vintage stamps for the Olympic Games
| February 15, 2010

Below are international commemorative  postage stamps honoring the legacy of sports and the Olympics.

"Olympic stamps are not only a picturesque method of commemorating the Olympic Games. They also usefully bring in money to help finance the Games." —excerpt from The Story of the Olympics
(published by Oxford University Press in 1948)

Games of the VII Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium (summer 1920)


Olympic discus thrower semi-postal stamp c. 1920, Belgium (only country issuing Olympic stamps for this year), stamp engraving by American Bank Note Co., New York


Olympic racing chariot semi-postal stamp c. 1920/21, Belgium


Olympic runner chariot semi-postal stamp c. 1920/21, Belgium

Games of the VIII Olympiad in Paris, France (summer 1924)

Notre-Dame and Pont Neuf with trophy, c. 1924, France, designed by E. Becker, engraving by G. Daussy

Games of the XV Olympiad in Helsinki, Finland (summer 1952)

Olympic fencing stamp, c. 1952, Hungary

Games of the XVII Olympiad in Roma, Italy (summer 1960)

Olympic discus thrower and stadium, c. 1960, Haiti

Games of the XVIII Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan (summer 1964)

depicts one of series Olympic poster designed by Yusaku Kamekura for the 1964 Games in Tokyo, 1964, Japan


Olympic fútbol / soccer, c. 1964, Hungary


Olympic track runner stamp with tab, c. 1964, Israel, designed by Dan Reisinger


Olympic judo, c. 1964, France

IX Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria (1964)

Olympic hockey, c. 1963, Romania, designed by I. Dumitrana


Olympic figure skating, c. 1963, Romania, by I. Dumitrana


Olympic speed skating, c. 1964, Romania, designed by I. Dumitrana


Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico City, Mexico (summer 1968)

Olympic gymnastics stamp, c. 1968, Mexico, designed by Lance Wyman

"Graphic design became an important visual ambassador for the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games, It was the first time the games were hosted by a Latin American nation. In planning for the games, Mexico, an emerging third world nation, could not afford to make the extensive architectural statement made in Tokyo four years earlier. Graphic design contributed to the ambiance of the Mexican games and helped to make a meaningful visual impact for fewer pesos." —Lance Wyman, excerpt from "The Olympic Image", The First 100 Years


Olympic flame and bird stamp, c. 1964, Indonesia

Games of the XX Olympiad in Munich, West Germany (summer 1972)

Olympic sailing stamp, c. 1972, Germany


XI Olympic Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan (1972)

Olympic figure skating pairs, c. 1972, Japan


Olympic bob sledding stamp, c. 1972, Japan


Games of the XXI Olympiad in Montréal, Canada (summer 1976)

depicts Olympic logo for Montreal Games designed by Georges Huel, c. 1974, Canada

Tags:  olympics, stamps, vintage

Topic: Graphic Design