The Czech Republic

Dinosaurs, prehistoric animals, fossils and fossil found places, paleontologist, Charles Darwin on stamps and postmarks of the Czech Republic

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Contents:
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a nation state in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast. It is a unitary parliamentary republic, has 10.5 million inhabitants and the capital and largest city is Prague, with over 1.2 million residents.

In the 19th century, the Czech lands became the industrial powerhouse of the monarchy and were subsequently the core of the Republic of Czechoslovakia, which was formed in 1918 following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. Czechoslovakia was occupied by Germany in World War II, and was liberated in 1945 by the Soviet and the United States Armies.
Between 1948 and 1989 Czechoslovakia was a one-party communist state under Soviet influence. In 1989, the Velvet Revolution led to the collapse of the Communist Regime and a multi-party parliamentary republic was formed. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. [R1]

The first stamps of the Czech Republic were issued on 20 January 1993 after the former Czechoslovakia was split into the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic on 1 January 1993. Before then, stamps of the Czechoslovak Republic were in use and were still valid until 30 September 1993. [R2]


Official stamps of Czech Republic related to Paleontology: dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. fossils, paleontologist, Charles Darwin

01.06.1994 "Prehistoric animals - Dinosaurs" [1] 23.06.1999 "Joachim Barrande and Czech Trilobites" 09.11.2005 "Works of art on postage stamps" [2]
Dinosaurs of Zdenek Burian on stamps of Czech Republic 1994 Paleontologist Joachim Barrande and Czech Trilobites on stamps of Czech Republic 1999 Deinotherium on works of art on postage stamps of Czech Republic 2005
18.06.2008 "Explorers" [3] 02.01.2009 "Personalities" [4] 05.01.2011 "Kaspar Maria von Sternberg" [5]
Ferdinand Stolicka and Alois Musil on stamps of Czech Republic 2008 Charles Darwin and Louis Braille on stamps of Czech Republic 2009 Paleontologist Kaspar Maria von Sternberg on stamps of Czech Republic 2011
04.04.2018 "Eduard Storch"
Eduard Storch and Mammoth on stamps of Czech Republic 2018

Notes:
[1] All three stamps based on illustrations of famous Czechoslovakian paleo-artist Zdenek Burian. So far there are no stamps that show a portrait of Zdenek Burian, however a postmark with his image was produced by the Czech Post in 1995.

[2] Stamp with face value of 25 CZK of "Works of art on postage stamps" shows Deinotherium picture painted in 1940 by famous Czech Paleoartist Zdenek Burian for Charles University in Prague.
Deinotherium on works of art on postage stamps of Czech Republic 2005
Deinotherium (1940) by Zdenek Burian on postage stamps of Czech Republic 2005.
MiNr.: 452 Scott: 3288
Deinotherium ("terrible beast") was a large prehistoric relative of modern-day elephants that appeared in the Middle Miocene and survived until the Early Pleistocene. During that time, it changed very little. In life, it probably resembled modern elephants, except that its trunk was shorter, and it had downward curving tusks attached to the lower jaw. [R3] More information about this stamp is here

[3] Stamp with face value of 12 CZK from "Explorers" set shows Ferdinand Stolicka, who was a Czech geologist, paleontologist and natural scientist of world significance, who worked in India on paleontology, geology and various aspects of zoology, including ornithology and herpetology. [R4] He died of High-altitude sickness during an expedition across the Himalayas. More information about this stamp is here.

[4] Stamp with face value of 12 CZK from "Personalities" set shows Charles Darwin.
Michel catalog list these stamps individually (Minr: 584, 585), when Scott (3408-3409) and Czech's Post define these two stamps as a set.

[5] Kaspar Maria von Sternberg (born on January 6th, 1761 at Brezina Castle) was one of the leading scientists of the first half of the 19th century, with a special interest in botany, geology and paleontology, and is considered as one of the founders of paleobotany. [R5]
More information about this stamp is here.



