Europa stamp contest opens

PostEurop, the association representing European public postal operators, launched an online competition May 9, Europe Day, to vote for the best Europa stamp of 2014.

The competition is open through Aug. 31 at the website www.posteurop.org/europa2014.

You must register on the site to vote, and only one vote is allowed per person.

More than 50 postal administrations, from Aland to Vatican City, are participating in this popularity poll, and one stamp from each is pictured on the website.

The theme of the 2014 Europa stamps is national musical instruments, honoring the role instruments play in bringing music to the lives of Europeans throughout history.

Anita Hagblomm, chair of the PostEurop stamps and philately working group from Posten Aland, said of the stamp designs: “Looking at the wonderful entries we have received this year, there is a strong educational story to tell in each stamp.

“The diversity of national musical instruments also shows us how unique and rich each country is. Taking it a step further some postal operators are using innovative technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and QR Codes to bring the instruments to life.”