The Magic of Vintage Postage Stamps
written by Slobodan ZivulovicA postage stamp is made from paper with a national designation and denomination on the face and most often with a gum adhesive on the reverse side and is used as evidence of payment of postage.
Postage stamps have been carrying the mails of the world to their destinations since the 1840s.
The first postage stamp, commonly referred to as the Penny Black, issued in the United Kindom in 1840, was the result of the effort to bring reform and convenience to the early 19th century postal system in the UK which was in disarray and rife with corruption at the time.
The advent of the postage stamp afforded convenience for both the mailer and postal officials, saved money and ultimately resulted in a faster more improved postal system.
The study of postage stamps and their use is referred to as philately. Stamp collecting can be both a hobby and a form of historical study and reference, as government issued postage stamps and the mail systems overall have always been involved with their nation’s history in various aspects.
Perforations in sheets of stamps consist of rows and columns of small holes made in between the individual postage stamps which allow for the easier and convenient separation of individual stamps from the sheet. The frame-like arrangement of perforations that surround the image of a postage stamp have become what gives a postage stamp its overall characteristic appearance.
Stamps have been issued in shapes besides rectangles, including circular, triangular and pentagonal shapes.
The subjects found on the face of postage stamps is generally what defines a particular stamp issue to the public and is often one of the reasons why they are saved by collectors or history enthusiasts. Graphical subjects found on postage stamps have varied greatly over the years, ranging from the early portrayals of kings, queens and presidents to depictions of ships, birds and satellites of later issues, while other stamps have commemorated famous people and, or historical events.
Postage stamps are sometimes issued in souvenir sheets or miniature sheets containing one or a small number of stamps. Souvenir sheets typically include additional artwork or information printed on the selvage, the border surrounding the stamps. Sometimes the stamps make up a greater picture. Some countries, and some issues, are produced as individual stamps as well as sheets.
Stamp collecting is a popular hobby. Collecting is not the same as philately, which is the study of stamps. It is not necessary to closely study stamps in order to enjoy collecting them. Many casual collectors enjoy accumulating stamps without worrying about the tiny details. The creation of a large or comprehensive collection, however, may require some philatelic knowledge.
All the above shows that each stamp has a value and history, and because of that, this subject seems very interesting in aspect of design and inspiration, so in this post, we decided to show you a small retrospective of vintage postage stamps from all over the world.
Enjoy reading!
1840 Great Britain – The Penny Black
1933 USA – Chicago Century of Progress
1937 Mozambique Company – Giraffe and Trees
1947 China – 50th Anniversary of Directorate General of Posts
1948 USA – 85th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
1950 China – National Flag of PRC
1950 Italy – Il Timone
1951 Israel – Carrier Pigeons
1956 USA – Labor Day
1959 Netherlands – KLM Airline’s 40th Anniversary 1919-1959
1959 Tunisia – Blue Bird
1960 Hungary – Discobole Olympic Games Rome
1961 Russia – Soviet Rocket
1962 Algerie – Caravelle au-dessus de Ghardaia
1962 Haiti – 22nd Anniversary of Scouting in Haiti
1962 Hungary – Owl
1963 Old Belgium Stamp
1963 Tchekoslovakia – Olympic Games Tokio 1964
1963 Upper Volta – Moss Rose
1964 France – 25e Anniversaire Service Aeropostal de Nuit
1964 Greece – Marriage of King Constantin II
1964 Israel – Advertising Label SS Shalom
1964 Poland – Cyclamen
1965 Deutsche Demokratishe Republik – 20 Years of Democratic German Broadcasting
1965 Deutsche Demokratishe Republik – Iguana
1965 Israel – Butterfly
1965 Romania – Alexey Leonov
1967 Hungary – Puli Dog
1970 Sweden – Four-Leafed Clover
1971 Australian – Aboriginal Art
1972 Switzerland – Albert Einstein
1973 Mongolia – Chimp on Bicycle
1976 Spain – Olympic Games Montreal – Lucha Canaria
1977 Cuba – Felis Catus
1980 Cuba – XXII Juegos Olímpicos Moscu
1981 Poland – Model Planes Lotnicze F1A class
1988 Switzerland – Jean Tinguely
1997 USA – Gee Bee
Nouvelle Caledonie et Dependances
Republica Madagascar – Bi-Centenaire de L’Independance des Etats-Units, 1776-1976
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Slobodan Zivulovic is a blogger and web design fan who is always looking for inspiration and creativity. He is a music and movie lover. He also likes sports, photography and has a passion for technology. He has a great honor and pleasure to be here as a little help and support to his brother. You can find him on Twitter







14 Comments
ADD COMMENTZentaurus says:
October 21, 2010It is ???? ?????! :D
Very interesting post, keep them coming like this! :)
Aurochs says:
October 21, 2010Thats a really great story, yes, i did enjoy that and remembered how i had a collection of the stamps back in my childhood in the USSR ))
Thank you very much!
Clipping Path says:
October 21, 2010wow! it was really awesome post! thanks a lot for sharing..
Ahmad says:
October 21, 2010Nice roundup thanks for sharing this list with us
Heath Waller says:
October 21, 2010I’m so inspired by this post. Designs that small have to be impactful. I am going to have to pull out my glorious stamp collection again – I bet there are a few web designs hidden in there!
Vintage Lady says:
October 22, 2010Great article, I added it’s link to my post. because what I read here inspired me to write about it!
pakaworld says:
October 22, 2010That is interesting and that’s for sharing it with us.
Bane says:
October 23, 2010First of all, thanks to all of you for stopping by!
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks to him that you get inspired to re-open yours postage stamp collections and moreover even find inspiration to write about it.
It’s my pleasure! :)
Ken Kaminesky says:
October 23, 2010Love the beauty in the tiny designs. Stamps are a great way to get a feel for different places at different times in history. Thanks for bringing these to our attention. Great post! ?
Bane says:
October 24, 2010Thanks Ken, I appreciate it! :)
Alex Jacque says:
October 24, 2010You should link back to the source you’re finding these photos. It takes more than a trivial amount of time to scan, process, organize, and post these things; it would be nice to get a little credit for it.
steve says:
October 27, 2010totally agree with Alex Jacque. it is a great looking post, having source links would make it even better. and I do think the majority of the stamps are coming flickr:
K. Horton’s vintage postage stamp collection/a>
free online kids games says:
November 4, 2010I’m getting hit by waves after waves of nostalgia here
Brett Widmann says:
January 23, 2011I love vintage style design. These are great examples!