Other stamps to consider: fossil found places, contributors to Paleontology science, Natural History Museums

02.02.1994 "Personalities" [A1] 02.09.2009 "Nature Protection - The Krivoklatsko Region - A UNESCO Biosphere - Eudia pavonia Reserve" [A2]
Michel "Dinos - whole world" catalog 2019. Approx. 2500 colour illustrations and about 20 000 price quotations at approx. 328 paperback pages with Novelties up to MICHEL Rundschau 1/2019 have been catalogued in this edition Georgius Agricola and Voltaire on stamps of Czech Republic 1994 Fossil found place the Krivoklatsko Region on stamps of Czech Republic 2009
01.09.2010 "Nature Protection - Biosphere Reserve Lower Morava" [A8] 04.09.2013 "Nature Protection - Karlstejn Region" [A3] 12.10.2016 "The Železné hory Protected Landscape Area" [A4]
Fossil found place Biosphere Reserve Lower Morava on stamps of Czech Republic 2010 Fossil found place Karlstejn Region on stamps of Czech Republic 2013 Fossil found place Železné hory on stamps of Czech Republic 2016
20.01.2017 "Tradition of Czech Stamp Design — Oldřich Pošmurný" [A5] 21.06.2017 "The Moravian Museum in Brno" [A6] 10.10.2018 "200 anniversary of the National Museum in Prague" [A7]
Oldřich Pošmurný on stamps of Czech Republic 2017 the Moravian Museum in Brno on stamps of Czech Republic 2017 the National Museum in Prague on stamps of Czech Republic 2018

Notes:
[A1] Georg Bauer (1494- 1555), depicting on "blue" stamp with face value of 6 kc, better known by the Latin version of his name Georgius Agricola, is considered the founder of geology as a discipline.
Georg Bauer/Georgius Agricola on stamp of Czech Republic 1994
Georg Bauer/Georgius Agricola on stamp of Czech Republic 1994.
MiNr.: 33 Scott: 2914
His work paved the way for further systematic study of the Earth and of its rocks, minerals, and fossils.
In 1544, he published the "De ortu et causis subterraneorum", in which he laid the first foundations of physical geology, and criticized the theories of the ancients.
However, he maintained that a certain 'materia pinguis' or 'fatty matter', set into fermentation by heat, gave birth to fossil organic shapes, as opposed to fossil shells having belonged to living animals.
In 1545, he followed with the "De natura eorum quae effluunt e terra";
in 1546 the "De veteribus et novis metallis", a comprehensive account of the discovery and occurrence of minerals and also more commonly known as "De Natura Fossilium";
in 1548, the "De animantibus subterraneis"; and in the two following years a number of smaller works on the metals. [R6]


Trilobites on postmark of Czech Republic 2009 [A2] "Nature Protection - The Krivoklatsko Region - A UNESCO Biosphere - Eudia pavonia Reserve" shows various landscapes of the region, also known as a location where fossils have been found. Fossils with Well-preserved soft parts were ascertained in several different formations of two Cambrian units of the Příbram-Jince Basin as well as in diverse levels of the Skryje-Týřovice Basin, the area belongs to the region.
Some trilobites are depicted on commemorative postmarks used on one FDC of the set.

Trilobites on FDC illustration of Czech Republic 2013 [A3] The mini sheet "Nature Protection - Karlstejn Region" shows various landscapes of the region, also known as a location where fossils have been found. The area boasts many precious, geologically significant profiles and world-famous fossil deposits shared with the neighboring Bohemian Karst area. The prevailing sedimentary structures contain numerous karst caves. The Koněprusy Caves, hidden in the Zlatý kůň (Golden Horse) hill about 5 km far from Beroun, are the best known ones. Visitors can see about 600 meters of the more than 2 kilometre long caves. Inside, archaeologists found many animal bones dating back more than half a million years and human bones about 13 thousand years old. [R8] Some trilobites are depicting on one FDC of the set.

