Tips on Stamp Collecting

Mika Waltari and Kimi Räikkönen Finland 2008 stamps

Stamps in honor of Mika Waltari and Kimi Räikkönen

On 5 September 2008, a total of 11 new postage stamps were issued in four separate issues in Finland. Two of the issues are miniature sheets. One of them celebrates author Mika Waltari, who was born a century ago this year, and the other honors the 2007 Formula One World Champion, Kimi Räikkönen.

Mika Waltari

The miniature stamp sheet dedicated to Mika Waltari (1908-1979) has two 80-cent stamps. One of the postage stamps bears a black-and-white photograph of the writer (Finlandia-Arkisto Oy) and the words Nöyryys / intohimo (Humility / passion). The other shows a cover illustration by graphic artist Eeli Jaatinen for a detective novel published in 1940 Inspector Palmu's Mistake. Päivi Vainionpää designed the miniature stamp sheet.
Mika Waltari is among the foremost Finnish authors of the 20th century. His extensive oeuvre includes novels and poetry, fairy stories and prose, as well as travelogues, plays and film scripts. He made his international breakthrough with his novel The Egyptian. A major film of its time was made of the book in Hollywood in 1954. The Egyptian and Inspector Palmu's Mistake have often won polls of favorite books in Finland, most recently this year. A stamp of The Egyptian was issued in 1997 and another of Waltari's comic strip Kieku ja Kaiku was issued in 1996.
Works by Mika Waltari have so far been translated into 41 languages. Of these, 36 are listed on the margins of the miniature sheet.

Mika Waltari stamps in detail

Issue: Finland, 5 September 2008
Design: Päivi Vainionpää
Printing: offset by Joh. Enschedé Stamps, the Netherlands
Perforation: 14 x 13,25
Stamp size: 30 x 42 mm

Kimi Räikkönen Formula One World Champion '07

The miniature sheet proclaiming the Formula One 2007 world championship of Kimi Räikkönen depicts the conquering hero himself, his car and his team, Ferrari of Italy. The following text stands proudly in the middle of the issue: Formula One World Champion '07 Kimi Räikkönen. Below the text there is a longer than usual stamp featuring Räikkönen's 2007 car. On the other stamp in the issue, in the upper right corner of the miniature sheet, Räikkönen celebrates his victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Ferrari logo dominates the lower left corner of the miniature sheet. They are both first class non-value indicator postage stamps.

Miniature stamps sheet

Kimi Räikkönen, 28, started his Formula One career in 2001 with the Swiss Sauber team. During the 2002-2006 racing seasons he drove a British McLaren, twice winning silver in the world championship. His world championship came during his first season with Ferrari. Räikkönen is currently aiming for his second world championship. The present season is extremely tight and the defending champ is well placed in the fray. The miniature sheet was presented to Kimi Räikkönen in person one day before their official issue date at Belgian Spa, where the next race in the season's championship was held three days later. Antti Raudaskoski designed the miniature stamp sheet.

Kimi Räikkönen stamps in detail

Issue: Finland, 5 September 2008
Design: Antti Raudaskoski
Printing: offset by Joh. Enschedé Stamps, the Netherlands
Perforation: safety perforation
Size miniature sheet: 132 x 70 mm