Andorra Fr offers an intriguing little stamp program for collectors and design fans alike. Stéphanie Ghinéa once again pilots Andorra’s compact, but imaginative year. No catalogue about Andorra’s modern stamps would be complete without a dive into Ghinéa’s passion for the what she calls “pictorial and graphic representations” on stamps.
For those unfamiliar with the designer, Ghinéa has been the hand behind both designs and/or layouts for most of Andorra’s stamps over the past few years. Given the tiny space used for the layout, it takes a specific talent to take a graphic/photograph and shape it so the theme is quickly identifiable and visibly appealing. Anyone can create a stamp. Not everyone can turn it into an art form.
In a 2020 interview with Le Monde, she explores what makes a “successful” stamp:
By its format and function, a successful stamp must be legible, understandable and synthetic. It is the vehicle of a certain image of our culture by the theme addressed. It testifies to the time by the way the theme is evoked. At the time of his show he begins his own life, his particular journey.
Whether it presents or commemorates a story, an event, a character, an epic, a place… A successful stamp for me is a stamp that takes us into its universe, that awakens our imagination and our curiosity.
Stéphanie Ghinéa: “I like pictorial and graphic representations, like Olivier Debré’s stamp” (lemonde.fr)
I mention this because designing a stamp is not simply putting an image on a small piece of paper. The entire set’s layout needs to be considered. This includes the wonderful graphics that decorate each sheet of stamps. No space is wasted, and every inch is used to promote the subject. She pulls together a theme, photographs and artwork to create a clearly defined issue.
So far only two engraved stamps have appeared on the program, which I find disappointing, The first is the March Refugi Envalira by André Lavergne and the September Wild Strawberries by Christophe Laborde-Balen. I’ve become a fierce fan of the engravers employed by La Poste over the past few years and I suspect I’ll have to be content with just two this year. But we’ll always have France, am I right?
January
Port of Cabus
1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset
A pass in the Pyrenees 2302 meters above sea level on the border between Andorra and Spain.
Designer: Elisenda Ortega
Layout Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: January 3, 2023
February
NSU Kettenrad
1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset
German built light half track motorbike. NSU Motorenwerke produced them between 1939-1945 and were used by the German army between 1941-1945.
The NSU Kettenkrad Homepage
Designer: Jordi Planellas
Layout Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date February 4, 2023
March
Finals of the Copa del Mon d’Esqui
1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset
The Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals were held in Andorra March 15 and 19, 2023
Designer: Naiara Galdós
“I don’t consider myself an artist, I’m a multidisciplinary creator” – Altaveu, Andorra’s digital newspaper
Layout Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: March 11, 2023
Andorra – Coat of arms
1 stamp, sheets of 20
offset
Designer: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: March 6, 2023
Refugi Envalira
1 stamp, sheets of 15
intaglio
The construction of the Envalira refuge was driven by the engineer Álvar Menéndez of the Hydroelectric Forces of Andorra (FHASA), it was inaugurated in December 1933. From this point skiers, with seal skins, could reach the top of the Col Blanc where 25 years later Frances Viladomat installed the first ski lift of the first ski resort in Andorra (Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig). Stamp Andorra – Refugi Envalira – Swiss Post (laposte.fr)
Designer/engraver: André Lavergne
Layout: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: March 27, 2023
April
Caterina Guerrero (1939-2020)
1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset
Multitalented woman – pharmacist & poet. Graduate of University of Barcelona with a pharmacy degree. Went on to establish the Pasteur pharmacies. Also published a number of books of poetery, including Flors Boscanes.
Designer: Yolanda Sanmarcos
Layout Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: April 15, 2023
May
Europa 2023: Peace
1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset
The annual EUROPA theme was Peace – the highest price of humanity. Each participating nation used the Peace knot symbol in this issue.
Designer: Linda Bos & Runa Egilsdottir
Layout Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: May 10, 2023
June
Estany Moreno
1 stamp, sheets of 10
intaglio
Estany Moreno is located 2,384 metres above sea level, in the parish of Encamp. For those who love geolocations try 42°30′54″N 1°38′17″E
Designer: Anna Bonet
Layout Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: June 10, 2023
Andorra – Coat of arms
1 stamp, sheets of 20
offset
Designer: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: June 16, 2023
Andorra – Coat of arms
1 stamp, sheets of 20
offset
Designer: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: June 26, 2023
July
Llàgrimes de Sant Llorenç
1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset
Roughly translated to “Tears of Saint Lawrence”. They are a mid August Perseid meteor shower
Designer: Eiden Marsal
Layout Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: July 8, 2023
Diptych – UN & UNESCO Membership
2 stamps, sheets of 12
offset
Andorra officially joined UN July 28, 1993.
Designer: Duettstudio
Duett Studio | disseny gràfic | Branding
Layout: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: July 29, 2023
August
Fons de la Casa d’Areny-Plandolit i de la Casa Rossell
1 stamp
offset
The bibliographic collections of Casa Rossell and Casa d’Areny-Plandolit are objects of cultural interest because of the importance of their volume and the age of the documents.
The books and documents of Casa Rossell are in the National Library while the documents that form the Areny-Plandolit collection are in the house museum.
Information on trade, livestock, economic activities and the background of these two families is very important to understand the composition of Andorran society in the nineteenth century. Stamp Andorra – Fons de la Casa d’Areny-Plandolit i de la Casa Rossell – Swiss Post (laposte.fr)
Designer: Itziar Badenas
Badenas was a brilliant choice for this stamp celebrating books and documents. She is passionate about books and having them accessible, especially to children. In a 2017 interview, she stressed it wasn’t enough to introduce children to books, they should be taught about their backgrounds.
Itziar Badenas: “Children must discover the background of books” – El Periódico de Andorra (elperiodic.ad) <- fascinating read.
Layout: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: August 18, 2023
September
Maduixes de bosc – Wild Strawberries
1 stamp, sheets of
intaglio
Wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca)
Designer/engraver: Christophe Laborde-Balen
Laborde-Balen designed and engraved his first stamp in 2015.
Layout: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: September 23, 2023
October
Bici Lab Andorra
1 stamp, sheets of 10
offset
BICI LAB ANDORRA – Andorra Bike Museum
Artist: Mersi Studio
Design: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: October 6, 2023
November
Mother of God of Canòlich
800th anniversary of the discovery of the Virgin of Canòlich
1 stamp, sheets of 10
offset
Designer: Stéphanie Ghinéa using a photo supplied by the Government of Andorra
Release date: November 13, 2023
Jaume Riba
1 stamp, sheets of 9
offset
Photographer: Jaume Riba
Designer: Stéphanie Ghinéa
Release date: November 13, 2023
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