Okay, I will admit it, I've become hooked on Olympic themed postage stamps. I find it a bit weird myself but these little things are just too good, so I've put together a little post to share what I think are some great examples I've found so far. All images are large high-res scans that you can click on to enjoy the details.
The first set of stamps from the modern games were released in 1896 when the games were held in Athens. Some designs featured boxers and Myron’s famous statue of the discus-thrower, the stamp on the lower right shows the Hermes of Praxiteles by Paeonius which had been recently excavated at Olympia.
Jumping ahead a bit to 1964, where the games were set in Tokyo. I think the designer makes a smart move by orienting the text and image diagonally along the postage stamp square to max out the overall size of the picture.
Check out the Cuban summer 1972 set below from the Munich games . Notice how a letter from the name of the Olympic host city has a place on each stamp, and I especially like how the designer managed the legs of the figures on the N and C stamps.
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This set from the 1928 Amsterdam games looks like it might have been originally carved into a teeny woodblock and then printed.
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Jumping ahead a bit to 1964, where the games were set in Tokyo. I think the designer makes a smart move by orienting the text and image diagonally along the postage stamp square to max out the overall size of the picture.
Here are not stamps but some czech matchbook covers from the Tokyo games:
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Check out the Cuban summer 1972 set below from the Munich games . Notice how a letter from the name of the Olympic host city has a place on each stamp, and I especially like how the designer managed the legs of the figures on the N and C stamps.
The games then moved to Sapporo, Japan for the winter. I think these are flyers or programs for the games.
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These are some stamps from the 1988 games, when Canada was tripping out.
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In 1992 the summer games were in Barcelona, and this ones from the Middle Kingdom.
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From Ghana, I am not sure what year these are from...maybe the 60's?
Edit: 1988, look at the olympic logo on the senegal stamp above.
Thats about what I've found so far, to finish things off here are few that are not Olympic related:
From a micro-nation in eastern France.
I don't know if the little cross is meant to be a reference to the Swiss flag or is meant to be read something like "peace and prayer".
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In 1992 the summer games were in Barcelona, and this ones from the Middle Kingdom.
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From Ghana, I am not sure what year these are from...maybe the 60's?
Edit: 1988, look at the olympic logo on the senegal stamp above.
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From a micro-nation in eastern France.
I don't know if the little cross is meant to be a reference to the Swiss flag or is meant to be read something like "peace and prayer".
And a pretty rambunctious set from NIPPON:
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