A three volume set of stamps commemorating the official centenary of the setting up of the first International Olympic Committee. It is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC is the authority responsible for organising the Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympics. The IOC also is the governing body of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and of the worldwide Olympic Movement, the IOC's term for all entities and individuals involved in the Olympic Games. Each volume has blue covers with official gilt embossed lettering, or emblems. Two of the larger volumes are housed within matching blue outer boxes. There are pages of official explanatory text in German, French, and English, concerning 'The Olympic Movement', 'Olympic Symbols', 'History of the Olympic Museum' 'F.I.P.O., and the 'New Olympic Museum'. Each country featured comes with a page of text with facts about that countries geography, its national olympic committee, analysis of participation, total number of medals won, and number of participants entered (up until publication in 1994). Then there is usually a single stamp (with its relevant stamp information), and another (identical) stamp used in a pictorial, postmarked, commemorative First Day Cover (FDC). In beautiful condition throughout. In the smaller stamp album you see stamps commemorating each olympics from London in 1948 up until the Seoul olympics of 1988 - with German text. Countries featured - Olympic Games (Volume 1) 1. Great Britain 2. Finland 3. Italy 4. Japan 5. Mexico 6. West Germany 7. Canada 8. USSR 9. USA 10. South Korea 11. Sweden 12. Australia Countries featured - IOC Centenary (Volumes 2 & 3) 13. France 14. The Channel Islands 15. The Isle of Man 16. Greece 17. Grenada 18. Hungary 19. Ireland 20. Israel 21. Italy 22. Liechtenstein 23. Madagascar 24. Mali 25. Mexico 26. Moldova 27. Norway 28. Paraguay 29. Portugal 30. Central African Republic 31. The Czech Republic 32. Romania 33. USSR 34. San Marino 35. Senegal 36. Singapore 37. Slovenia 38. Sudan 39. Switzerland 40. Togo 41. Tunisia 42. Vietnam