Illustration of a historical stamp for learning, shown at screen size. Not valid for postage.
How to read it
ΕΛΛΑΣ under the arch and an ancient discus thrower.
- 1ΕΛΛΑΣ
- 2ΟΛΥΜΠ. ΑΓΩΝΕΣ
- Inscription
- ΟΛΥΜΠ. ΑΓΩΝΕΣ · ΕΛΛΑΣ · 5 ΛΕΠΤΑ
- Meaning
- ΕΛΛΑΣ (Hellas) is Greece; ΟΛΥΜΠ. ΑΓΩΝΕΣ are the Olympic Games.
- Issued by
- Kingdom of Greece
- Today
- Greece
- Year
- 1896. Issued 1896 for the first modern Olympic Games.
- Made by
- Émile Gilliéron (design, died 1924); Louis-Eugène Mouchon (engraving, died 1914)
One fact
Greece’s first commemorative stamps celebrated the 1896 Athens Olympics; the French engraver’s name, E. MOUCHON, is at the foot of each stamp.
Source and public-domain rule
Creators died more than 70 years ago. Designer died 1924, engraver died 1914. Copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, counted from 1 January of the year after death. Every named designer and engraver of the stamp died before 1 January 1956; any contributor who was never named counts as anonymous, whose term is 70 years from publication, and the stamp was published before 1956. Legal sources: Directive 2006/116/EC, Art. 1(1) life + 70 years; Art. 1(3) anonymous works 70 years from publication; Art. 7(1) comparison of terms for works from outside the EU; Art. 8 terms run from 1 January, Switzerland, Norway.
Scan: Stamp 1896 Greece MiNr0098 pm B002.jpg on Wikimedia Commons (revision 1167558510), licence templates {{PD-old-70}}. Downloaded 2026-10-19, sha256 173f25b77982…; cropped and cleaned for this site. Facts checked 2026-10-19 against source 1 and source 2. Research record, not legal advice; a human rights review is pending. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
