POSTER STAMPS AND LABELS OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES

      INTRODUCTION

      STATISTICS

      UNSOLVED MYSTERIES

        SUMMER GAMES
1894 - Modern Games Founded
1896 - I Olympiad - Athens
1900 - II Olympiad - Paris
      - Vignettes of the 1900 Paris Expo
1904 - III Olympiad - St. Louis
1906 - Intercalated Games - Athens
1908 - IV Olympiad - London
1912 - V Olympiad - Stockholm
1913 - Berlin prepares for 1916 games
1914 - 20th Anniversary of Rebirth of Games
1916 - VI Olympiad - Berlin
1920 - VII Olympiad - Antwerp
1924 - VIII Olympiad - Paris
      - Post Cards
1928 - IX Olympiad - Amsterdam
1932 - X Olympiad - Los Angeles
1936 - XI Olympiad - Berlin
1940 - XII Olympiad - Tokyo
      - XII Olympiad - Helsinki
      - New Zealand Centennial Games
1944 - XIII Olympiad - London
      - German POW Games
1948 - XIV Olympiad - London
1952 - XV Olympiad - Helsinki
1956 - XVI Olympiad - Melbourne
      - XVI Olympiad - Stockholm
1960 - XVII Olympiad - Rome

1920 - VII Olympiad - Antwerp

Apr. 20-Sept. 12

Official Poster for 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium

In the aftermath of the horror of World War I, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey were banned from competing in these Games.

Even though the 1916 Games had been cancelled, the IOC decided to increment the numbering, calling this the Seventh Olympiad. I assume their logic was that the numbering referred to the four-year intervals, independent of the Games themselves. Oddly, they did NOT apply this logic to the numbering of the Winter Games.

The following poster stamps were issued for the 1920 Games:

Click on image below to open an enlarged version in a separate window/tab
Click on the DuBois number beneath the image to display technical data about that label.


#1920-1a thru e
Official labels - all five colors are shown. Imperforates exist.

DuBois listing:

1. "VIIe OLYMPIADE 1920 ANVERS" on left; "ANTWERPEN" on right; "(BELGIQUE)" below ANVERS; "(BELGIE)" below ANTWERPEN. All of text at bottom. Vignette: a discus thrower with flags above, to the left, and below; a coat of arms at the upper right and Brussels in the background; a thin-lined border around vignette and text. 32x54mm, perf 11.5
a) red, b)green, c)blue, d)brown or e)violet ... $8.00ea
Imperforates ...... Rare

It is unusual to find stamps of this issue as good as the ones shown. Most examples are poorly centered, badly perfed, dirty, ragged, faded, etc. BELOW, a gutter pair!

      SOLVED MYSTERIES!

      STILL MISSING

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      UPDATE HISTORY

       SUMMER GAMES
1964 - XVIII Olympiad - Tokyo
1968 - XIX Olympiad - Mexico City
1972 - XX Olympiad - Munich

       WINTER GAMES
1924 - I Winter Games - Chamonix
1928 - II Winter Games - St Moritz
1932 - III Winter Games - Lake Placid
1936 - IV Winter Games - Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1940 - V Winter Games - Sapporo
      - V Winter Games - St Moritz
      - V Winter Games - Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1944 - V Winter Games - Cortina d'Ampezzo
1948 - V Winter Games - St Moritz
1952 - VI Winter Games - Oslo
1956 - VII Winter Games - Cortina d'Ampezzo
1960 - VIII Winter Games - Squaw Valley
1964 - IX Winter Games - Innsbruck
1968 - X Winter Games - Grenoble
1972 - XI Winter Games - Sapporo

       OTHER TOPICS
      - U.S. OLYMPIC SHIELD DECALS
      - Workers' Olympics

OTHER LABELS FOR THE 1920 GAMES

   
Swiss charity label
#1920-2, 2x, and postcard
Second image (not in DuBois - new find!) is from cinderellastamp.com.
Dimensions are the same, 26x41. Third item is a similar postcard.

DuBois listing:

2. Swiss Label: "TIMBRE OLYMPIQUE SUISSE" above; "SCHWEIZ OLYMPISCHE MARKE ANVERS 1920 ANTWERPEN" below; the texts are in panel sections. Vignette, between texts: a spear-thrower wearing a helmet, a Swiss coat of arms at upper right. 26x41mm, perf 11.5, color: red .........$20.00

2x. New find, April 2016 - same basic design, but text reads "TIMBRE OLYMPIQUE pour facilité la participation Suisse à la VII Olympiade" above, and "OLYMPISCHE MARKE für die Schweiz Teilnahme an der VII. Olympiade ANVERS 1910 ANTWERPEN" below. Vignette is cruder, but same spear-thrower and Swiss coat-of-arms. Size approximately the same. Perf unknown.

