Transfusion, blood donation, and postage stamps: a worldwide review

Before the advent of electronic means of communication, postal stamps were one of the main international promotion tools on the planet and still remains an important support for the wide diffusion of a message. Since 1942, the promotion of blood donation has been one of them. To highlight these recurring or specific characteristics, the authors gathered and studied a large part of the stamps produced in the world on the theme of transfusion and blood donation. They analyzed and compared the characteristics of 189 stamps issued from 87 states: country of emission, year (when given), face value, slogans, expressions or wording, possible surtaxes, dominant colors, the notion of series, the themes of the illustrations, the symbols, the type of message, the national specificities, or the international characteristics. Along with national peculiarities, to certain traditions of representation, and a big variability of illustrations, symbols, and slogans, this set of postage stamps wears above all a clear, strong, and unique message: human solidarity through blood donation.