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30.06.2021
On the 2nd of July 2021 Latvijas Pasts releases a new stamp and a cover dedicated to the shingled gladiolus, a protected natural meadow plant which is rare in Latvia. The new stamp and the cover will first be available for purchase at the post offices of the largest cities, as well as in the e-shop of Latvijas Pasts https://veikals.pasts.lv/. Those interested in the first day cancellation options are invited to contact us by writing to the e-mail address: filatelija@pasts.lv.
The print run of the new stamp is 100,000 copies and its face value is €1.27, which corresponds to the postage of letter-post items in the weight class from 21 to 100 grams within Latvia. The release of the stamp is accompanied by the issue of a special cover with a print run of 1,000 copies. The philatelic releases have been designed by the artist Edgars Folks.
The shingled gladiolus (Gladiolus imbricatus) featured in the new philatelic releases is one of the most beautiful wild plants in Latvia with large violet-reddish or purple-reddish flowers or – very rarely – also white flowers that bloom from the end of June to the end of July.
The shingled gladiolus is quite rare in Latvia and is distributed unevenly – it can be found in wet meadows, brushwood and forest edges, especially in the Daugava and Lielupe valleys. The number of the gladiolus habitats has significantly decreased in Latvia during the last century due to biotope conversion, such as meadow ploughing, cultivation, drainage, overgrowth and construction, so it has become an endangered plant species included in Category 3 of the Latvian Red Data Book and is protected.
“The new postage stamp highlights a particularly beautiful plant which is protected in Latvia and which many residents of this country may not even be aware of. Therefore, we are glad that Latvijas Pasts has the opportunity to recall and emphasise these values of our nature, while also performing both educational and practical functions, moreover, not only in Latvia, but also all over the world thanks to the stamps on postal items,” Edmunds Bebrišs, Director of the Stamp and Philately Department of Latvijas Pasts, explains.
Ģirts Strazdiņš, CEO of the Latvian Fund for Nature, points out: “The shingled gladiolus is one of the symbols of Latvia’s natural meadows, so we are very pleased that this protected and rare plant is reflected in the postage stamp and will carry part of the beauty of natural meadows both in Latvia and out into the world. However, natural meadows are also one of the natural values of Latvia that is currently disappearing – they have preserved only in 0.7% of the area, and their disappearance also leads to the loss of outstanding natural diversity common to these habitats. Therefore, the new stamp is a call to manage and preserve natural meadows, which are also part of Latvia’s identity.”
The new stamp block and the cover Shingled Gladiolus can be seen here.
The first day stamp cancellation is not being held at post offices during the spread of the COVID-19 infection, so stamp collectors and those interested in philately are invited to contact the Stamp and Philately Department of Latvijas Pasts regarding stamp cancellation options by writing to the e-mail address: filatelija@pasts.lv.
The new stamp and the cover will first be available for purchase at Riga post office No. 10 at 14/43 Elizabetes Street and at the post centre Sakta at 32 Brīvības bulvāris, Riga, as well as in the e-shop of Latvijas Pasts https://veikals.pasts.lv/.
The next philatelic release is scheduled for the 16th of July.
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 3,200 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:
Vineta Danielsone | Senior Public Relations Project Manager
E-mail: pr@pasts.lv; vineta.danielsone@pasts.lv
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