4320) SEPAC - "Iconic Landmarks From The Air", Åland : The sailing ship Pommern in Mariehamn’s western harbour, one of Åland’s best-known sights and a proud symbol of the islands’ maritime heritage: Stamp Issue Date: 18th March 2026:
In 1994, philatelic agent Mr Paolo de Rosa initiated an annual conference for the small postal administrations, which he represented, in order to discuss various philatelic matters of interest specifically in relation to the smaller postal administrations.
Following Paolo de Rosa selling his philatelic agency to Afinsa, the postal administrations created their own annual SEPAC conference.
The annual SEPAC conference of the postal administrations commenced in 1999 and was represented by delegates from the same postal administrations which had attended the De Rosa conference.
The Small European Postal Administration Cooperation (SEPAC) is an association of 13 European Postal Authorities:
- Åland,
- the Faroe Islands,
- Gibraltar,
- Greenland,
- Guernsey,
- Iceland,
- the Isle of Man,
- Jersey,
- Liechtenstein,
- Luxembourg,
- Malta,
- Monaco, and
- Vatican City.
Luxembourg was not originally a member of SEPAC but it joined at the end of 2006. San Marino decided to leave and is no longer a member, as of 03/2020. SEPAC is smaller than PostEurop.
Vatican City does not participate in these issues.
The first joint issue of SEPAC postage stamps occurred on October 1, 2007, and the next in 2009; then again in September 2015 and then again in 2022.
The following criteria are requisites for membership:
- The postal administration must be located in Europe.
- The postal administration must be independent.
- The postal administration must have a small market with more than 50% of its philatelic customers living outside the country.
In 2026, SEPAC is issuing postage stamps with the theme - "Iconic Landmarks From The Air:" The Stamp features Pommern, formerly Mneme (1903–1908), is a steel-hulled four-masted barque.
It was built in 1903 at the J. Reid & Co shipyard in Glasgow, Scotland.
"Pommern" (German for "Pomerania") is one of the Flying P-Liners, sailing ships of the German shipping company F. Laeisz.
In 1921 the Pommern had to be handed over to Greece as war reparation.
In 1923 she was acquired by Gustaf Erikson of Mariehamn in the Finnish Åland archipelago, who used her to carry grain from the Spencer Gulf area in Australia to harbours in England or Ireland until the start of World War II.
On 2 March 1935, Pommern ran aground at Port Germein, South Australia, but she was refloated and returned to service.
After World War II, Pommern was donated to the town of Mariehamn as a museum ship. It is now a museum ship belonging to the Åland Maritime Museum and is anchored in western Mariehamn, Åland.
A collection of photographs taken by Ordinary Seaman Peter Karney in 1933 showing dramatic pictures of life on a sailing ship rounding Cape Horn can be found in the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.
Pommern is so-called "bald-headed barque": it does not have royals over her upper topgallant sails. The topsails and topgallant sails have been divided in two (upper and lower) to ease their handling.
Pommern has the reputation of being a "lucky ship". She survived both world wars unscathed, lost only four crew members at sea on her journeys, and won the Great Grain Races twice, 1930 and 1937.
"Pommern" is thus one of the most popular landmarks of Åland, and is visited by thousands of visitors annually.
In 2019, Pommern was placed in a purpose-built dock facility that can be pumped dry for periodic maintenance of the ship's hull.
The SEPAC Postage stamp:
The Åland stamp features the sailing ship Pommern in Mariehamn’s western harbour, one of Åland’s best-known sights and a proud symbol of the islands’ maritime heritage.
First-time stamp artist Moein Eshghi has photographed the museum ship in its serene winter repose.
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Rajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very nice post."
Thank you so much, Trikha sahab.
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