This year, the Gozo Philatelic Society is issuing a series of personalised stamps on covers featuring Malta’s presidents as part of the society’s silver jubilee celebratory events and also to commemorate Malta’s golden jubilee as a republic.

The first stamp cover featured Sir Anthony Mamo, the first president, while others are being featured every month. The latest issue is that of Guido de Marco, President of the Republic from 1999 to 2004.

The design of the covers was created by the society’s vice president, Anthony Grech, who has produced similar covers in the past featuring Malta’s prime ministers (from 1921) and Gozo bishops (from 1864).

The design features an adaptation of the portrait of each president on the covers, together with a reproduction of their signature. The stamps feature their surname’s coat of arms. They are printed ‘se-tenant’ with a Maltapost stamp from 2014 featuring Malta’s national flag and the European Union flag.

In philately, ‘se-tenant’ refers to two or more adjacent stamps having different designs, denominations or colours.