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15.01.2019
This is the third time that Latvijas Pasts in collaboration with the news portal Delfi call on everyone to take part in the voting for choosing the most beautiful stamp of the past year. In 2018, which marked the centenary of the State of Latvia and Latvijas Pasts, 26 stamps and three stamp blocks were released, with their total print run amounting to 6.6 million copies. According to the voting results of the previous years, the stamps dedicated to sports and ornithology themes were recognised as the most popular ones. The voting for the stamps is held in the section Gada pastmarka 2018 (Stamp of the Year 2018) on the portal Delfi. The voting will close at 11:59 PM on the 27th of January 2019.
Postage stamps as national recognition symbols are valuable elements, which are used as means of payment for postal items and as collectible items. Postal establishments throughout the world apply special criteria when deciding on the specific themes to depict on the stamps. In the case of Latvia these are events of significance for the state, natural, cultural and historical sites, as well as outstanding personalities and their anniversaries, jubilees and commemorations.
2018 was a special year for the State of Latvia and Latvijas Pasts, as it was the year of the 100th anniversary celebrated by both the Republic of Latvia and Latvijas Pasts. Therefore, several new stamp releases last year were linked precisely with this special event, such as the first self-adhesive irregularly shaped stamp in the form of the outline map of Latvia issued by Latvijas Pasts; final stamps in the series of the centenary of the State of Latvia dedicating them to the tradition of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration; the reissued first postage stamp of the independent Republic of Latvia released back in 1918; and a stamp block in honour of the artist Ansis Cīrulis, the author of the Latvian state flag and of the first Latvian postage stamp.
In 2018, Latvijas Pasts also continued issuing traditional postage stamp series and releasing stamps related to current events. The well-known and popular series of stamps that are worth mentioning include Coats of Arms of Latvian Towns and Municipalities where the stamps issued last year featured the symbols of Ķegums, Rundāle and Sēja Municipalities; Flowers – Dhalia and Sweet Pea; Latvian Birds – Common Redshank and Long-Tailed Tit; Lighthouses of Latvia – Ragaciems Lighthouse; and the stamp in the series History of Latvian Automobile Construction featuring a picture of Ford Vairogs V8, a unique car model held in the collection of Riga Motor Museum. Two bridge-themed stamps were included in the pan-European single stamp series.
The current events of 2018 were reflected in the stamps released in honour of the Latvian Olympic bronze medal winners of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games – bobsledders Oskars Melbārdis and Jānis Strenga, and in the stamp dedicated to the visit of Pope Francis to Latvia.
Last year a joint release with the Bank of Latvia was created for the first time – it was the stamp and the silver collector’s coin Curonian Kings sharing a single design.
Western Yellow Wagtail, a stamp in the Latvian Birds series, was recognised as the most beautiful stamp of 2017 with 1,119 votes cast for it on the portal Delfi, while the release dedicated to the 11th World Floorball Championships became the winner in the first competition for the stamp of the year 2016.
Voting within the competition for the most beautiful stamp of 2018 is possible for any stamp from one computer once a day.
Choose your stamp and vote here!
About SJSC Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts ensures the widest availability of postal services throughout Latvia by maintaining more than 600 post offices. The primary function of the company is provision of the universal postal service; Latvijas Pasts also provides commercial transport, express mail, payment, press subscription, retail and philatelic services. Latvijas Pasts is a wholly State-owned company with around 4,000 employees. The quality measurements of Latvijas Pasts domestic mail deliveries are regularly conducted by Kantar TNS, one of the leading market, social and media research agencies in Latvia. In turn, the quality measurements of the cross-border deliveries are provided within the framework of the International Post Corporation through the intermediary of the research companies Kantar TNS, Ipsos and Quotas.
Additional information:
Gundega Vārpa | Head of External Communications
Phone: +371 67608505
E-mail: pr@pasts.lv; gundega.varpa@pasts.lv
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