Europa - Archeological Discoveries

In May, European postal administrations will publish the Europa stamps with the theme of archeological discoveries. Finland's stamps will feature two ancient artifacts: a bronze bird pendant discovered in Mikkeli (from the Iron Age, 800–1050) and a golden Ave Maria ring from Pyhtää (from the Middle Ages, 1150–1500). The stamps have been designed by Anssi Kähärä.

Choosing the theme for the stamps was a separate process. ”Posti had a few motifs ready, and in addition to them, I went through thousands of pictures of the Finnish Heritage Agency, from which we first selected about 15. In the final selection of images, we paid attention to the time period of the objects and the visual aspects that work in stamps. I chose an archeological, worn-out and slightly imperfect atmosphere for the typography of the stamps,” says Kähärä.