount Athos - [Hagion Oros]

In 2008 the Hellenic Postal Service started issuing postage stamps for postal use only at the two post offices of Mount Athos (Karyai and Dafni). The first set of 5 stamps was issued on May 16, 2008. The Hellenic Post issues the modern era Mount Athos stamps despite opposition from the Philatelic Federation and the Hellenic Philatelic Society.

source: Wikipedia

official website: http://www.agionorostamps.gr

3. Sovereign Military Order of Malta - [SMOM]

The stamps are issued for both postal and charitable reasons. Despite over 50 bi-lateral postal agreements the stamps are usually classed as cinderella stamps as they do not have postal validity throughout the world. Most postal agreements are with countries in which the order does charitable work.

source: Wikipedia

official website: http://www.orderofmalta.org

4. United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) - European offices in Geneva and Vienna

The idea for the UN to issue stamps originated in 1947 with José Arce the ambassador from Argentina and president of the United Nations General Assembly, who was himself a philatelist. (The League of Nations had used overprinted Swiss stamps.) The UNPA came into existence by agreement with the U.S. in 1951, soon after the UN moved into its headquarters in Manhattan. Prior to that, the UN used the facilities of the United States Post Office Department.

Ordinarily, mail must be taken to the UN offices and franked with the appropriate UN stamps. From time to time, though, by agreement with the United States Postal Service, the UNPA maintains a temporary office elsewhere, usually at stamp shows or special events.


source: Wikipedia

official website: http://unstamps.un.org
official website - Geneva: http://unstamps.un.org
official website - Vienna: http://unstamps.un.org

Thursday, August 12

Armenia 2010

Armenia

Date of Issue: 8th October 2010

one stamp (350.- AMD)


This stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 9 stamps

Monday, August 9

1994

Europe

Issue n° 39 - 1994

"Great discoveries"

Number of countries : 49
Debuting countries : Åland, Greenland, Estonia, Latvia
Returning countries : none
Withdrawing countries : the Netherlands

Note : Albania and Gibraltar didn't use the official logo that year.

the Faroe Is., Iceland and Ireland issued a twin issue that year.



more here in the Europa stamps History - Part IV

Eurovision Song Contest 1994
Dublin (Ireland)
Winner: Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan "Rock 'n' Roll Kids" (Ireland)

my personal favorite that year: Dan Bittman "Dincolo de nori" (Romania)


Friday, August 6

1993

Europe

Issue n° 38 - 1993

"Contemporary art"

Number of countries : 45
Debuting countries : Czech Republic, Lithuania, Moldova, Slovakia, Slovenia
Returning countries : Vatican
Withdrawing countries : Norway

"In 1993, the CEPT decided to concentrate on telecommunication issues only and the Europa stamps issues coordination was transmitted to PostEurop the association of European public postal operators. Since then a new logo is in use on Europa stamps."

"That year two unofficial issues appeared. The first one from: Belarus; although the new logo was introduced that year they used the old CEPT on there stamps. The other one from the Croat post of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was the first postal administration of Bosnia to issue Europa stamps but they weren't recognized by the UPU at that time, that's why their issue is also considered as unofficial."

Note : Gibraltar and Belgium (!) didn't use the official logo that year. Albania used a logo depicting a V instead of an U which made the word Evropa. New Europa logo in use from that year.


more here in the Europa stamps History - Part IV

Eurovision Song Contest 1993
Millstreet (Ireland)
Winner: Niamh Kavanagh "In Your Eyes" (Ireland)

my personal favorite that year: Ruth Jacott "Vrede" (the Netherlands)


Friday, July 30

50 years of Liechtenstein's 1st Europa issue !

Liechtenstein

50 years of Liechtenstein's 1st Europa issue !

9th September 1960 saw the appearance of Liechtenstein’s first Europa stamp (face value CHF 0.50). The name EUROPA was embedded in it in a honeycomb pattern. This was also the first stamp designed by the then 30-year-old Mauren graphic designer Louis Jäger, who has since been responsible for several masterly pieces of philatelic design (he draw also the 1975 Europa issue).


The publication “50 Years of Liechtenstein Postage Stamps 1912–1962” describes the stamp, a first work in two senses, thus: “In 1960 a great structure is evolving cell by cell, but it will be some time yet before it is complete: many cells are still unfilled or incompletely filled: Europe is not yet complete. It can however be finished if its builders continue building on the common foundation laid in antiquity and the Christian era: hence the letters of the alphabet modelled on Roman characters. Thus will it all be able to coalesce and jointly grow together.” (p. 313).
There were however two more unusual features which attracted collectors’ attention to Liechtenstein’s first Europa stamp. Firstly, it was published in an edition of only 322 000 and was consequently very quickly sold out (subsequently Liechtenstein’s Europa stamps have each appeared in editions of over 1.5 million). What also made this stamp a true collector’s item was the fact that there were both a second edition and a very small edition of imperforate test prints.


source: Philately Liechtenstein - News brochure, 2010, n°3
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