Every year on August 9th — the birthday of Tove Jansson — Moomin fans around the world celebrate Moomin Day. It felt like the perfect occasion to look back at every Moomin stamp ever issued by Finland Post (Posti).
Postio Marche opened in 2005. One of the things that first drew me to stamp collecting was a 2003 Moomin stamp booklet I discovered at a Moomin pop-up shop. The cover was damaged when I found it, but I still bought it with delight — “There are Moomin stamps?!” — and that joy has never left me.
Today I am sharing all the Moomin stamps and FDCs issued by Finland Post, from 1992 right up to 2025.
Moomin and Tove Jansson
Moomin (Finnish: Muumi; English: Moomin) is the beloved creation of Finnish author Tove Marika Jansson — the collective name for a series of novels, picture books, and comics she created (the comics together with her brother Lars Jansson), as well as the name of the main character.
Moomins are a type of creature from Nordic folklore known as Moomin trolls. Some people think they are hippopotamuses, but they are in fact fairy-like beings. Although — as Tove Jansson herself noted — Moomins would describe themselves simply as “Varelser” (“beings” or “creatures”), not fairies.
Tove Marika Jansson (9 August 1914 – 27 June 2001) was born in Helsinki, Finland. A painter, novelist, and children’s book author, her creative work spanned painting, fiction, comics, screenwriting, poetry, song lyrics, and advertising. She became world-famous as the creator of the Moomin series — beloved by readers “from 9 to 90,” as the saying goes. In Finland she was also highly regarded as a visual artist, producing watercolours, oil paintings, satirical magazine illustrations, and murals for public buildings.
Her contributions were honoured with commemorative stamps in 2004 (90th birth anniversary) and 2014 (100th birth anniversary).
The 2004 souvenir pack included the following note from Finland Post:
Tove Jansson (1914–2001) is widely known and loved around the world as the creator of the Moomins, but she was also a painter, writer, illustrator, and satirical cartoonist. She grew up in a free-spirited yet hardworking artistic family — her father a sculptor, her mother a graphic artist — and from an early age she drew pictures and wrote stories alongside her two brothers. At 15 she made her debut as an illustrator for the magazine Garm, following in her mother’s footsteps, and later studied art in Stockholm, Helsinki, and Paris.
In 1945, the first Moomin book was published. From 1954, the comic strip Moomin began appearing in the British newspaper the Evening News, bringing the Moomins to readers around the world. Her brother Lars supported her creative work throughout his life. The secret of Tove Jansson’s enduring popularity lies in her inexhaustible imagination, and the generosity and warmth woven into her stories — qualities that resonate with readers of every age, just as Moominmamma never loses her composure no matter how difficult things become.
All the Moomin stamp illustrations are based on Tove Jansson’s originals. Moomin stamps were issued in 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, and 2003. The stamps were designed for Finland Post by artist Pirkko Vahtero. The new 2004 stamps were issued on 9 August to mark the 90th anniversary of Tove Jansson’s birth, and were designed by graphic designer Päivi Valnionpää.
(Source: Finland Post 2004 Tove Jansson 90th Anniversary Souvenir Pack)
Finland’s Moomin Stamps — A Complete Gallery
All Finnish Moomin stamps are based on Tove Jansson’s original artwork. For each stamp booklet, I show the cover, the stamps themselves, the back cover, and (where I have one) the FDC.
1992 — NORDIA Stamp Booklet
Issued as a commemorative for NORDIA 1993, an international philatelic exhibition held in Helsinki in 1993.
1994 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
Two stamps featuring two of the most popular Moomin characters: Snufkin and Moomin, each appearing in a set of four within the booklet.
1998 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
The motif for this edition is the scene of riding on a raft — an iconic Moomin adventure image.
2000 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
This edition features Hemulen — and Hemulen, famously, is a stamp collector!
“What, a collision? Does that have anything to do with stamp collecting?”
— Hemulen, Comet in Moominland
Before he became a botanist, Hemulen devoted himself entirely to philately. This booklet is a love letter from the Moomin world to stamp collectors everywhere.
2003 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
Tove Jansson passed away on 27 June 2001, which is why there was a gap of two years before the next Moomin stamp issue. The format also changed with this edition — switching to self-adhesive (sticker-type) stamps, in line with the rest of Finland Post’s catalogue.
2004 — Tove Jansson 90th Anniversary · The Legendary Moomin Stamp
This is the stamp that made Moomin stamps famous around the world.
Issued on 9 August 2004 — Tove Jansson’s 90th birthday — this extraordinary stamp features a soft flocked (fuzzy fabric) surface in light blue, with embossing that gives Moomin’s body a tactile, three-dimensional quality. The pale blue colour and fluffy texture are a perfect match for the Moomin world. It remains one of the most sought-after Moomin stamps ever issued.
2007 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
2009 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
2011 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
2013 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
2015 — Moomin Stamp Sheet
2015 was a special year: the motif was the classic puppet animation of Moomin, and rather than the usual booklet format, the stamps were issued as a miniature sheet.
2017 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
This edition introduced a tri-fold booklet format — a new shape for the Moomin stamp series.
2019 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
The 2019 edition features illustrations that feel especially close to Tove Jansson’s original drawings — a return to the essence of the source material.
2020 — Moomin Stamp Booklet
For the first time ever, Moomin stamps were issued in two consecutive years — 2019 and 2020.
2022 — Moomin ABC Stamp Booklet
The theme for 2022 was reading and learning: Moomin ABC, a charming alphabet-themed design.
2025 — Moomin 80th Anniversary
The Moomin story began in 1945, when Tove Jansson’s first Moomin book The Moomins and the Great Flood was published. 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of that milestone.
The story follows a family displaced from their home, travelling in search of a new place to live — a warm-hearted adventure that ends in the valley that would become known as Moominvalley. The blue house, symbol of that valley, is a vibrant, welcoming place where everyone is welcome — a true symbol of belonging. The door is always open.
Looking Back: 33 Years of Moomin Stamps
Counting them up, Finnish Moomin stamps have been issued 16 times over 33 years (1992–2025), typically every one to four years. That tells you everything about how deeply Moomin is loved in its home country.
Personally, I have a soft spot for the older square-format booklets from before the self-adhesive era — something about their proportions and weight feels perfectly in tune with the Moomin world. But every collector has their favourites — which is yours?
I will keep adding to this collection as new Moomin stamps are issued. If you’re looking for Moomin stamps for your own collection, Postio Marche carries a full range — though popular items sell out quickly and some editions are unlikely to be restocked. Please check the shop for current availability.
👉 Postio Marche — Moomin Stamps
Some FDCs and stamp sheets shown are from a private collection. Items available for purchase are those listed in the shop only.
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