Călin Marinescu, Romania’s most prolific philatelic researcher, has published over 400 articles and 16 volumes since 1984, establishing himself as a central figure in the study of Romanian postal history. A dedicated seeker of truth, he grounds his work in meticulous archival research, offering carefully verified information that has supported, clarified, and inspired many other scholars.
His most recent achievement is the bilingual two-volume study 40 Years of Romanian Postal History 1830–1869 (Bucharest, 2024), a monumental work totalling 948 A4 pages and representing a landmark contribution to understanding the development of postal services in the nineteenth-century Romanian territories. Drawing on original postal documents, official archives, maps, forms, and contemporary references, Marinescu reconstructs routes, markings, organisational structures, and postal regulations from both the pre-stamp and early stamp periods.
The study not only clarifies several key historical aspects but also offers an ordered and accessible overview of Romania’s postal evolution. It also examines the postal relations maintained by the Romanian principalities with neighbouring countries during the studied timeframe, placing local practices within their immediate regional context. As a rigorously documented and comprehensive work, it serves as a reliable and indispensable reference for collectors and postal historians interested in nineteenth-century Romania.
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https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/marinescu-800.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2025-11-25 17:28:042025-11-25 17:30:0240 Years of the Romanian Postal History 1830–1869
The Urban Centre of Syracuse hosted the SIRACUSA 2025 National and Qualifying Philatelic Exhibition on 7–8 November 2025, organised by the Federation of Italian Philatelic Societies with the Sicilian Collectors’ Union and the Italian Philatelic Lions Club. The event featured 63 competing collections from 48 exhibitors, including internationally recognised collectors. At the Federation’s invitation, eleven members of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation presented thirteen collections.
During the award ceremony, attended by Syracuse’s Mayor Francesco Italia, five large gold and eighteen gold medals were bestowed. The Mayor highlighted the cultural value of philately in an era dominated by digital communication, praising stamps as miniature works of art and commending the choice of the Oikos—the city’s earliest sacred building—as the exhibition’s emblem.
The event was attended by Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi, President of the Italian Federation, and Christos Gikas, President of the Hellenic Federation. The jury, chaired by Luca Lavagnino, awarded the Grand Prix, dedicated to the memory of Rosario Occhipinti, to Mario Capuano for his collection on Pierre de Coubertin. Other major recognitions went to Massimiliano Bruno, Giovanni Nembrini and Leonardo Pipitone. A special prize for innovation was given to Aniello Veneri for his study of the rare 100-lire Siracusa stamp, an elusive variant long overlooked within Italy’s most enduring definitive series.
[Summary based on text and photos provided by Leonardo Pipitone]
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https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/siracusa-2025-800a.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2025-11-24 17:41:262025-11-24 17:41:26SIRACUSA 2025 National and Qualifying Philatelic Exhibition
On 14 November in Wiesbaden, the Association Internationale des Journalistes Philatéliques (AIJP) held its annual General Meeting. The occasion marked both a heartfelt farewell to Wolfgang Maassen, who has chaired the AIJP for twenty years, and a warm welcome to Ari Muhonen as the Association’s new leader.
The new six-member Board was elected for a period of four years.
Ari Muhonen, President
Vincent Schouberechts, Vice President
Abhishek Bhuwalka, Vice President
Rainer von Scharpen, Secretary General
Hans Schwarz, Treasurer
Pol Wijnants, Director
Top photo: Abhishek Bhuwalka (left), Hans Schwarz, Ari Muhonen, Vincent Schouberechts, Rainer von Scharpen, and Pol Wijnants.
Bottom photo: Wolfgang Maassen hands over the “alarm clock” to Ari Muhonen.
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https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AIJP_2025-800.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2025-11-22 16:03:182025-11-22 16:06:32Ari Muhonen Succeeds Wolfgang Maassen as AIJP President
40 Years of the Romanian Postal History 1830–1869
Călin Marinescu, Romania’s most prolific philatelic researcher, has published over 400 articles and 16 volumes since 1984, establishing himself as a central figure in the study of Romanian postal history. A dedicated seeker of truth, he grounds his work in meticulous archival research, offering carefully verified information that has supported, clarified, and inspired many other scholars.
His most recent achievement is the bilingual two-volume study 40 Years of Romanian Postal History 1830–1869 (Bucharest, 2024), a monumental work totalling 948 A4 pages and representing a landmark contribution to understanding the development of postal services in the nineteenth-century Romanian territories. Drawing on original postal documents, official archives, maps, forms, and contemporary references, Marinescu reconstructs routes, markings, organisational structures, and postal regulations from both the pre-stamp and early stamp periods.
The study not only clarifies several key historical aspects but also offers an ordered and accessible overview of Romania’s postal evolution. It also examines the postal relations maintained by the Romanian principalities with neighbouring countries during the studied timeframe, placing local practices within their immediate regional context. As a rigorously documented and comprehensive work, it serves as a reliable and indispensable reference for collectors and postal historians interested in nineteenth-century Romania.
…
SIRACUSA 2025 National and Qualifying Philatelic Exhibition
The Urban Centre of Syracuse hosted the SIRACUSA 2025 National and Qualifying Philatelic Exhibition on 7–8 November 2025, organised by the Federation of Italian Philatelic Societies with the Sicilian Collectors’ Union and the Italian Philatelic Lions Club. The event featured 63 competing collections from 48 exhibitors, including internationally recognised collectors. At the Federation’s invitation, eleven members of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation presented thirteen collections.
During the award ceremony, attended by Syracuse’s Mayor Francesco Italia, five large gold and eighteen gold medals were bestowed. The Mayor highlighted the cultural value of philately in an era dominated by digital communication, praising stamps as miniature works of art and commending the choice of the Oikos—the city’s earliest sacred building—as the exhibition’s emblem.
The event was attended by Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi, President of the Italian Federation, and Christos Gikas, President of the Hellenic Federation. The jury, chaired by Luca Lavagnino, awarded the Grand Prix, dedicated to the memory of Rosario Occhipinti, to Mario Capuano for his collection on Pierre de Coubertin. Other major recognitions went to Massimiliano Bruno, Giovanni Nembrini and Leonardo Pipitone. A special prize for innovation was given to Aniello Veneri for his study of the rare 100-lire Siracusa stamp, an elusive variant long overlooked within Italy’s most enduring definitive series.
[Summary based on text and photos provided by Leonardo Pipitone]
…
Ari Muhonen Succeeds Wolfgang Maassen as AIJP President
On 14 November in Wiesbaden, the Association Internationale des Journalistes Philatéliques (AIJP) held its annual General Meeting. The occasion marked both a heartfelt farewell to Wolfgang Maassen, who has chaired the AIJP for twenty years, and a warm welcome to Ari Muhonen as the Association’s new leader.
The new six-member Board was elected for a period of four years.
Top photo: Abhishek Bhuwalka (left), Hans Schwarz, Ari Muhonen, Vincent Schouberechts, Rainer von Scharpen, and Pol Wijnants.
Bottom photo: Wolfgang Maassen hands over the “alarm clock” to Ari Muhonen.
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