Georgia stamps year 2005 Anniversary of the First Europa Stamp

Georgia stamps year 2005 Anniversary of the First Europa Stamp

The first Europa stamps were issued on September 15, 1956, by the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. These stamps featured a common design symbolizing European unity—a tower constructed from the letters of the word “EUROPA,” surrounded by scaffolding.

In 1959, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) was established, and from 1960 onwards, the initials “CEPT” appeared on Europa stamps. Initially, these stamps shared a common design, but starting in 1974, countries began issuing stamps with unique designs centered around a shared theme.

The 50th anniversary of the first Europa stamps was commemorated in 2006. Several countries issued special stamps to mark this milestone, often incorporating the original 1956 design or other historical motifs. For instance, Ukraine released a postal issue on January 5, 2006, honoring the 50th anniversary of the first joint stamps under the Europa program.

These commemorative issues celebrated the Europa stamp program’s role in promoting European unity and cooperation through philately. The program continues to this day, with member countries annually issuing stamps based on a common theme, reflecting shared cultural and historical values.