Monaco’s Office des Émissions de Timbres-Poste has released three new and limited edition stamps for 2024 and each bears a theme close to the heart of Prince Albert II.
The Monegasque tradition of issuing stamps dates back to the summer of 1885, when a set featuring the effigy of the Prince Charles III went on sale. Since then, philately – the name for the study of postage stamps, postal history and the collection and appreciation of stamps – has become something of a national hobby.
Prince Rainier III was a renowned philatelist and he founded the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies de Monaco, which can still be visited, in 1950.
In the early days, the museum exhibited the collections belonging to his predecessors, Prince Albert I and Prince Louis II, but today, Prince Rainier’s extensive personal collection is displayed too.
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The first two of the new stamps released for 2024 are a tribute to the Aeronauts of Monaco, who have recently been in headlines for their attempts to create a more environmentally friendly way to practice their hobby.
The association has developed an “ecological balloon” that members say saves up to 70% in energy over normal hot air balloons by using double insulated walls. It has been dubbed the Monaco Next Generation Project.
The drawings for these two stamps were done by artist Thierry Mordant and can be used for letters up to €1.96.
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The third stamp bears a Monegasque crest and pays homage to the founding of the Federation of Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco, the Prince Albert II-led association that connects towns and cities all over France and Italy who have at some point in time been linked to the Grimaldi family. The first sites were recognised in 2015 and there are in the vicinity of 150 members today.
This stamp is a €2 model whose layout was designed by Créaphil.
Each of the new stamps is available on limited runs of 40,000. The hot air balloon stamps are sold as a pair.
To visit the online shop, which also sells a range of stamps from previous collections, click here.
For information about the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies de Monaco, click here.
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Images via Office des Émissions de Timbres-Poste