Flying the Flag

Lets take a trip to the Faroe Islands and ride the waves with the rowers in that cute but somehow perilous drawing on the FDC. Three stamps were issued on 1st April 1976 to commemorate the establishment of an independent Faroese postal service.

Of course the iconic Faroese rowing boat features on a stamp (from a drawing by Fridtjof Joensen).  The middle stamp features the Faroese Postman who carried the post for 60 years (who I have written about before here) and lastly The Faroese flag from a drawing by Zakarias Heinesen.  The engravings of the 125 and 800 øre stamps are by Czeslaw Slania.  The breeze is fluttering another flag 

1984: Definitive

In 1984 Åland obtained the right to have its name on the stamps and one of the designs chosen in collaboration with Finland was of the archipelago's flag. For a short period both Finland and  Åland stamps could be mixed for postage.

2017: Finnish Flag

This year is a big year in Finland's history for they celebrate a hundred years of independence and one of the first stamps they issued was of their flag. The illustrator is Ossi Hiekkala who also designed the FDC.  The magnificent whooper swan is the national bird of Finland so as well as flying in formation over the envelope one

also swoops over the postmark.

The centenary was also celebrated in the city of Turku with the Tall Ships Races in July when record crowds turned out (over half a million).  One might need some peace and quiet after that

2017: Sound of Silence

This is one of a set of three stamps depicting calm and tranquillity chosen by the graphic designer Stiina Hovi showing the water seasons in Finland.  What better way to portray the land of a thousand lakes.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II which features the Letter F - for Faroe Islands, Finland and Flags - find more on See It On A Postcard