The motif of the Åland postal labels changes on 2 February. Starting in 2015, the second motif in the series featuring Beach finds depicts a message in a bottle.

The old glass bottle with a message has been photographed by Tiina Tahvanainen, who has shot all the photos for the current three-year series of postal labels ending in 2017. 

With an archipelago of more than 6500 islands, stuff wash up on many Åland beaches and get lodged in many crevices. Most bottles found have been tossed into the water from ferries and sailing yachts passing through the Åland archipelago.

Tiina loves old and odd things and she wanders on the beaches of Herrö in Lemland almost daily, finding things. The beach of Hammarudda in Jomala is another of her favourite beaches.

Date of issue:2.2.2016
Photographer:Tiina Tahvanainen
Denomination of series:€0.85; 1.00; 1.20 and 1.30  
Price FDC:€5.05
Size:40.00 x 30.34 mm
Paper:Fluorescens 100 g/m2                           
Printing method:5-colour offset
Printing house:The Lowe Martin Group

The postal labels can be obtained from Åland Post Stamps webshop at www.posten.ax/webshop/en.