Stamp Story No. 13 ANDORRA’S HISTORY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29454, 4 March 1961, Page 6

Stamp Story No. 13 ANDORRA’S HISTORY

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KEN ANTHONY]

QNLY a coat-of-arms—but it tells the story of how one of the medieval city-states of the past has survived to live on in modern times.

The stamp was issued by Andorra, a tiny principality in the Pyrenees, lying between France and Spain. Its history as an independent territory goes back a thousand years—legend has it that independence was first granted by Charlemagne—yet it is neither a monarchy nor a republic. Since the year 1278, Andorra has been under the joint suzerainty of the Bishop of Urgel in Spain, and the Comte de Foix in France. The Bishop continues to be a co-Prince of Andorra to the present day; but the rights of the Comte de

Foix have passed in turn to the Kings of Navarre and France and finally to the president of the French Republic. The coat-of-arms reflects this unique history. The Spanish half of the shield shows the Bishop’s mitre and Crozier; the French half shows the arms of Foix and of another ancient French province. Beam. One of the Comtes de Foix married the heiress of Bearn, and so became entitled to both coats-of-arms.

The joint control of this tiny country has led to the establishment of both Spanish and French postal administrations in an area of 173 square miles, to serve a population of fewer than 6000. And both administrations issue their own stamps. This illustration shows one of the French series of 1944.

Despite its remoteness, there are certain advantages to being an inhabitant of Andorra. There is no internal taxation—and all Internal letters are carried free. Only registered mail, and letters sent to places outside the principality, have to be stamped before posting. —(Central Press Feature. Ail rights reserved).