Winning entries to be re-produced as stamps and entered in an international competition

MaltaPost is launching a photographic competition inviting the general public to submit their best captures of spectacular views of the Maltese Islands. The winning entries will appear on a Maltese stamp issue with worldwide circulation. The top image of the set will also be entered into an international stamp competition organised by the Small European Postal Administration Cooperation (SEPAC).

The competition entitled Spectacular Views invites the public to capture the essence of the Maltese islands which may include local countryside, village life, nature, architecture or landscapes. Four images will be shortlisted to be reproduced as one stamp set. This issue will be used both domestically and internationally for either mailing purposes or for stamp collecting.

Participants should ensure that the photo looks good when resized to a dimension of 44mm x 31mm. The stamps will also be featured by MaltaPost during its participation in international stamp fairs. In addition, the top Maltese photo will be entered in an international competition organised by SEPAC where the general public within the respective participating countries will be able to vote for the best overall stamp. SEPAC members include Aland Post, Faroe Islands Post, Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau, Post Greenland, Guernsey Post, Iceland Post, Isle of Man Post, Jersey Post, Liechtenstein Post, MaltaPost, Monaco Post and Luxembourg Post. Each stamp will form part of the SEPAC joint stamp issue folder and carry the official SEPAC logo.

Interested participants are invited to follow MaltaPost's Facebook page and to submit their entries by following the instructions. The competition will run until 30 March and the winners will be announced in April. The stamp set featuring these photos will be issued during the coming summer and will be exhibited at the Malta Postal Museum.

Furthermore, winners will be awarded with limited edition philatelic items. The outright winner will receive The Grandmaster's Collection - a collection of 28 silver foil stamps,  while the three runner-up images shall be presented with a copy of The Malta Stamp Collection - a prestigious publication describing all stamps issued between 1964  and 2004.

For more details about the competition visit www.maltapost.com/photographycompetition or Facebook