The Ministry of Transport and Communications has brought together the history of Bulgarian stamp issuing from 1879 to the present day in an electronic catalogue. More than 5,800 original postage stamps have so far been digitised and made available on a specially created website.
The digital philatelic gallery provides information on each issue, including its designers, themes and subjects, dates of issue, print runs and technical specifications. It also contains information on varieties, rarities and proofs of interest to philatelists, researchers and the general public.
In the 1930s, with the development of the philatelic movement in Bulgaria, thematic philately also emerged, forming a unique encyclopaedia of the historical development of the Third Bulgarian State.
The catalogue also features the world’s first postage stamp with a chess theme. It is Bulgarian and was issued on 29 September 1947 as part of the “Balkan Games” series. It was designed by Stefan Kanchev, the artist who designed the largest number of Bulgarian postage stamps. Prominent Bulgarian artists who designed Bulgarian postage stamps include Boris Angelushev, Dechko Uzunov, Lyuben Zidarov, Alexander Poplilov, Veselin Staykov and others.
The electronic catalogue is the result of decades of research. It is a valuable reference and research resource on Bulgaria’s philatelic heritage. The postage stamp is also presented as a unique document of its time, reflecting Bulgaria’s history, culture, science, nature and spiritual values.
The philatelic gallery contributes to the preservation and promotion of this significant national heritage and provides easy access to information on the development of Bulgarian stamp issuing.
The catalogue of Bulgarian postage stamps is available at the following link: https://www.mtc.government.bg/bgstamps/