What are Europa stamps and why are they issued? As a novice stamp collector I decided to find out more about these beautiful stamps.
The central theme of Europa stamps is Europe. Since 1956 these stamps were issued to show co-operation with regard to postal matters between European countries. The stamps are also meant to show awareness for the roots, history and culture of Europe, specifically promoting philately. Long before the creation of the European Union, the issuing of these stamps began to show the desire for co-operation and oneness between European nations.
Each year Post Europ’s Working Group selects a theme for the stamps. This year (2018), it is Bridges.
Many stamps carry the abbreviation CEPT which stands for Comitee Europeen des Postes et Telecommunications which has been the central body for posts and telecommunications in Europe since 1956.
Initially, the idea was to issue stamps with the same design. However this did not happen and the countries that became part of issuing these stamps, only had the word “Europa” on their stamps. By the end of the 20th century, 57 countries were participating.
Since 2002, a competition has existed to choose the “Best Europa Stamp”. Even non-European countries issued Europa stamps. Since 2007, the voting is public and decided by the public on the PostEurop website.
Europa stamps are very popular amongst collectors the world over.
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