2018-10-17 Wed

Established in 1959, Motivgruppe Musik is associated with the American Topical Association and the German Philatelic Society. It has almost 250 members in 35 countries. Motivgruppe Musik started organising an annual poll to find out the most popular music stamp of the year since 1980. The trophy is awarded as a tribute to violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, who was the patron of the Philatelic Music Circle from 1969.

The Yehudi Menuhin trophy was given to Greg Breeding for designing the most popular music stamp of 2017. The winning stamp design was used for USPS’s forever stamp celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mississippi’s statehood, issued on 31st March 2017. The design was inspired from a 2009 photograph depicting the hands and guitar of blues musician Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, taken by Lou Bopp.

A 210-forint Hungarian stamp celebrating the 450th birth anniversary of Italian composer and opera star Claudio Monteverdi came in second. Designed by Istvan Orosz, the stamp was issued on 6th March 2017 in a pane of four. The selvage features more string instruments.

A £1.46 French stamp featuring Edgar Degas’ painting L’Etoile (The Star) took the third spot. Designed by Marion Favreau, the stamp featuring a ballerina on stage was issued on 11th March 2017, in a souvenir sheet of one. The release was part of a multiyear series that celebrates France’s annual stamp festival, Fete du Timbre.

Image Courtesy: USPS