Excursions to a Bombed Bomarsund 12. August 2005  At the same time as Bomarsund was being bombed, trips by steamboats were arranged from The Bomarsund excursions inspired the caricaturist Fritz von Dardel to draw the comic strip “The Tuting Family’s trip to Bomarsund” (approx. 1854) as well as the strip “Mr Black and Mr Smith going to The Post focuses on these trips by issuing a stamp on 12 August. The stamp features Mr Black and Mr Smith from Date of issue 12 August 2005 Artist Fritz von Dardel (1817-1901) Design Cecilia Mattsson Issue 300,000 Denomination € 1.30 Price FDC € 1.75 Price collector’s sheet € 5.90 Size of stamp 35 x 37.87 mm Size of sheet 2 x 15 stamps Perforation 13¾ per 2 cm Paper 106 g/m² Printing method 4-colour offset Printing house Joh. Enschede Stamps Natural Åland Environment in Vårdö and Sandö 26. August 2005 Last year, we started issuing a new series of stamps depicting natural Åland environments. The series continues with two new motifs from the archipelago   Featured on the Vårdö stamp is a knotty pine (Pinus sylvestris), beautifully extending over the beach. The stamp photo was taken in northern Vårdö on the islet of Sandö, which is connected to the rest of the municipality by a road embankment. Vårdö, the archipelago municipality situated nearest main Åland, has a population of approximately 400. A cable-ferry operates day and night between the islands of Töftö in Vårdö and Prästö in the neighbouring This year’s second stamp in the series shows a view of the dramatic sea at a place called Gröndal in Geta. Geta is the northernmost municipality on the main Date of issue 26 August 2005 Photographer Kjell Söderlund (Vårdö) Andy Horner (Geta) Design Cecilia Mattsson Issue 300,000 Denominations € 0.70 and € 0.80 Price FDC € 1.15 (Vårdö) and € 1.25 (Geta) Price collector’s sheet €5.40 Size of stamp 31.75 x 36.51 mm Size of sheet 2 x 15 stamps Perforation 13 per 2 cm Paper 110 g/m² Printing method 4-colour offset Printing house Cartor Security Printing Winning Photo becomes Åland Summer Stamp 26. August 2005 In connection with the Mare Balticum ’05 exhibition, we issue the stamp ‘Åland summer’ showing the lovely Åland sailing ship Linden of Åland.  During the summer and autumn of 2004, the Åland Post and the local newspaper Nya Åland arranged a photo competition on the theme ‘Åland summer’. Approx. 300 photos were entered in the competition. From the twelve final photos, Frej Edsvik’s photo of the schooner The stamp depicts the schooner Date of issue 26 August 2005 Photo Frej Edsvik Design Cecilia Mattsson Issue 350,000 Denomination € 0.60 Price FDC €1.05 Price collector’s sheet €5.20 Size of stamp 31.56 x 36 mm Size of sheet 2 x 15 stamps Perforation 13.5 per 2 cm Paper 96 g/m² Printing method 4-colour offset Printing house BDT Security Printing Two brownies below twinkling stars 10 October 2005 Last year, the issue of the Post’s first genuine Christmas stamp turned out a great success! We follow up this complete success with the issue of a new Christmas stamp this year.  Each year in time for Christmas, the Post has previously issued a series of stamps depicting Åland churches. The highly valued church stamps were all designed by Pirkko Vahtero. She has also designed this year’s Christmas stamp, the second Åland stamp ever with a hologram. The stamp shows a girl and a boy brownie walking hand in hand along a wintry road. One is holding a parcel, the other a lantern. The upper part of the stamp is decorated with hologram stars. The first day cover is embellished by a poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and a brownie’s cap forms the cancel. Beautiful winter scenery at dusk is featured on the collector’s sheet; a great tit sits in the top of a young spruce, and on the ground, a snowy-white alpine hare (Lepus timidus) looks out towards sea. Date of issue 10 October 2005 Artist Pirkko Vahtero Issue 500,000 Denomination € 0.45 Price FDC (not signed) € 0.90 Price collector’s sheet € 5.05 Size of stamp 26 x 35.40 mm Size of sheet 2 x 20 stamps Perforation 13 per 2 cm Paper 110 g/m² Printing method 4-colour offset Printing house Cartor Security Printing
Walpurgis Night is celebrated in Åland as well as elsewhere in the Nordic countries on 30 April. Many people celebrate by gathering around a large bonfire. It is customary for the children in Åland to make special May rods of colourful tissue paper on Walpurgis Night, and everybody eats rosettes and drinks mead. The stamp depicts a family of four standing next to a huge bonfire, enjoying themselves in the light of the fire. The artist behind the stamp is Anni Wikberg, who has also designed the booklet cover, featuring a boy and a girl who celebrate Walpurgis Night the traditional Åland way. The first day cover shows a boy with a large student’s cap on his head and a red balloon in one hand. The cancel is designed as a pinwheel, even that common among the children on Walpurgis Night. Date of issue 29 April 2005 Design Anni Wikberg Issue 150,000 self-adhesive booklets Denomination 8 x 2nd class Price, booklet € 4.00 Price, FDC € 0.95 Price, collector’s sheet € 5.10 Size, stamps 35.96 x Size, booklet 174 x Perforation 13 per Paper 233 g/m² Printing method 4-colour offset Printing house Cartor Security Printing Gastronomic Delicacy - 29. April 2005 The theme of the 2005 EUROPA stamp is gastronomy. The Åland contribution to the series features a plate of fresh-smoked bucklings, ready to enjoy.
