The names of some men will always be an integral part of the
complext history of the
Olympic ideals. The first and most imposing of these is the name of Pierre de Coubertin.
It is hardly surprising that the gallery of philatelic portraits of IOC presidents issued
by the Republic of San-Mariono in 1959 begins and ends with deCoubertin, who founded the
IOC. But these are far from being the only stamps issued to commemorate the Great
Frenchman. The first deCoubertin stamp was issued in October 1939 when postal authority of
Haiti issued three stamps. Seventeen years later the French postal designer, R. Serres,
prepared a portrait of his famous fellow-countryman against the background of a stadium
and the Olympic Flag. This design became subsequently very popular and today portraits of
de Coubertin can be seen in comination with a variety of background subjects.
ry of the
Olympic ideals. The first and most imposing of these is the name of Pierre de Coubertin.
It is hardly surprising that the gallery of philatelic portraits of IOC presidents issued
by the Republic of San-Mariono in 1959 begins and ends with deCoubertin, who founded the
IOC. But these are far from being the only stamps issued to commemorate the Great
Frenchman. The first deCoubertin stamp was issued in October 1939 when postal authority of
Haiti issued three stamps. Seventeen years later the French postal designer, R. Serres,
prepared a portrait of his famous fellow-countryman against the background of a stadium
and the Olympic Flag. This design became subsequently very popular and today portraits of
de Coubertin can be seen in comination with a variety of background subjects.