A set of five stamps depicting beautiful scenic aspects of Malta and Gozo is being issued by the Philatelic Bureau of Maltapost today. The stamps, the work of watercolour artist John Martin Borg, have been offset printed by Printex Ltd on Maltese Crosses watermarked paper. The stamps, which will be available in sheets of ten, are 44.0mm x 31.0mm in size, with a perforation of 13.9 x 14.0 (comb).

Five spectacular scenes of Malta and Gozo will soon be circulated worldwide, thanks to these five beautiful paintings by John Martin Borg which are being reproduced on stamps.

The paintings selected, show the Mdina skyline as seen from Mtarfa (11c / EUR0.26), a Qrendi scene (16c / EUR0.37) with a windmill near a farmhouse and a church in the misty background, the Vittoriosa waterfront (37c / EUR0.86) where the old blends with the new, Gozo’s Mgarr Harbour (46c / EUR1.07) with the Gozo ferry leaving harbour and the famous church landmark, and idyllic Xlendi Bay in Gozo (76c / EUR1.77).

These five paintings were executed specifically for this beautiful set of stamps. The end result will go a long way towards publicising our islands.

The 16c Qrendi stamp will also form part of a joint stamp issue in the new SEPAC collection (Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation) being released today. SEPAC issues are aimed at highlighting the joint cooperation of SEPAC members to promote philately, and to make the public aware of the history, nature , scenery and culture of the countries forming part of SEPAC.

These stamps will be available from all Maltapost postal retail outlets in Malta and Gozo and from the Maltapost Mobile Unit, as First Day covers, in mint or cancelled format, and as Souvenir Folders or Presentation Packs. Additional information on this and forthcoming issues can be obtained from the Philatelic Bureau (tel: 2596-1747, email [email protected], postal address: 305 Triq Hal Qormi, Marsa, MTP1001), or from the Maltapost website www.maltapost.com.