That second stamp is so crude compared to the first - is there a story?
Perhaps there was a competition, with the design spelled out in detail,
and these were two of the submissions? I think I know which won.


Hungarian label
#1920-3

According to the DEPS DB

Blase notes this issue was published by the Hungarian Olympic Committee
in 1914 in their [at the time] successful bid to host the 1920 Games
[presumably in Budapest]. Antwerp ultimately hosted the 1920 Games,
while Hungary and the other Central Power Nations were excluded.

DuBois listing:

3. Hungarian Label: "KÉRJÜK 1920-BAN A MAGYAR OLIMPIÁSZT!" All text on an oval, spiral ribbon, centrally located; a Hungarian coat of arms at top, over the ribbon; within the ribbon, two clasping hands amid laurel leaves; six different coats of arms to left of ribbon; eight different coats of arms to right of ribbon; one coat of arms within ribbon, at lower right; laurel leaves are also scattered outside the ribbon; printer's imprint, below design: "MAGYAR FOLDRAJZ: INTERZET R.J." 46x32mm, perf 11.5, multicolored
............... $10.00;
Imperforate ... Rare

(Translation: "Make 1920 a Hungarian Olympiad")

NOT IN DUBOIS

   
1920-x1
57x45mm overall
Stade Dudelange
Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
Jeux Olympiques
29 Aout 1920

Stade Dudelange was a football (soccer) club from Dudelange, in southern Luxembourg. The semi-finals of the football playoffs at the 1920 Olympics were on August 29, and they were NOT played in Luxembourg, AND Luxembourg was eliminated on the 28th. So was this just wishful thinking?

I'm sure there's an interesting story here - if you can enlighten me, please send email to the address at bottom of page. Thanks.

4/26/16 - Philippe Pavard found the answer HERE - This stamp had nothing to do with the Olympic football playoffs - Dudelange held a special celbration on August 29, honoring its Olympic athletes.

ESCHER TAGEBLATT - Le Journal d'Esch - 8/25/1920
P.S. - the problem was my initial assumption that "Stade Dudelange" meant the football team, when it simply meant the Stadium at Dudelange.

CLICK HERE for a page with the text of the news article above, in French and English.

    
1920-x2
JEUX ANTIQUES - CAILLER'S CHOCOLAT AU LAIT - Série XVII

Cailler Chocolates

These were issued around 1919, based on the stamp design. Cailler (as well as its partners and competitors, like Nestle) issued many sets like this, on a multitude of topics, in both French and German versions, from the late 19th century through the 1960's.

The image on the right shows how they were promoted to children.


1920-x3 a thru k

"Olympic" matchbox labels of the period
Images courtesy of Philippe Pavard

Dimensions (overall)
Top row - 51x34 mm
SPARTA - 83x66 mm
large OLYMPIADE - 80x55 mm

No date on any of these, and no rings, so these are somewhat peripheral, but still nice items that seem to belong with the 1920 labels.

2/25/19 - Phil sent a new image with more labels, and I decided to renumber them all as letters of 1920-x3, so they are now 1920-x3 a thru k.


LES JOURNÉES BESSONNEAU
"Bessonneau Days"

 
1920-x4
59x45mm overall
Bessonneau Days, 1920
Poster stamp on left, poster on right!

I love it when I can find both a poster and the stamp with the same design, illustrating the reason for the term.

LES JOURNÉES BESSONNEAU
MANIFESTATION NATIONALE
DE L'ATHLÉTISME FRANCAISE
3ème Année
COURSE A PIED - SPORTS OLYMPIQUE
ELIMINATOIRES REGIONALES 9 MAI 1920
FETES FINALES A STRASBOURG 23 ET 24 MAI 1920 (PENTECOTE)


Bessonneau Days
National Event
French Athletics
3rd Year
Foot races - Olympic sports
Regional Qualifiers May 9, 1920
Final celebrations in Strasbourg May 23 & 24, 1920
(Pentecost)


"Bessonneau Days" were founded in 1918 by Julien BESSONNEAU, industrialist and deputy of Maine et Loire, to celebrate French athleticism.

Although the event was held early enough in 1920 to have served as trials for the Olympic Games in Antwerp that year, I can find no indication that this event did, so use of the term "Olympic Sports" may have been just generic.

5/1/18 - On the left Below, image of a postcard for the 1921 edition of these games. Again, it says "Sports Olympiques," confirming that the term was used generically.
5/28/2019 - And on the right, a label that below showed up on eBay today, for the 1918 edition of these Games, at Lyon. Note that it was held in a different town each of these years.

 
1920-x4d

---------------

08/10/23 - 4th year, 1921


1920-x4e

This sold for $63 on eBay, 3/23/23!


