Tété Béche: Rarities from the Oval-Issue of Finland by Tomas Bjäringer, RDP, Hon. FRPSL, and Mårten Sundberg, FRPSL, has been awarded the 2025 Crawford Medal by the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL).
The prestigious honour was announced on June 25 at the conclusion of the society’s annual Crawford Festival, held at its London headquarters.
The award-winning book presents an in-depth examination of the rare tête-bêche printings of Finland’s classic oval issues. Through meticulous research and detailed analysis, the authors shed new light on one of Finnish philately’s most celebrated and complex subjects.
The Crawford Medal is presented annually for the most valuable and original contribution to philatelic literature published in book form during the preceding year.
An image posted on the RPSL website highlights the six finalists for the 2025 Crawford Medal.
The 2025 shortlist featured six notable works:
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Tété Béche: Rarities from the Oval-Issue of Finland by Tomas Bjäringer & Mårten Sundberg
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Dominica: Philately to 1967 by Simon Richards
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New York City Foreign Mail 1845–1878 (2 volumes) by Nicholas M. Kirke
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Italia e Iberia: la posta fra gli stati delle due penisole 1814–1876 by Lorenzo Carra
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The Rhodesias and Nyasaland from Colonial Rule to Majority Rule: The Evolution of the Mails by Brian Trotter, Pat Flanagan & Keith Harrop
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The Postal Stationery of Nigeria by Peter Hørlyck
The Crawford Festival, held June 24–25, focused on the theme “Archives in Philatelic Research” and featured a series of expert talks and panel discussions.
Named in honour of James Lindsay, the 26th Earl of Crawford – one of philately’s most important bibliophiles – the Crawford Medal is one of the hobby’s most prestigious international literary awards.
For more details on the award and RPSL initiatives, visit rpsl.org.uk.