[A4] Iron Mountains are the key to geological history of central Europe. Proterozoic gneisses and volcano sedimentary complexes (subaerial and submarine volcanism) are present. The earliest life forms have been found – stromatolites. Ammonite on postmark of Czech Republic 2016 The Paleozoic comprises Cambrian siltstones, Ordovi cian quartzites, Silurian shales, Devonian limestones and Carboniferous sediments. Rare fossils include trilobite and graptolite fauna. The third oldest ichnofossil of Zoophycos type in the world has been reported from this locality. The Mesozoic (Upper Cretaceous) sedimentary cover has a unique development, with abundant fauna and flora. Sandstones and spiculitic marlstones provide excellent conditions for groundwater accumulation. Tertiary rocks are represented by basalt enclosing olivine-rich xenoliths. Geological story of the area is completed by Quaternary loess and sandy gravel. Over a hundred geosites have been described from this area. The above facts became grounds for listing the Iron Mountains as a National Geopark. [R7] Fossilized ammonite depicting on a postmark used for FDC.

[A5] Oldřich Pošmurný (1942-2010) was artist and stamps engraver. He studied graphic design of books and magazines with Prof. Vladimír Ringes, history of book design with Prof. František Klikar, and illustration and figure drawing with V.J. Žižka. After graduation Oldřich Pošmurný worked as a graphic editor in the Svoboda publishing house. From 1968, he worked as a free-lance graphic artist. [R10] He co-designed the series Zdeněk Burian’s Ancient Dinosaurs and designed Dinosaur's stamps of Czech Republic in 1994.
The postage stamp is issued both in the form of sheets and as a book of 8 stamps and 4 coupons.

[A6] The museum was founded in July 1817 in Brno. Its collections include over 6 million objects from many fields of science and culture, include some fossils in Paleontologic and Paleoanthoropolgic exhibits. [R11]

[A7] On October 10th 2018 Post authority of Czech Republic issued a stamp "200 years of the National Museum in Prague". The stamp depicts the building and expositions of the National Museum. The National Museum is the largest Czech museum. Museum started with donations of large private collections, dedicated mostly to natural science, by a group of local aristocrats led by Count Kaspar Maria Sternberg, who also led an effort to set up the museum. [R12]

[A8] In 2003 the Committee of the International Coordination Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme in Paris approved the extension of the Pálava Biosphere Reserve to include the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape and the floodplain forests at the confluence of the Morava and Dyje rivers. The newly designated area, covering over 300 km2>, was renamed the Lower Morava Biosphere Reserve.

The reserve encompasses a unique combination of limestone cliffs of the Pálava Hills (In the Upper Tertiary period, the hills were surrounded by a warm sea. During the Quaternary fossils were deposited on the foot slopes of the Pavlov Hills), the Central European lowland floodplains along the lower reaches of the Kyjovka, Dyje and Morava rivers and the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape. [R7]



Personalized Post Stationary

Example of standard Postal Stationary of Czech Post
There are many personalized postal stationery (post cards with imprinted stamp) issued by the Czech Republic, here are only some of them. These post stationaries are based on standard postal stationery produced by Czech's Post Authority without any image on the left side.

1998 1999 [PS1] 2005 [PS2]
Dinosaurs on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 1998 Paleontologist Joachim Barrande on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 1999 Paleoartist Zdenek Burian on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2005
2007 2011
Prehistoric animals on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2007 Prehistoric animals on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2007 Dinosaurs on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2011
2011
Dinosaurs on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2011 Dinosaurs on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2011 Dinosaurs on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2011
2011 2012
Paleontologist Hermann von Meyer and Archaeopteryx on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2011 prehistoric fish on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2012 prehistoric bug on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2012
2012
 2013
prehistoric anima on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2012 prehistoric animal on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2013 prehistoric animal on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2013
2013 [PS3] 2015 2019
Paleontologist Kaspar Maria von Sternberg on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2013 paleontologist Ernst Beyrich on personalized postal stationery of Czech Republic 2015 10 years of Chlupac Museum of Earth History (in Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University in Prague)
2019
210 anniversary of Charles Darwin

Notes:
[PS1] Paleontologist Joachim Barrande is also depicted on the 1999 postage stamp.
[PS2] Famous Czech's paleoartist Zdenek Burian. His illustrations can be seen on many stamps, for example Czech 1994
[PS3] Paleontologist Kaspar Maria von Steinberg also depicted on a postage stamp from 2011



