Europa (CEPT) 2002: Circus on Stamps

I have written before about EUROPA stamps, having showcased on the site the 1976 issue of handicrafts on stamps. Now it’s the time to take a look at another EUROPA release that I count among my favorites, namely the 2002 issue, devoted to the world of the circus.

As much as I like the colorful stamps of the series, I feel the need to start right off with a disclaimer: for me, the circus belongs to the old world. I condone neither the abuse of people, nor of animals, and taking in today’s moral climate, I would say I’d rather settle for a circus-free world. But the safe space of stamp collecting still allows me to take a closer look at the magical world of the circus. By the way, as an old-time collector of circus on stamps, I salute the initiative of Michel Catalog to issue to my knowledge the first thematic catalog devoted to circus on stamps – my review here.

No less than 61 countries and territorial postal authorities issued stamps on the occasion, and you can see them all pictured below, in alphabetical order.

Albania

Andorra

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Pictured above the issues of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 4 versions: local, Serbian Post as singles and from booklet with tabs, and Croatian Post issues.

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Pictured above the issues of Cyprus from the local and the Turkish post authorities.

Czech Republic

Denmark

Denmark (Faroe Islands)

Denmark (Greenland)

Estonia

Finland

Finland (Aland Islands)

France

Georgia

Germany

Gibraltar

Great Britain

Great Britain (Guernsey)

Great Britain (Isle of Man)

Great Britain (Jersey)

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Malta

Moldova

Monaco

The Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Pictured above the three releases from Portugal, incl. the ones from Azores and Madeira.

Romania

Russia

San Marino

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

Vatican City

Former Yugoslavia

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Country	Michel Catalog No.	Price in EUR
Albania	2886-2889, bl. 138	17.5
Andorra (French Post)	590	3
Andorra (Spanish Post)	290	15
Armenia	464-465	4
Austria	2376	2.4
Azerbaijan	513-514	6.5
Belarus	447-448	2.5
Belgium	3119	2.5
Bosnia & Herzegovina	83	1
Bosnia & Herzegovina (Croatian Post)	88-89	4.3
Bosnia & Herzegovina (Serbian Republic)	241-242	3.5
Bulgaria	4550-4551	2.5
Croatia	610-611	3.5
Cyprus	990-991	2
Cyprus (Turkish)	560-561	6
Czech Republic	319	1.2
Denmark	1310-1311	3
Denmark (Faroe Isl.)	423-424	5
Denmark (Greenland)	385	3.5
Estonia	437	1.5
Finland	1623	1.5
Finland (Aland)	208	1.2
France	3603	1.7
Georgia	397-398	4.2
Germany	2252	1.3
Gibraltar	1002-1005	8
Great Britain	2003-2007	11
Great Britain (Guernsey)	913-918	9
Great Britain (Isle of Man)	1024-1028	6.5
Great Britain (Jersey)	1019-1022	5.5
Greece	2110-2111	9
Hungary	4727	1.5
Iceland	1009-1010	3.5
Ireland	1432-1433	2.5
Italy	2842	1.5
Latvia	568	3
Liechtenstein	1283-1284	5.5
Lithuania	792	1.5
Luxembourg	1579-1580	2.5
Macedonia	254-255	2
Malta	1216	1.2
Moldova	429	2.5
Monaco	2600-2601	2.5
Netherlands	2011-2012	3
Norway	1446-1447	4.8
Poland	3972	2
Portugal	2593, bl. 176	12.3
Portugal (Azores)	483, bl. 23	10.5
Portugal (Madeira)	217, bl. 25	9.2
Romania	5657-5658	5
Russia	987	2
San Marino	2018-2019	22
Slovakia	424	2
Slovenia	403	18
Spain	3741	1.5
Sweden	2295-2298	8
Switzerland	1794-1795	3
Turkey	3301	3.5
Ukraine	499-500	4
Vatican City	1415-1416	3.2
Yugoslavia	3076-3077, bl. 53	55

Stamps featured in post: 112; Period: contemporary (2002); Michel Catalog numbers and prices: see table above – a whole mint collection is priced EUR348 Availability: available, makes for an interesting search to assemble a full set.