POSTER STAMPS AND LABELS OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES
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INTRODUCTION
SUMMER GAMES |
1948 - XIV Olympiad - LondonJuly 29-Aug. 14
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SOLVED MYSTERIES!
SUMMER GAMES
WINTER GAMES
OTHER TOPICS |
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#1948-3 DuBois listing:
3. U.S. Fund Labels: "U.S.OLYMPIC COMMITTEE LONDON - 1948 GAMES - ST.MORITZ"
above.
Vignette: same as that of No.17 of
"1940 - HELSINKI"
41x28mm, perf 12, each label of one color only:
3B. Same as No.3 but imperf & without gum ... each $10.00
3C. Same as No.3 but an imperf proof; has wide margins like a die proof and is
from
a typographic cut distributed for publicity purposes (not engraved like No.3)
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#1948-3B Sheet Format of Nos. 3a, b, c, & d: same as that of No.17 of "1940 - HELSINKI" except for the texts on the selvage, as follows: Left side: "V OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES ST MORITZ SWITZERLAND JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 8, 1948" Right side: "GAMES OF THE XIV OLYMPIAD LONDON,ENGLAND JULY 29-AUGUST 14, 1948" Top: "UNITED STATES VICTORY STAMP THE UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE," etc. as on 1940 issue; Bottom: same as on 1940 issue Autographed Sheets: Dick Green reported the 1948 sheets in Seal News of April 1948 - "Imperforate proofs exist in the issued colors on ledger stock, ungummed, but these have not yet been released as it is planned to have them autographed for sale at a premium for special occasions." Further information on such sheets is solicited from the reader. See No.17 of "1940 - HELSINKI" for information on imperforate autographed sheets of that issue (label No.17/a) |
Full sheet of #1948-3Bc The autographed sheets of these stamps that DuBois mentions above show up on eBay from time to time, and sell at prices dependent on the signer. Charlie Chaplin is worth a lot more than William Beebe. ICELAND
5. ISLAND OLYMPIUFORIN 1948 below; printer's imprint below design:
WATERLOO & SONS LIMITED, LONDON
Vignette: multicolored Olympic rings above a 12x20mm panel
depicting a geyser. A double-lined margin around vignette & main text.
20.5x32mm, perf 12.5, blue(except for rings) - $2 each
5a. Like No.5 but brown & overprinted "SPECIMEN" - $16 each
5ax. Like No.5a but imperf. Issued in sheets of 100, 10x10, with a serial number in top selvage. |
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6/19/19 - Polish collector Roman Babut asked if I knew what race was depicted on the set of U.S. Fund labels above, and who were the runners. I did not, but with the aid of Google I was able to find out rather easily. The venue is clearly the Los Angeles Olympic Stadium (now called the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum), easily recognized by the distinctive arches. And it makes sense they would have chosen an image from the most recent American Olympics. Then I fed the image to Google with the hint that it was a race from 1932, and back came the photo on the right, and the information that it was the finish of the Men's 800 Meters race. The stamps shows the race near its start, with the runners still in their lanes, but you can compare faces and numbers and see they are the same. The runners, in the order of the finish, are Tommy Hampson - Great Britain, Alex Wilson - Canada, Phil Edwards - Canada, Eddie Genung - United States, Edwin Turner - United States, Chuck Hornbostel - United States, Jack Powell - Great Britain, Séra Martin - France, Otto Peltzer - Germany. I know, nine runners listed, eight in the photo, but only seven in the image on the stamp. ??? |
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#1948-4 DuBois listing:
4. Matchbox label:
"OLYMPIC GAMES Regd No 117174" above, on left; "SOMEO LAKMIDI" on the right.
Vignette, in middle: two youths in a boat; below, in a panel: "SAFETY MATCHES"
49x30mm, an imperf matchbox label, multicolored ... Rare
DuBois had not actually seen these labels, and was misinformed
about the text - it's "SOMCO LAKKIDI" in the red shield at top right.
SOMCO stands for SATTUR ORIGINAL MATCH COMPANY (as is evident from the
other labels following). And according to Wikipedia, "Lakkidi or Lakkidi Perur
is a small village in Ottapalam Taluk of Palakkad district, Kerala, India"
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5/26/18 - As of today, I have accumulated images of
twenty-one examples of this
label, in eleven distinct varieties, mostly from the efforts of
Philippe Pavard, who has been a major contributor to this web site.
AT RIGHT are examples of all eleven, and BELOW are key distinctions
of each variety. (There are other unique aspects of some of the labels,
I have chosen the ones that are easiest to describe)
Types 1 through 7 and 12 all have "SAFETY MATCHES" in red box at bottom |
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6/19/19 - NEW FIND - Image courtesy of Nick Dandoulakis
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| MATCHBOX LABELS: | |||
#1948-6 #1948-7 
#1948-8 DuBois listing:
6. In Greek: ΠΥΡΕΙΑ
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ
ΜΟΝΟΠΩΛΙΟΥ
in panel, across top (Piraeus Greek Monopoly);
OΛΥΜΠΙΑ (OLYMPIA)
vertical text, on left;
ΚΛΑΣΙΣ 1 (Class 1)
horizontal text, on right;
"ALSING LONDON" at lower left; "MADE IN SWEDEN" on
right.
