Åland Post is pleased to present the 2023 issuing program of Åland stamps that will be released on eight occasions between January and October. “We offer a wide and varied program that reflects current and universal topics. I am proud to introduce more stamp debuting artists than ever before who have created innovative and interesting stamps. The stamps featuring the three winning summer cottages from the “My summer cottage” stamp competition will be released on Åland's Autonomy Day, and the peace theme characterizes several stamps,” Eivor Granberg, Business Area Manager of Stamps & Postal Services says.
4 January 2023
A new series of self-adhesive franking labels on the theme garden berries kicks off the stamp year. Finnish artist Mari Oksanen illustrates her first postal labels showing the berry varieties black currants ((Ribus nigrum), gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa), raspberries (Rubus ideaeus) and strawberries (Fragaria x anassa).
Issued on the same day are the last two stamps in the 3-year stamp series featuring Veteran tractors that first appeared in 2021. One stamp shows a 1955 Ferguson TES20, owned by Sven-Åke Jansson and kept on the premises of the veteran tractor club in Jomala. The second stamp shows a 1960 Fordson Super Major. Now driven by Daniel Högman, this tractor was bought new for a farm located in Önningeby, Jomala, where it is still preserved. Photographer David Lundberg shot the photos.
15 February 2023
On 15 February, 150 years have passed since the birth of Carl Björkman (1873–1948), the first Åland Premier. He played a leading role in the construction of Åland self-government och and is often attributed the title “architect of the autonomy”. Åland Post celebrates the anniversary with a portrait stamp designed by Johanna Finne.
15 March 2023
On the 2023 bird stamp, Åland Post presents parrot crossbills (Loxia pytyopsittacus), beautifully painted by well-known Swedish animal and nature artist Bo Lundwall. Endemic to Åland and Scandinavia, this may be the first time that the parrot crossbill appears on a stamp.
9 May 2023
Peace is the theme for the 2023 “Europa” stamp series. For this issue, PostEurop, the cooperation body for the European postal operators behind the series, chose to arrange a design motif competition among the postal services. Post Luxembourg and artists Linda Bos and Runa Egilsdottir won the competition. The design shows a new peace symbol, a metaphor for a peacefully integrated, cooperative society in which people embrace each other’s culture. On Europe Day, Åland Post also releases its own design proposal for the competition, created by stamp debuting illustrator Sofia Pusa. A sunrise above the Åland granite cliffs illustrates the peace sign.
Our third stamp release this day focuses on the traditional art of boat building in Åland. The stamp shows sailing yacht Alanta that was built according to Nordic clinker boat traditions, recently inscribed on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. With this issue, artist Danelle Bergström from Australia makes her debut as stamp artist.
A new series of postal stationery named Greetings from Åland will also be for sale as of 9 May. Illustrator Hannamari Ruohonen, who resides in the Åland archipelago, designed the four cards.
9 June 2023
On Åland’s Autonomy Day, we release the stamp booklet Summer cottages, a tribute to Åland cottage life. The three summer cottages portrayed on the stamps, “The Croft”, “Strandskatan”, and “Finngrundet”, were found through an open photo competition in the summer of 2022. Lars Sjööblom from Sweden is the artist.
For the first time, Åland Post is giving an artist free rein to interpret a stamp motif. The commission “Open Edition" went to world known art photographer Christoffer Relander, who named his edition Bark boat in a jar. With the design, he looks back on his Åland roots and summers on Åland when he and his grandfather used to build bark boats.
27 July 2023
The theme of the 2023 Sepac stamp series issued by the small European postal operators is traditional markets. Åland photographer Alice Åkerblom shot the photo for Åland Post’s contribution showing the Viking Market, a historical market with sales stalls and shows that takes place in Saltvik at the end of July every year.
22 September 2023
On 22 September, we release a mini-sheet of eight stamps and two different motifs. The theme of this issue is sustainability. Designer Elin Eriksson from Åland used collage technique. On the personal motifs, the eyes of the designer and her daughter meet with the words “decisive impacts – until the next flowering season". The stamp issue is inspired by the sustainability work in Åland, which is based on the vision “Everyone can flourish in a sustainable society on the islands of peace". At the same time, the frame of the mini-sheet is a new variant of frame for My stamps, a service though which private individuals and companies can order mini-sheets of personalized Åland stamps.
20 October 2023
Part ten of the stamp series illustrating Chinese zodiac animals and their odyssey through the Åland landscape appears on 20 October. Prior to the Year of the Dragon, artist Martin Mörck has illustrated a miniature sheet with children flying a dragon kite at Lilla Holmen, a popular excursion destination in central Mariehamn.
The stamp year ends with the issue of two Christmas stamps. Illustrator Lasse Harkkala’s stamps show a peace angel and a peace dove spreading Christmas peace, fellowship, and care. Lasse has also illustrated the 2023 self-adhesive Christmas seals for decorating letters and parcels.
The stamps are available to order in the webshop approximately one month prior to date of issue.