Most collectors occasionally come across stamps from different countries that feature the same SEPAC logo. In this blog, we delve deeper into the background and meaning. Naturally, we will also show some SEPAC stamps. Will you read along?

SEPAC stamps: European cooperation in philately

Every year, small European postal administrations issue stamps based on a shared theme. Just like with the Europa stamps, each participating country showcases its own culture, nature, or heritage, while the issues remain connected.

What is SEPAC?

SEPAC stands for Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation (Cooperation of Small European Postal Administrations). The association was established in 2001 with the aim of strengthening the interests of smaller European postal companies. These postal administrations often have lower print runs than the larger European countries, but possess a rich cultural and natural diversity that, due to the lower print runs, becomes known to only a small group. By acting jointly, the participating countries can better promote their stamps and increase collector interest.

The first joint SEPAC stamps appeared in 2007Unlike the Europa stamps in some years, there is no mandatory uniform design. Each country produces its own stamp, but all issues relate to the same subject.

Annual themes

Since the start, the following themes have appeared:

• 2007 – Landscapes
• 2008 – Beautiful nature
• 2009 – National Flowers
• 2010 – Children's toys
• 2011 – Forests, trees and woods
• 2012 – Visits…
• 2013 – Posters
• 2014 – National instruments
• 2015 – Old means of transport
• 2016 – Seasonal dishes
• 2017 – Local festivals
• 2018 – Bridges
• 2019 – Birds
• 2020 – Old trees
• 2021 – National monuments
• 2022 – Stories and myths
• 2023 – Traditional architecture
• 2024 – Flora and Fauna
• 2025 – Architecture
• 2026 – Iconic monuments

Which countries are participating?

These are the countries with SEPAC stamps:

• Åland
• Faroe Islands
• Gibraltar
• Greenland
• Guernsey
• Iceland
• Isle of Man
• Jersey
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco

Characteristics of SEPAC stamps

SEPAC issues are easy to recognize. In addition to the annual theme, the stamps usually also bear the SEPAC-logo.

Click here to view SEPAC stamps in the Freestamp catalogue