How to collect Finland's Red Cross stamps

There have been stamps issued with a Red Cross theme for over 100 years, many with a surcharge to raise money for the organisation.

Between 1922 and 2000 Finland issued 48 such sets, comprising over 150 surcharged postage stamps.

You can read much more about Finland's Red Cross stamps in the September 2016 issue of Stamp & Coin Mart.

Writing in the September 2016 issue of Stamp & Coin Mart, expert Richard Tarrant explains: 

None of the Red Cross issues are hard to obtain, although used stamps tend to be more expensive than mint, particularly so with the issues up to 1936.

Because of the price difference between mint and used stamps for the early issues, collectors are advised to seek used stamps that have clear postmarks with legible dates before the dates that the stamps were invalidated for postage, for example 1 December, 1930 (1922 issue), 1 March, 1931 (1930 stamps), 1 May, 1932 (1931 stamps), and 1 May, 1933 (1932 stamps).

Much sought after are the line engraved stamps that have missing crosses, double printings of the cross and misplaced crosses.

The real Red Cross rarities, however, are the early first day covers. Such covers from 1922 to 1941 are particularly scarce, with some selling for hundreds of pounds.

Red Cross stamps have been issued by many other countries over the years, giving collectors ample opportunity to build a themed collection.

You can read much more about Finland's Red Cross stamps in the in-depth article in the September 2016 issue of Stamp & Coin Mart.