Bucklings are Baltic herrings which have been smoked in a hot kiln with fir or juniper firewood after having first been pickled in brine. The result is a golden-brown lustre and a really wonderful taste! Fish have always been a natural ingredient of everyday Åland life, as food as well as a source of income. The stock of Baltic herrings in Åland waters is considerable, and it is an all-round type of fish, which can be prepared in a variety of ways. Date of issue 29 April 2005 Design Juha Pykäläinen Issue 300,000 Denomination € 0.90 Price FDC (not signed) € 1.35 Price collector’s sheet € 5.50 Size of stamps 36 x Size of sheet 2 x 15 stamps Perforation 13 per Paper 96 g/m² Printing method 4+1-colour offset Printing house BDT Security Printing Åland in the Eyes of Tennis Player Björn Borg - 26. May 2005 The celebrity stamp series “My Åland” issued by the Åland Post continues with a captivating issue of Björn Borg, fivefold Wimbledon tennis champion 1976-1980.
Björn Borg, born in The stamp shows Björn Borg standing on a rock, gazing out at sea. Available in the My Åland series is also a first day cover and a collector’s sheet. The series of “My Åland” stamps has previously featured stamps designed by Lill Lindfors (2002), Mark Levengood (2003) and Mauno Koivisto (2004). Date of issue 26 May 2005 Design Björn Borg/Cecilia Mattsson Photographer Robert Jansson Issue 350,000 Denomination € 0.55 Price FDC € 1.00 Price collector’s sheet € 5.15 Stamp size 31.75 x Sheet size 2 x 15 stamps Perforation 13 per Paper 110 g/m² Printing method 4-colour offset Printing house Cartor Security Printing
The cars represent four different decades: the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. First out on the road was an Oakland Sport Convertible from 1928. The following car model is a shining black Ford V8 from 1939. The second youngest of the cars is a Buick Super 4D HT, a classic red-and-white American car. The beige Volkswagen 1200 from 1964 is the youngest of the featured vintage cars. This car is still a very popular model all over the world. All four cars are registered in Åland.
The car stamps are inserted in a booklet with a brief informative text about each car. The booklet cover shows a detail of the right rear wing of the Volkswagen. The denomination of the stamps is 1st class.
The piece of postal stationery focuses on the holiday Easter. The artist behind the postcard is Linn Dahlblom from Åland. She has chosen to illustrate Easter with a lying Easter egg in yellow and orange. A blue anemone accentuates the egg. The franking symbol and the cancel also illustrate Easter and the spring season, both depicting a daffodil. Postage to any country in the world is included in the price of the card. Date of issue 4 March 2005 Design Linn Dahlblom Issue 17,000 Price € 1.00 Size 148 x 105 mm Paper Printing method 4 + 1 colour offset Printing house BDT Security Printing  Cloudberries Conclude In January, the third and last Frama label motif will be issued. This time, we put cloudberries in the basket.
Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) belongs to the rose family like raspberries and blackberries. Cloudberries are commonly found in the bog parts of moors, in marshes and mires in the northernmost parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but under certain circumstances, they can also be found further south in Concurrently with the Frama labels, the Post will be issuing a berry set, including all three types of berry Framas issued (2003-2005). Emily Hage is the artist behind all three Framas. She has also designed the delicious folder for the Frama collection, which costs € 6. Date of issue: 3 January 2005 Design: Emelie Hage Denominations: € 0.50; 0.55; 0.60; 0.80 Price, set of 4: € 2.45 Price, FDC: €2.90 Price collector’s sheet: €5.20 Size of labels: 40.00 x 30.34 mm Paper: Fluorescens, 105 g/m² Printing method: 6-colour offset Printing house: Post Danmark Newly Immigrated Species on Definitive Stamps With the 2005 definitive series of Åland stamps, we acquaint ourselves with three kinds of newly immigrated species of birds. We learn more about the species greater cormorant, whooper swan and grey heron, which all appear in Åland.
The greater cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) was first noticed in Åland approximately eight years ago. The increasing number of fish in Åland waters is the main reason why the cormorants now breed in Åland. The bird’s plumage is not water-repellent and it can often be seen with its wings held out to air-dry.
The whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) is approximately the same size as the more commonly found mute swan. It is easiest recognised by its yellow-black bill as opposed to the orange-black bill of the mute swan, which also has a knob on the bill. Twenty years ago, no whooper swans bred in Åland. However, over the last 15 years, more and more whooper swans have found their way to Åland, and we now see large flocks of them, even on the fields along the roads.
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) can often be seen standing motionless for hours on end among the reeds, waiting for a fish to come within reach. Most grey herons nest in colonies high up among the treetops. Herons have lived in Åland for more than ten years. Design: Dag Peterson Issue: 400,000; 500,000; 300,000 Denominations: € 0.15; € 0.65; € 4.00 Price FDC (not signed): €5.25 Price collector’s sheet: €9.40 Size of stamps: 36 x 31.56 Size of sheets: 2 x 15 stamps Perforation: 13 per 2 cm. Paper: 96 g/m² Printing method: 4-colour offset Printing house: BDT |
