Euromed 2025

The 2025 EUROMED issue is dedicated this year to European resources. Almost full freedom was given to the postal administrations to design their stamps, and, as a consequence, individual stamps describe very different topics including national parks, natural (local) or energy resources (wind and sun), landscapes, food, crafts or access to raw material (e.g., salt), with Türkiye showing in a souvenir sheet all possible country resources. So far, 14 countries have released their stamps with the most ciommon date on July 14, 2025. Those countries include: Bosnia Herzegovina (July 10, 2025), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) derived products, preserves, jam; Croatia (July 14), the Neretva Delta; Cyprus (July 9), wind turbine; Egypt (July 14), energy, oil, sea resources; France (July 11), sea and shore; Greece (July 7), sea sponge (Spongia mollissima) and boat; Malta (July 9), sculptor and building; Montenegro (July 14), Ulcinjska Solana (Ulcinj saltworks); Morocco (July ?), natural resources, “Cap des Trois Fourches” (Cape of the Three Forks), Ramsar wetland; Portugal (July 10), carob collecting and salt harvesting; Slovenia (July 11), karst edge; Spain (July 8), flower (Paeonia cambessedesii), Balearic peony; Tunisia (July 7), Galite and Zembra national parks; Türkiye (Turkey) (July 7), landscape with different resources.

The Euromed association includes also Albania, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine. With the exception of Albania which always issues their Euromed stamp with a delay of one year, there is limited chances that one of these other countries will participate this year, but who knows?

Information was mainly provided by Med Achour Ali Ahmed (Algeria) and Enzo Cafaro (Italy). Thanks to both of them.

UPU 150th anniversary: a first update

As anticipated, the list of stamps issued at the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union and described in an earlier page was not complete. Very quickly after publication, several collectors provided additional information. Here I have to thank Ali Ahmed Med Achour (Algeria), Enzo Cafaro (Italy), and Tolga Caglayankaya (Netherlands) for some of these additional data.

This complementary list is divided using the same structure as the one provided earlier:

Countries of Type A (Twin [T1], same date, same design), additional countries: Cambodia Guatemala Kazakhstan (October 15) LibyaNigeria.

Also we have to report an additional product for Indonesia (souvenir sheet, illustration above). Already reported Ukrainian stamps available so far are provided in form of either isolated stamps or miniature sheets of 5 stamps made of a top part with the design and a label with the letter “U” which stands in place of the denomination. In these products, this letter “U” is located on the left side. It appears that in some FDCs, the label bears the letter “U” on the right side. FDCs with left-side positionned letter “U” do exist as well. Mint stamps or miniature sheets with “U” on the right side have not been seen so far. In fact, these Ukrainian products are from private production (personalized stamps), but approved by Ukrainian Post. Also, looking closer to the background of the illustrated part of each stamp, it appears that the miniature sheet shows 6 different designs background, which are different from the stamps in panes or used on FDCs.

New country of Type B (Concerted [C1], different dates, same design): Malta (October 31)

In this series it was also discovered that Mali stamps produced with denomination 200F and 1000F, do exist as miniature sheets of 6 and panes of 20 (French language), also as a postal card, but the 1000F value became also available in 5 additional languages in panes, in souvenir sheet of 6 different stamps, with two different formats ([2×3] and [3×2]), perforated or imperforated. This is obviously expensive material to fool collectors (even if reported as ‘official’, they will never reach postal offices) and as such, they will be reported in italic characters in the catalogue with the mention ‘not recommended to buy’. Just as an additional note, the denomination of 1000 Malian Francs (FCFA) is equivalent today to about € 1.50. Right now, as these stamps are still supposed to be available from the Malian post office (if true), one should not pay more than twice this amount. Otherwise, the terms of “official” or “proof” are just artificial and shortage/rarity is organized by the printer.

New countries of Type C (modified design – only logo [T2], [C2]): Botswana (September 29) IraqLiechtenstein Netherlands. The information about Liechtenstein and Netherlands stamps is still uncomplete. It seems that these stamps were produced last minute and they are not described with details in the official channel).

Regarding Botswana, the country issued on September 29, 2024 four different zebra stamps in panes and together in a miniature sheet with the four stamps. A fifth stamp became available as part of a souvenir sheet with the UPU logo in the margin. Only this souvenir sheet can be considered as being part of the joint issue.

