Bulgaria year 1980 Olympic Games Moscow stamps set

In 1980, Bulgaria issued a set of stamps to commemorate the 1980 Summer Olympic Games held in Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia). Here are some details about this Bulgarian Olympic stamp set from 1980:

The Set:

• It consisted of 5 stamps issued together as a set
• The denominations were 2, 13, 20, 26 and 32 stotinki

Designs:

• Each stamp depicted a different Olympic sport – weightlifting, gymnastics, wrestling, shooting, and track & field
• The designs showed athletes in action poses for those sports
• All stamps included the Moscow 1980 Olympic logo along with inscriptions in Bulgarian

Other Details:

• The stamps were printed using multicolor photogravure printing by the Sofia Printing Works
• They were issued on July 10, 1980, just before the Olympics began in Moscow on July 19th
• Standard stamp size of 33.5mm x 50mm
• Print quantities ranged from 1 to 4 million stamps per denomination

This 1980 Olympic stamp set is an attractive topical issue and quite popular with Olympic collectors and Bulgarian philatelists. The boldly graphic designs capture the dynamism of the Olympic sports portrayed.

While Bulgaria ultimately joined the US-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games, these stamps had already been printed and issued weeks before the boycott decision was made. They stand as colorful memorabilia of those controversial Olympics.