China's People's Sports Publishing House on Wednesday issued a stamp album in Tianjin as part of its efforts to promote the Olympic Movement.

The three-volume album, entitled The Path of Glory, collects more than 200 stamps issued by 60 countries all over the world that cover more than 100 years of Olympic history.

The issue limit of the stamp album is 5,000 sets at total, in which 2008 sets will be issued in China marking the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The most valuable item in the album is the first stamp published for the 1896 Olympics in Greece. Other 20 pieces of rare items include pyramid stamp printed in 1888 and the world's first stamp on Columbus issued in 1893.

According to the publisher, it is the first Olympic stamps album authorized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The album also covers a silver badge with the portrait of former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2006)