España – Spain: 2025 Issues

Introduction

When my father retired, he spent the winters in Spain. Whenever I had the opportunity, I visited him. At some moment, we started to make an annual trip to a historic town in Spain. And what better could an avid stamp collector buy as a memento of such a trip than stamps. This started my collection of Spain's yearbooks of stamp issues.

My father died a long time ago. I still travel to Spain a few times a year. However, most post offices will not sell the yearbook. So, I order "Valores en el Tiempo" from Filatelia in Madrid. I, recently, received the 2025 edition. The last few days, I have been scanning the stamps to add to a wiki-type stamp catalogue. The catalogue is a mess and, in August 2026, had only a handful of entries for Spain for 2025.

Going through the issues made me aware of the large number of issues in small print runs. Many issues comprised a miniature sheet with a single high-value stamp that does not cover any of the common tariffs. This gave me the idea to start a thread showing the volume of issues for a single year.

175 años del primer sello de Correos de España

In Spain, Navidades start on Christmas Eve and end with Epiphany. With the Nativity period out of the way and the Three Kings making their way back to the East, Correos issued its first stamp of 2025 on January 7th.

Spain issued its first postage stamp on 1 January 1850. The stamp with the effigy of Queen Isabel II was engraved by Bartolomé Corominas and printed in black. It had a face value of 6 cuartos, prepaying carriage of a single-sheet letter of no more than 8 adarmes (½ ounce) within the Peninsula, Balearic Islands, and Canary Islands. The stamp issued on 7 January 2025, commemorated the 175th anniversary of the first Spanish postage stamp.

The self-adhesive stamp reproduces the first Spanish stamp. Its black frame with corner ornaments allude to the 6 cuartos stamp of 1850. The inscription at the bottom of the stamp identifies the occasion commemorated by the stamp. To the left appears the word "efémerides," meaning an anniversary with a fixed date.

In the lower left corner of the stamp appears the logotype of the Real Casa de la Moneda – Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (RCM – FNMT) that printed the stamp. The year of issue appears in the lower right corner. The "ñ" symbol representing Spain appears above the year of issue and is cut out of the stamp.



Date of issue: 7 January 2025.
Issue: 175 years of the first Spanish postage stamp (175 años del primer sello de Correos de España).
Theme: efemérides (anniversaries).
Face value: Tarifa A (inland normalised postcard and letter rate, € 0.89 when issued)
Paper: self-adhesive, phosphor coated.
Size: 24.5 x 35 mm.
Perforation: die cut.
Printing process: offset printing.
Sheet size: 50 stamps.
Print run: unlimited, initial printing of 6,000,000.

Maria Ibars

On 9 January, Correos issued stamp honouring the Valencian authoress Maria Ibars I Ibars [1892–1965]. The stamp had a face value of € 3, that did not cover any tariff. According to "Valores en el Tiempo," the issue coincides with Maria Ibars' election as female writer of the year 2024 by the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

The stamp designed by Filatelia's Laura Recio depicts the authoress with three of her works: her first poetry publication Poemes de Penyamar [1949], and the novels Vides Planes [1962] and L'Últim Serv [1963]. The latter two reflect rural life and contain elements of social criticism.

The printer's logo (RCM – FNMT), year of issue, and "ñ" all appear in the lower right corner.



Date of issue: 9 January 2025.
Issue: María Ibars.
Theme: escritoras (authoresses).
Face value: € 3.
Paper: gummed, chalk-surfaced, phosphor coated.
Size: 74.6 x 28.8 mm.
Perforation: 12¾ x 13¼.
Printing process: offset printing.
Sheet size: 15 stamps.
Print run: 72,000.
Design: Paula Recio (Filatelia).

Serie básica 2024

On 30 January, Correos released the first "permanent" stamp depicting King Felipe VI in a new design. A miniature sheet with four stamps from the series commemorating the tenth anniversary of the accession of H.M. King Felipe VI had been issued on 27 September 2024. The new self-adhesive sheet stamp is similar in design to the corresponding stamp from the miniature sheet. It, however, has different technical specifications. Also, its colour differs from the stamp from the miniature sheet.



Date of issue: 30 January 2025.
Issue: S.M. el Rey Felipe VI.
Theme: Serie básica 2024 (2024 permanent series).
Face value: Tarifa A (Inland normalised postcard and letter rate, € 0.89 when issued)
Paper: self-adhesive, phosphor coated.
Size: 24.5 x 35 mm.
Perforation: die cut.
Printing process: offset printing.
Sheet size: 50 stamps.
Print run: unlimited, initial printing of 2,000,000.
Photography: Casa Real de España (Royal Household of Spain).


Commemorative miniature sheet issued 27 September 2024

Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Correos released its next issue on 30 January.* The self-adhesive stamp advertised the carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The stamp has a tariff indicator "B" over "TARIFA." The B tariff prepays the carriage of standardised postcards and letters up to 20 grammes to (most) European countries. At the time the stamp was issued, the tariff amounted to € 1.85.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island of Tenerife and joint capital of the autonomy of the Canary Isles. Its annual carnival is the second biggest in the world after that of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Festivities last over a month, with street celebrations lasting ten days.

The stamp depicts a Queen of the Carnival in full dress. To her left is the logotype used to promote tourism to the city. It consists of the name of the city "SANTACRUZ" crowned by a heart (corazón) over the central "A." Below it appears the slogan "El corazón de Tenerife," translating into "The heart of Tenerife." The printer's inscription, year of issue, and "ñ" appear in the bottom corners of the stamp.



Date of issue: 30 January 2025.*
Issue: Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival).
Theme: fiestas populares (popular celebrations).
Face value: Tarifa B (Europe normalised postcard and letter rate, € 1.85 when issued)
Paper: self-adhesive, phosphor coated.
Size: 35 x 24.5 mm.
Perforation: die cut.
Printing process: offset printing.
Sheet size: 50 stamps.
Print run: unlimited, initial printing of 2,000,000.
Design: Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (city council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife).

* Valores en el Tiempo gives 31 January as date of issue. Filatelia's website gives 30 January as date of issue. The latter appears to be the correct date.

Roberto Michel

Coinciding with the 239th anniversary of his death, on 31 January 2025, Correos issued a stamp honouring the French-born sculptor Robert Michel [1720–1786]. In 1740, he came to Spain to work on the new royal palace of Madrid. He became a professor and, later, director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.

Among the works of Roberto Michel are the lions of the fountain in the Plaza de Cibeles, where the former Palacio de Comunicaciones was built. Depicted on the stamp is one of two lions that stand at the top of the balustrade of the main staircase of the Royal palace of Madrid and that was sculpted by Roberto Michel.

The printer's logo (RCM – FNMT), year of issue, and "ñ" all appear in the lower right corner.



Date of issue: 31 January 2025.
Issue: Roberto Michel.
Theme: escultura (sculpting).
Face value: € 3.
Paper: gummed, chalk-surfaced, phosphor coated.
Size: 57.6 x 40.9 mm.
Perforation: 13¼ x 13¾.
Printing process: offset printing.
Sheet size: 16 stamps.
Print run: 70,000.
Design: Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage).