The first Ethiopost stamps were printed in 1886, they were 7 in total with four depicting pictures of His Majesty Menelik the II and the rest being illustrations of lions. A stamp’s function is beyond aesthetics. Stamps function as a form of receipt, mail cannot be sent without a stamp. stamps can indicate payment has been made, type of mail, weight, and amount can all be told by the stamp used. They also represent a country’s history, culture, politics, and economics, they draw an overall picture of a country. Ethiopian stamps depict the culture and nature of our country. They feature rivers, lakes, endemic animals as well as plants, architecture and so much more. On closer inspection stamps have the name of a country, price, name of the stamp, the artist, and the year it was printed written on them. Their sizes range from 31*45 millimeters (mm) to 38*50 millimeters (mm). 

Philatelists are individuals who collect and study postal stamps. The collection of stamps spans origin and age, with the old and rare ones costing more. For some, the collection and reselling of rare stamps is a form of income. For more information visit our philately museum which holds more than a thousand stamps and the history behind them.