POSTER STAMPS AND LABELS OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES

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!

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.

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")

    
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

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.

 
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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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

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?

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.