Issue date: 01 Oct, 2020
12 MONTHS, 12 STAMPS. MELILLA
The two initials that stand out on the stamp dedicated to Melilla invoke the nostalgia of the old car number plates used in Spain until the year 2000, which enabled the vehicle to be linked to its province of origin.
The mosaic of images that form the two initials feature some of the attractions offered to visitors to the Autonomous City of Melilla.
History, art, architecture, and gastronomy are shared among the two initials, which stand out above a panoramic view of Trápana Cove, with some of the houses of Old Melilla and the Old Lighthouse of Melilla enlarged in the letter M.
A stroll around the streets of the Old Quarter, accessed via the Puerta de Santiago, the image of which can be seen on the first upstroke of the first initial, takes us through the city's ancient history. Built in 1549 by the engineer Miguel de Perea, it is protected by a moat traversed by a drawbridge, both of which were built more than a century later. The coat of arms of the emperor Charles V adorns the entranceway to the Old Quarter.
Once inside the citadel, you can visit the monumental Conventico Caves, constructed in the 18th century to protect the population from potential danger, as was the case during the Siege of Melilla in 1774. The caves are divided into three levels, the most striking of which is the lower level due to the extent of its halls.
Emerging from above the rooftops of Old Melilla is the belfry of the Purísima Concepción church. Built in 1657, it has been buffeted over the ensuing centuries by earthquakes and storms, and the construction has had to be restored and renovated on various occasions.
Modernist Melilla, in the form of an image of the façade of the David J. Melul House, serves to link the two initials. The work of the architect Enrique Nieto, this construction is considered to be the icon of Melilla’s Floral Modernism and one of the best examples of Spanish modernism from the beginning of the 20th century. Listed as a Place of Cultural Interest, it forms part of the Historic-Artistic Site of the City of Melilla.
Melilla's gastronomy is represented by the “pastela”, an interesting dish consisting of a type of puff pastry and chicken sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon.
The blue stripe at the bottom of the stamp relates to the colour of the Autonomous City’s flag, above which is printed the logo of the 40th anniversary of the Faculty of Social and Legal Sciences of Melilla, founded in 1979 by the University of Granada.
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.