Windmills

Aland: three new stamps

A series of three stamps were issued by Aland on 8 June 2001 depicting three different types of windmills: one archipelago windmill, one timbered windmill and one nest windmill. The FDC is illustrated with an old photograph from the archive of the Aland Museum while the first day cancellation depicts a millstone.

Windmill one of the oldest machines in the world

The windmill is thought to be one of the oldest machines in the world. In Aland there were windmills since the 16th century. Since watercourses are rare wind power was an important resource of energy, mostly for grinding grains into flour, but also for operating the sawmills. In the beginning of the 20th century there were around 1000 windmills in Aland, but today only 200 of them are left. Most of them are not in use, but many are fostered as valuable elements of the cultural landscape.

Stamps in detail

Design: Kjell Ekström.
Size: 30.56 x 35 mm.
Print: Offset by House of Questa.

More information

Stamps Aland
Postage Stamps 2001