Other Paleontology related Philatelic products of Czech's Post

06.01.2016 Commemorative Sheet : "Kaspar Maria von Sternberg" [5]
Kaspar Maria von Sternberg on Commemorative Sheet of Czech Republic 2016



Postmarks of Czech related to Paleontology: dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, fossils, paleontologists

Legend is here
01.06.1994 "Prehistoric animals -Dinosaurs" [FDC] 23.06.1999 "Joachim Barrande and Czech Trilobites" [FDC]
Dinosaur on postmark of Czech 1999 Dinosaur on postmark of Czech 1999 Ammonite on postmark of Czech 1999
23.06.1999 "Joachim Barrande and Czech Trilobites" [FDC] 26.06.1999 "Barande Conference in the National Museum (Prague)" 10.02.2005 "100 anniversary of Zdenek Burian" [Sp] [1]
Trilobite on postmark of Czech 1999 Trilobite on postmark of Czech 1999 Mammoth on postmark of Czech 2005
01.04.2005 "100 anniversary of Zdenek Burian" [Sp] [PS2] 09.11.2005 "Works of art on postage stamps" [FDC] 11.01-14.01.2007 " [Sp]
Tarbosaurus Bataar on postmark of Czech 2005 Saber-toothed cat on postmark of Czech 2005 Trilobite and Dinosaur on postmark of Czech 2007
02.09.2009 "Nature Protection - The Krivoklatsko Region - A UNESCO Biosphere - Eudia pavonia Reserve" [A1] [FDC] 06.01.2016 "Kaspar Maria von Sternberg" [5] [Sp] 12.01.2016 "The Zelezne hory" [FDC]
Trilobite on postmark of Czech 2009 commemorative postmark of Czech paleontologist Kaspar Maria von Sternberg on postmark of Czech 2016 Amonite on postmark of Czech Republic 2016
xx.xx.2020 [DU] "95th anniversary of Carl Ferdinand Peterse" [Sp] xx.xx.2020 [DU] "115th anniversary of Zdenek Michael František Burian" [Sp] xx.xx.2020 [DU] "Modern and prehistoric animals show of the Lasske Museum in Koprinnice" [Sp]
Paleontologist Carl Ferdinand Peterse on R-lable of Czech Republic 2020 Dinosaur Burianosaurus augustai on R-lable of Czech Republic 2020 Dinosaur Megalosaurus on R-lable of Czech Republic 2020
xx.xx.2020 [DU] "The last three weeks of the Prague exhibition in Zatec - Sladovna Gallery"
Prehistoric animal Terminonatator on R-lable of Czech Republic 2020



Other postmarks to consider: flint tools, Paleo-artists, stylized prehistoric animals

Legend is here
11.02.1995 "90th anniversary of Zdenek Burian" [CA1] [Sp] 04.04.2018 "Eduard Storch" [FDC] xx.xx.2019 "Fauna-Flora philatelic club" [CA1] [Sp]
Zdenek Burian on postmark of Czech 1999 Flint tool on postmark of Czech Republic 2018 registered label with postmark in Ammonite shape and Dinosaur inside of Czech Republic 2019
06.10.2019 "60 years of death of Prof. Dr. Karl Absolona" [Sp]
Flint tool on R-label of Czech Republic 2020

Notes:
[CA1] Zdenek Burian (1905-1981) was a Czech painter and book illustrator whose work played a central role in the development of palaeontological reconstructions during a remarkable career spanning five decades.
Many of his works were used as the source material for the images on many international stamps, including the 1994 Czech Prehistoric Animals – Dinosaurs set. [R13]

[CA2] Registered label with postmark of Czech's "Flora and Fauna" philatelic club. The postmark of ammonite shape shows a stylized dinosaur, perhaps a T Rex, inside the chambers of the ammonite.
The text above the postmark: "Resumption of Fauna-Flora Expert Section at Union of Czech Philatelists." Similar postmarks issued in Prague, Plzen and Kladno cities.



References:


Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University, for the draft page review and his very valuable comments.


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