1920-x5
VII OLYMPIADE ANVERS - ANTWERPEN
POUR LES MUTILÉS - 5C - VOOR DE VERMINKTEN

David Feldman auction - June 2016 - Lot #30245
Description:
Unissued charity vignette for the injured. Die proof in brown on carton, with "VII OLYMPIADE" and inscriptions in French and Dutch, depicting Javelin thrower, presumably to raise funds for those injured in WWI



1920-x6
4.a OLIMPIADA SUR-AMERICANA
(Chile)-Stgo.-IV-1920

South American Olympics

Before the 1920's the Olympics were mainly a European and American event. The South American countries held their own Games. In 1920 they held the fourth.

 
1920-x7
Diameter = 27mm

OLYMPIADEN 1920
Four horses drawing a chariot with two nude male riders,
one carrying torch, the other playing a lyre(?),
brown border and outlining white design on blue background.

1/12/17 - New item from Ray Petersen, aka maerkat on eBay. He notes Small round tag on card stock. Has a small hole near top - perhaps for use as a pinned lapel tag or similar. Approximate Size: 27 mm. diameter = 1 inch.

"Olympiaden" can be Swedish for "Olympiad," Dutch (Flemish) for "Olympiads," or German for "Olympics."

 
1920-x9

Large die-cut, multi-color shield-shaped label with nude athlete draped with American flag, and holding trophy, next to stand with text "VII Olympiade Antwerp Belgium 1920 - Won by USA". American Olympc shield in background.

Size = 4-1/8" x 4-3/8"

1/8/2018 - this fabulous label just showed up on eBay, seller ID = "gerell" - Can anyone tell me more about it? I assume the text is celebrating US victories at the 1920 Games - the US won more medals than any other country.

5/22/18


1920-x10
Reproduction of 1920 Antwerp Olympics poster with silver border, on tiny ungummed label
Size: 26x36mm (about 1" by 1.4")

This is small for a matchbox label, though I have seen a few this small. So what is it? The edges are uneven, so it was cut down from something larger. But what?


10/12/18


1920-x11
Size 100 mm diam.
Circular label, red border, image of female ice skater doing a jump and Olympic rings, in white against blue background.
Text: SPORTPALEIS - IJSSTADION - ANTWERPEN

The 1920 Summer Games were the only ones with ice skating. Earlier Games had no winter events, and in 1924 the Winter Olympics were begun.

03/31/19

Peel-and-stick self-adhesive label
OOSTENDE PRE-OLYMPISCHE STAD


1920-x12
Size 68 mm x 69 mm (2.7 inches square)
Square label, white background, crossed anchors in background, Multi-colored Olympic rings in front, coat of arms of Ostend, "OOSTENDE" at top, "PRE-OLYMPISCHE STAD" in an arc at bottom.

Ostend was the site of some sailing events for the 1920 Olympic Games centered in Antwerp, but this does not look that old.

I am just guessing that this might have been issued in 1920, but the style and technology seem too new for that. Did they have self-adhesives then?

And why "pre-Olympic?" What does that even mean?

12/30/19

Gummed label - reproduction of 1920 Olympic poster


1920-x13
Size 3.4 x 4.7cm
Rectangular label, gummed

This label has the same format and size as two others, 1912-x10 and 1936-x36, so it seems likely it is part of a set of labels, one for each of the summer Games from 1912 through 1936 - or later.

Can anyone out there tell us more?

SEE THE ANSWER - NEXT COLUMN

6/17/2020 - the labels below showed up on eBay, all with the tab on the right edge, which explains that they are part of a Dutch set of 18, and that the Melbourne 1956 label is number 13. So number 18 would be Montreal 1976, and that puts them outside the current scope of this collection :-)

HAAL VOOR ALLE 18 OLYMPISCHE STICKERS GRATIS VERSAMELSPEL BIJ UW WINKELIER

GET ALL 18 OLYMPIC STICKERS FOR FREE FROM YOUR RETAILER

Can anyone supply scans of the entire set AND their story?


04/22/2022

Gummed baggage label


1920-x14
Size: 15.5x22cm (6.1x8.7 in.)
Rectangular label, US Olympic team shield, "1920 OLYMPIC TRAP-SHOOTING TEAM" and space for team member's name, rank, & address.

A great new find! It sold (Ingrid O'Neil Auctions - 4/9/2022) for $60.


Belgium issued 3 stamps for the 1920 Olympics.


TOP

I am indebted to Robert J DuBois for allowing me to use images and information from his Catalog of Olympic Labels on these web pages.

All text and images are the property of the author. Any errors are his.
REWARD! If you have better or additional information about anything shown or discussed here, please email the author.
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All text Copyright © 2013, William M. Senkus

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Created -- 07/27/2013
Revised -- 08/10/2023