Greece 2004 Athens Olympics Leonidas Sampanis - Rare Mini Sheet Of 10 Mint Stamps

STRIPPED OF MEDAL AFTER A POSTIVE DRUG TEST
STAMP WAS WITHDRAWN BY GREEK POST 
 
Sheetlet of 10 x 0.65 Euro Stamps
The Greek Post Office (ELTA) decided to copy what Australia did, and issue an "Instant" digital print stamp for every Olympic medal winner. In fact the design is VERY similar to the Australian issues. Like Australia, at a later date, offset copies were also printed of medal winner stamps.
This idea proved a great success in Greece, and the general public were the ones out there buying these issues for patriotic reasons etc.  Only a small percentage of these will ever re-enter the stamp market.
The controversial stamp was issued to honour of Leonidas Sampanis.
The Bronze Medal winner in the 62 Kilo weight class of Weightlifting
Sampanis won his medal on Monday 16 August and the stamps were on sparing sale in limited offices starting Tuesday August 17.
Sampanis later failed his drug test (twice) and on Sunday 22 August the IOC stripped him of his medal.
Consequently, on Sunday August 22, ELTA ordered that all remaining stamps be taken off sale nationally and immediately returned to their central office and NONE were to be sold.
Today these stamps are very Rare as only a handful were left in circulation