New country of Type D (different design, but same date [P1]): Seychelles

New country of Type E (different design, different date [N]): Poland (1 stamp, October 30, 2024)

This is a first update, because it is quite clear that more stamps related to this anniversary will be released (or simply discovered), probably even during the year 2025.

Euromed 2024

The 2024 Euromed issues were released for most of them on July 8, 2024. The following countries have so far released their stamps: Bosnia Herzegovina (July 10, 2024) – Croatia – Cyprus (July 10) – Egypt () – France – Greece Malta – Montenegro – Morocco – Portugal (July 10) – Slovenia – Spain (July 10) – Tunisia (July 9) and Turkey (July 7). We are expecting other issues from Albania and Jordan. Jordan stamps have not been seen so far, while Albania stamps are always delayed by one year. Topic is Mediterranean sports and illustrations are different. Thanks to Ali Ahmed Med Achour (Algeria), Don Birschel (USA), Jeff Courtright (USA) for having provided details.

In this series, Ali Ahmed Med Achour pointed also to a printing mistake (error on stamp) on the Egyptian souvenir sheet: The text in Arabic which is supposed to tell “Sports in Mediterranean” and which is correct on the Tunisia and Morocco stamps, is wrong in the Egyptian souvenir sheet. In this case, it has to be translated in “Sport in Euro-Mediterranean”. Below are reproduced the Egyptian souvenir sheet text above the Moroccan stamp text.

As a complement to the Euromed 2023 issue, it is to note that Albania indeed issued its stamps in 2024, exactly on June 6, 2024. Catalogue will be completed accordingly.

Euromed 2023

The yearly Euromed issue was released on July 10, 2023 with the common topic “Festivals”. So far, all participating countries have issued their stamps on this same date, with the exception of Tunisia which released its stamps on July 11, 2023. There are 13 countries participating, including Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Tunisia. Other potential countries, having participated to Euromed issues in the past years, could also include Albania, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Turkey, but no information is available from these countries at this stage.

The scope of festival is quite large and each country selected one specific topic including film, dance, theater, music or photography festivals, but also food, fireworks or even the very specific Moreska Sword Dance Festival.

Euromed stamps 2022 now available

Don Birschel (USA) collected all information relative to the Euromed 2022 stamps, topic submarine archeology, which started to appear at different countries’ post offices since July 8, 2022. The collection is not complete yet, but he was able to provide most of the illustrations of the following countries:

Croatia (July 11 – 1 stamp, issued 30,000; ancient city of Pula-Pola, amphitheater) – Cyprus (July 11 – 1 stamp) – France (July 8 – 1 stamp, [5×3], 495,000; West Giraglia 2, submarine excavations, Cap Corse) – Greece (July 11 – 2 se-tenant stamps and souvenir sheet with 2 pairs of stamps, as well as a booklet with two pairs; [2px4], [1px2] and [2px1]) – Malta (July 11 – 2 stamps, 100,000 and 30,000; Citadella Victoria, Gozo and Phoenician shipwreck site, Xiendi Bay, Gozo) – Montenegro (July 12 – 1 stamp printed 40,000, in miniature sheet of 8 stamps [3×3] with central label; coin of King Ballaios (2nd century BC) – Morocco (July 11 – 1 stamp; view of Titwan) – Portugal (July 11 – 2 stamps; 2x[5×4], 2×75,000) – Slovenia (July 11 – 1 stamp, ancient city of Ajdovscina; [5×5]) – Spain (July 11 – 1 stamp; [4×4]; 134,000) – Tunisia (July 11 – 2 stamps; [5×4] and [4×5]; child paintings of Tastur and Takruma) – Turkey (July 9).

Although normally issued at time of printing this page, we are still missing detailed information from Cyprus , Morocco, Spain and Turkey. We know that Bosnia Herzegovina will issue its stamp only on November 15, 2022. Eventually, compared to previous years, we could also expect participation from the following countries: Albania, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

On top of this, the Albania Euromed 2021 stamps were issued on May 11, 2022. (block of four, issued 4,000, [b4x2]). Albania Euromed 2022 may become available only in 2023.