Stamps in Cardiology

In 1996 Mike Davies a Cardiovascular Pathologist at St George's Hospital and Arthur Hollman, a retired cardiologist from University College Hospital, started a series of occasional pieces in the journal Heart called Stamps in Cardiology. For the next 10 years they published 32 articles each featuring a stamp with background information. Since 2006 when the last article appeared new stamps have been issued and with the rise of the internet and online philately dealers others have come to light. Commemorative stamps are issued to mark significant events, important anniversaries, or particular personalities. Thousands of different commemorative issues that have been produced but only a few relate to medicine and even fewer feature cardiology. Cardiological personalities are usually seen on stamps issued by their own country or the country where they carried out their major work. In the past stamps had more than just a role in raising revenue became they were an effective advertising medium which has been exploited to promote health awareness and education.