Issue date: 02 Apr, 2018
12 MONTHS, 12 STAMPS. LEÓN
León is this month's central attraction in the 12 months, 12 stamps, 12 provinces philatelic series. The stamp will be used this month as the flat-postage rate for all post-office shipments sent from the featured province. León in the snow, León of stone, León on the plateau. León means many things, some of which feature inside the letters LE, a clear reference to the old licence plates once used for vehicles in Spain.
Maragatos. An entrepreneurial travelling community that had its own characteristic costumes and traded above all in craft products.
Médulas. Also known as the “mountains of Roman gold”, they offer a beautiful landscape shaped by gold-mining during the Roman empire. They have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
León Cathedral. This immense cathedral, which is also known as Pulchra leonina, is one of the biggest attractions of that region’s capital city. Built in the Gothic style, it has clear afrancesado features.
Basílica de San Isidoro de León. Its Royal Pantheon is a unique work from the Romanesque world of the time. It dates back to between the 11th and 12th centuries.
Episcopal Palace of Astorga. Designed by the architect Gaudí, it currently houses the Museo de los Caminos. It was built out of grey granite, to distinguish it from the Cathedral.
Lion. The city’s symbol. Purple in colour, it is the figure seen on the city's historical coat of arms. It appeared for the first time on coins minted by King Alfonso VII.
Cocido Maragato. A typical recipe from the area created to meet the needs of the workers in the field. This typical three-element soup (meat, vegetables and soup) provided warmth and energy after periods of hard work.
Nicanores de Boñar. Made from puff pastry, these originate from the Boñar area.
Common Kingfisher. Fast at flying and small in size, this bird is notable for having one of the most colourful arrays of plumage found among our fauna.
Chestnut tree. The whole El Bierzo area is full of thousand-year old specimens brought over by the Romans in their day, for feeding the gold-mining workers in the Médulas.
The bottom part of the stamp is dark crimson, paying tribute to the province’s flag.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.