Vignette: a runner [wearing loincloth] with a torch, a columned court,
with Olympic fire, in the
background. 48x32mm, multicolored
7. Like No.6., with "SOLO A.G. WIEN" at lower left. 46x31mm,
gray, green blue & yellow
8. Design and text like No.7; "333" in lower right corner. 46x30mm,
blue & yellow-brown
The issue dates and direct Olympic connection of these matchbox labels are
questionable, but the torch runner is a standard Olympic symbol today,
so they have a place here, if a bit tenuous. Note, however,
that the scene depicted - a torch runner in ancient Greece -
is nonsense. The torch and relay were invented for the 1936 Games -
READ MORE HERE.
11/20/17 - I just found
this image
of a cover mailed in 1962 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
revival of the Olympic Games, with the same image,
which certainly validates the direct Olympic connection.
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Color varieties of #6:
As regards their date of production (from JSTOR):
In 1926 the Greek representative of Alsing, acting on its behalf and on
behalf of the Swedish Match Company, offered to undertake the exclusive supply
of matches to the Greek Government for a period of twenty years, the Government
by law having a monopoly of the right to manufacture, import and sell matches in
Greece.
This contract was subsequently extended to 1954, when it expired.
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So these labels could have been produced any time during the period 1926 to 1954. Indeed the design is somewhat archaic for 1948. I found one source on the www that dates them to 1903-1910, though that is prior to the contract mentioned above, therefore questionable.
Format & color varieties of #6
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Format & color varieties of #6:
New version of #6:
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| (All images for 1948-6 thru 8 are courtesy of Philippe Pavard) | |||
| 2/15/2022 - a viewer (whose name I am sorry to say I have lost), wrote me a while ago to say that the image on the matchboxes above was based on this famous photo of the first Olympic torch relay in 1936. |
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I was sceptical, as while there are similarities, there are also significant differences: the height of the torch, which leg of the runner is on the ground, etc. |
But I looked around on the www, and found
THIS PAGE, which establishes a clear connection.
The runner was Constantin Kondylis, and his brother tells the story, saying that the matchboxes were
issued in 1936, specifically to commemorate the event. Amazing!
I have added a reference on the 1936 page of this site. |
| MATCHBOX LABELS: | |||
#1948-9 to 11 DuBois listing:
9. "OLYMPIA" above; "SOLO" at lower left; "B.F.I." at lower right.
Vignette: a female swimmer about to dive, Olympic rings below her feet
(outside 30x41 mm design panel)
30x47mm, imperf, figure is tan & brown, bathing suit & cap are shaded light
blue, texts are white, background & rings are dark blue
10. Like No.9 but size is 32x54mm
11. Like No.9 but "K.S.I." instead of "B.F.I."
Note: No.9 is also listed as No.53 at the "1936 - BERLIN" section. Ernest Trory
issued a booklet covering the 1936 labels which states:
"There were also a number of
matchbox labels showing a swimmer poised for the start of the race with the word
'Olympia' at the top and either 'SOLO - K.S.I.' or 'SOLO - B.F.I." at the
bottom.
Many varieties exist. Rampacher lists these as having been produced in 1948 but
Pourrat says they are 1936."
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As Trory wrote, there are many varieties of the OLYMPIA diver labels.
Twelve are shown at left. Their relative sizes are accurate.
Matchbox labels, DuBois numbers 1936-53 a to c, and 1948-9 to 11: All labels have same basic format and colors, with OLYMPIA at top, female swimmer poised for a dive in middle, Olympic rings at bottom. Dubois lists five varieties, and says there are many more. I have seen twelve distinct varieties so far, which can be divided into seven basic types, as follows:
Type 1 - 57 at top left corner, blank at bottom.
Type 2 - 250 at top left corner, blank at bottom.
Type 3 - B.F.I. at bottom right, blank at bottom left.
Type 4 - K.S.I. at bottom right, blank at bottom left.
Type 5 - SOLO at bottom left, B.F.I. at bottom right.
Type 6 - SOLO at bottom left, K.S.I. at bottom right.
Type 7 - Large label for bulk package, price per 10 boxes Philippe Pavard supplied most of these images. Thanks also to Bob Stockel and David Feldman auctions. |
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The date of issue of labels 1948-12 and 13 is uncertain. The use of
"United States" and "U.S." instead of "American" in the texts indicate that
they were
issued after 1940. The rings on both labels are not in their usual geometric
relationship to each other. No.12 may be a re-drawing of shield No.7 that is
listed
at the "1936 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen" section.
