I have written before about EUROPA stamps, having showcased on the site the 1976 issue of handicrafts on stamps. Now it’s the time to take a look at another EUROPA release that I count among my favorites, namely the 2002 issue, devoted to the world of the circus.
As much as I like the colorful stamps of the series, I feel the need to start right off with a disclaimer: for me, the circus belongs to the old world. I condone neither the abuse of people, nor of animals, and taking in today’s moral climate, I would say I’d rather settle for a circus-free world. But the safe space of stamp collecting still allows me to take a closer look at the magical world of the circus. By the way, as an old-time collector of circus on stamps, I salute the initiative of Michel Catalog to issue to my knowledge the first thematic catalog devoted to circus on stamps – my review here.
No less than 61 countries and territorial postal authorities issued stamps on the occasion, and you can see them all pictured below, in alphabetical order.
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pictured above the issues of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 4 versions: local, Serbian Post as singles and from booklet with tabs, and Croatian Post issues.
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Pictured above the issues of Cyprus from the local and the Turkish post authorities.
Czech Republic
Denmark
Denmark (Faroe Islands)
Denmark (Greenland)
Estonia
Finland
Finland (Aland Islands)
France
Georgia
Germany
Gibraltar
Great Britain
Great Britain (Guernsey)
Great Britain (Isle of Man)
Great Britain (Jersey)
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
The Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Pictured above the three releases from Portugal, incl. the ones from Azores and Madeira.
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
Vatican City
Former Yugoslavia
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| Country | Michel Catalog No. | Price in EUR |
| Albania | 2886-2889, bl. 138 | 17.5 |
| Andorra (French Post) | 590 | 3 |
| Andorra (Spanish Post) | 290 | 15 |
| Armenia | 464-465 | 4 |
| Austria | 2376 | 2.4 |
| Azerbaijan | 513-514 | 6.5 |
| Belarus | 447-448 | 2.5 |
| Belgium | 3119 | 2.5 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 83 | 1 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina (Croatian Post) | 88-89 | 4.3 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina (Serbian Republic) | 241-242 | 3.5 |
| Bulgaria | 4550-4551 | 2.5 |
| Croatia | 610-611 | 3.5 |
| Cyprus | 990-991 | 2 |
| Cyprus (Turkish) | 560-561 | 6 |
| Czech Republic | 319 | 1.2 |
| Denmark | 1310-1311 | 3 |
| Denmark (Faroe Isl.) | 423-424 | 5 |
| Denmark (Greenland) | 385 | 3.5 |
| Estonia | 437 | 1.5 |
| Finland | 1623 | 1.5 |
| Finland (Aland) | 208 | 1.2 |
| France | 3603 | 1.7 |
| Georgia | 397-398 | 4.2 |
| Germany | 2252 | 1.3 |
| Gibraltar | 1002-1005 | 8 |
| Great Britain | 2003-2007 | 11 |
| Great Britain (Guernsey) | 913-918 | 9 |
| Great Britain (Isle of Man) | 1024-1028 | 6.5 |
| Great Britain (Jersey) | 1019-1022 | 5.5 |
| Greece | 2110-2111 | 9 |
| Hungary | 4727 | 1.5 |
| Iceland | 1009-1010 | 3.5 |
| Ireland | 1432-1433 | 2.5 |
| Italy | 2842 | 1.5 |
| Latvia | 568 | 3 |
| Liechtenstein | 1283-1284 | 5.5 |
| Lithuania | 792 | 1.5 |
| Luxembourg | 1579-1580 | 2.5 |
| Macedonia | 254-255 | 2 |
| Malta | 1216 | 1.2 |
| Moldova | 429 | 2.5 |
| Monaco | 2600-2601 | 2.5 |
| Netherlands | 2011-2012 | 3 |
| Norway | 1446-1447 | 4.8 |
| Poland | 3972 | 2 |
| Portugal | 2593, bl. 176 | 12.3 |
| Portugal (Azores) | 483, bl. 23 | 10.5 |
| Portugal (Madeira) | 217, bl. 25 | 9.2 |
| Romania | 5657-5658 | 5 |
| Russia | 987 | 2 |
| San Marino | 2018-2019 | 22 |
| Slovakia | 424 | 2 |
| Slovenia | 403 | 18 |
| Spain | 3741 | 1.5 |
| Sweden | 2295-2298 | 8 |
| Switzerland | 1794-1795 | 3 |
| Turkey | 3301 | 3.5 |
| Ukraine | 499-500 | 4 |
| Vatican City | 1415-1416 | 3.2 |
| Yugoslavia | 3076-3077, bl. 53 | 55 |
Stamps featured in post: 112; Period: contemporary (2002); Michel Catalog numbers and prices: see table above – a whole mint collection is priced EUR348 Availability: available, makes for an interesting search to assemble a full set.
Philately. Lately. 
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