Postal & Philatelic Museum
Museum Type Special Interests
City Athens
Address 5 Stadiou Square & Fokianou Street
Telephone210-7519066, 210-7519042
Fax 210-7519279
Email postmuseum@elta-net.gr
Museum Description
The museum is located at 5 Stadiou Square & Fokianou Street, just next to the Kallimarmaron Panathinaikon Stadium, the site that hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896.
By paying a visit to the museum you'll have the opportunity to:
- Learn more about Greece's Postal and Philatelic history.
- View the very first Greek stamp along with the world's first Olympic stamps.
- Visit the museum's library and examine some remarkable publications.
- Take a guided tour.
- Buy philatelic material from the souvenirs booth..
History
Establishing and operating a postal and philatelic museum had been a long-standing request by the customers of the Hellenic Post and particularly by the philatelic community. The project had finally received state support in 1966.
It was in 1970 (year of founding of the Hellenic Post Organization) that a great effort was initiated, involving the collection and classification of the museum's material along with the search for the appropriate site to host the museum.
The solution was finally given by the Stratos family. Thus the museum started its operation on the 30th of October 1978 as a branch of the Hellenic Post.
The museum is open from 8:00 to 14:00 from Monday to Friday, excluding holidays.
The postal collection includes boxes, franking machines, bags, horns and other material used by the Post, Telegraph and Telephone Services. The Mail boxes used in urban and rural areas, weighing machines and various other material, are all important objects regarding the history of the Hellenic Post from the end of the 19th century and onwards.
The Greek Olympic stamps are the first ones worldwide. Upon opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens on the 25th of March 1896, a series of commemorative stamps depicting the Olympic contests were issued. The 12 designs were designed by the Swiss Professor A.Guilleron and selected by the Greek Professor G Svoronos. The french engraver E.Mouchon created the steel matrixes.
Next to Postal Hall is the Philately Hall where you can see letters and documents of the "pre-stamp" periods. You can also see a great variety of philatelic series and printing material.