CLICK HERE to view a page
that lists all the Olympic decals that depict a US Olympic shield.
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#1948-13 13. "back the U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM FUND" above shield; "LIFE" in a 12x6mm panel, "SPONSORED BY" & emblem of U.S. Jr. Chamber of Commerce, all below shield. 57x53mm shield, 89x115mm (overall label), design portion measures 64x108mm, red & blue, imperf
14. A matchbox label:
"FIVE RINGS" above; "SAFETY MATCHES IMPREGNATED MADE IN JAPAN" below.
Vignette: multicolored Olympic rings, interlaced as on official Olympic flag.
53.5x33mm, imperf, text is black except for "IMPREGNATED" which is red,
background is yellow, a thin, red border-line around edge
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NOT IN DUBOISFetes de St Louis pour le Sport - 1946?
Not quite an Olympic label, but note the five rings at bottom -
not in the official configuration, but what else would they mean?
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(Olympic rings)
Hungarian Olympic Committee (Hungarian: Magyar Olimpiai Bizottság, MOB) is the
National Olympic Committee representing Hungary.
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NOT IN DUBOIS
U.S. OLYMPIC FUND decal
decal - found on the www - stats unknown
FINAL OLYMPIC WRESTLING TRYOUTS
CLICK HERE to view a page
that lists all the Olympic decals that depict a US Olympic shield.
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NOT IN DUBOIS |
D.N.D. = Delegación Nacional de Deportes = National Delegation of Sports, formed in 1941 to promote health and sports in Spain.
I don't see how this can date from earlier than 1945, i.e. post-WWII,
so I have placed it tentatively on this page. 8/9/16 - Philippe Pavard pointed out this page at delcampe.net (click on QUESTIONS tab) where the seller says "Year final 1940 decade or initial 1950 decade" so that agrees with my guess. 11/30/17 - Some poking around via Google led me to images of other denominations, and one with a 1946 overprint, so that supports dating this to the preparations for the 1948 Games. |
#1948-x4 KLAMPENBORG IDRAETS KLUB 1937-1947
Denmark Poster Stamp Image: Constantine Kondyllis carries the Olympic Torch over the first part of the 3000km stretch from Olympia to Berlin for the start of the 1936 Olympic Games. The torch and relay were invented for the 1936 Games - READ MORE HERE.
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New finds - 12/20/16
Matchbox labels.
ΟΛΥΜΠΙΟΝΙΚΗΣ
OLYMPIONIKIS
(Dating tentative)
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New find - 11/09/17
Luggage label
Black lettering on red and white striped label
Official luggage label for Olympic athletes at the 1948 Games
6/19/19 - 2 more examples, with different numbers at top right,
one is a sticker/label, the other is a tag!
New find - 02/07/18
Lottery ticket, Czechoslovakia, 1947
As I say elsewhere, I regard lottery tickets as
peripheral to this collection - they are not labels
or stamps or stickers. But this one is attractive,
it has the Olympic rings, etc. so I offer it as
something one might choose to include.
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New find - 11/13/18
Torch Runner,
Red and Black lettering on orange label
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New find - 02/01/19 XIVth OLYMPIADE LONDON - 1948 SILSHINE TRANSFERS Special Edition
Tiny booklet of "SILSHINE TRANSFERS" |
3/31/19 - Matchbox "skillets" - Pakistan
"OLYMPIC" and rings
These are very borderline items for this catalog, since they are matchbox "skillets," i.e., the design is printed on the cardboard, so they cannot be collected as a label, AND their date is unknown. But 1948 was the first year that Pakistan participated in the Olympic Games, so this seems a fitting place to put them. |
6/15/2020 - Look what showed up on eBay:
This was sold by a collector in England, and the label itself tells
the story of how it got way over there. Helms succeeded in having his bread
declared the official training table bread of the Games for 1932, 1936, and 1948,
so the load of bread this once held was flown to London to feed American athletes
there in 1948!
(Philippe chided me for calling this a "label" at first, so I have changed
"label" to "wrapper" - yes, it's much too large for any album, but I would want
one if I still collected anything but images!)
HELMS POSTER STAMPS
Finally, I have to mention the Paul Helms, owner of Helms Bakery,
was an avid stamps collector who issued a set of 48 poster stamps
on patriotic themes, depicting historic US flags, presidential autographs, and coins.
None has an Olympic theme.
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Great Britain issued4 postage stamps for the 1948 Olympics.
Korea issued two stamps
Bahrain, Kuwait, Tangier, Morocco,
and Muscat issued overprinted versions of those 4 stamps.
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.
Email address at bottom of page. Full credit gladly given - your name, ebay ID,
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Created -- 07/27/2013
Revised -- 02/15/2022