Germany
2011
"150 years of discovery prehistoric bird Archaeopteryx"
Issue Date |
11.08.2011 |
ID |
Michel: 2887 Scott: Stanley
Gibbons: Yvert:
UPU: N/A Category: pF |
Author |
Julia Warbanow, Berlin |
Stamps in set |
1 |
Value |
Euro 0.55 Archaeopteryx (can be used for regular mail
exchange inside Germany)
|
Size (width x height) |
35mm x 35mm |
Products
|
FDC x1 MS x1
SS x1 |
Layout |
MS of 10 stamps (2x5) |
Paper |
stroke, white,
fluoresce, special
post papper DP 2 |
Perforation |
13x13 |
Print Technique |
Multicolor offset print |
Printed by |
Bagel Security-Print GmbH & Co.KG,
Moenchengladbach |
Quantity |
|
Issuing Authority |
Deutsche Post |
For several years now, stamp
collectors have kept various
stamps with prehistoric animals depicting on them in their collection
and enjoy
researching them. Most collectors utilize a PC or notebook
to research and find
new stamps or to gather more information about a stamp they have just
added to their
collection. With all of the information available today across the web
it is
wise to have a fast PC to quickly find what you need. While PC's have
become
more affordable they are still considered a high cost item. Many stamp
collectors and PC users in general may visit a PC wholesale convention
to find
a new computer or parts to upgrade one they currently own. These
conventions
have many different computers and parts available at PC wholesale
prices. Doing
research at a quick pace can be easily done with a new computer
from a PC
wholesale convention leaving stamp collectors more time to
learn about the
prehistoric animals that are featured on their stamps.
The prehistoric bird Archaeopteryx
is one of the most famous fossil in the World. It was described in 1861
based on one feather cast. Later one when some
completed speciments found it was very importnat evidence of Theory of
Evolution. As intermediate specie from Dinosaurs to
Birds Archaeopteryx has some bird and reptilie
specific parts
in his skeleton. Ancestor of
Archaeopteryx was a small predator dinosaur. All
fossils of Archaeopteryx are founded so far are comming from
Solnhofener Plattenkalken
at Fraenkischen Jura region of Bavaria state, in
Germany. They are about 150 M. years old. The best fossil exemplar ist
stored in Museum fuer
Naturkunde in Berlin.
The
design
of both stamp and coin chosen was actually the winner of a
competition.
Other stamp candidate are:
The
second prize has the 1861 feather, but none of them used the 1861
skeleton.
The
Berlin specimen, although not discovered until 1876, was the winning
choice
Archaeopteryx
discovery and it's representation on German stamps
On August 11, 2011 Deutsche Post issued a
single stamp to commemorate 150 years of discovery of Archaeopteryx
(printed in Mini-Sheet of 10 stamps). The best fossil
exemplar,
mostly known and appear on many pictures and illustartions
of Paleontology related books, called "Berlin
speciment" - depicting on the stamp, and stored at "Berliner Museum fuer
Naturkunde".
Archaeopteryx
on stamp of GDR ftrom 1973 |
These fossil was already
depicting on a stamp of GDR in 1973 as part of
stamp set of 6
values, shows various fossils from the museum collection.
The initial discovery, a single feather,
was unearthed in 1860 or 1861 and described in 1861 by Christian
Erich Hermann von Meyer. It is currently located at the
Humboldt Museum fuer Naturkunde in Berlin.
This
is generally assigned to Archaeopteryx and was the initial holotype,
but whether it actually is a feather of this species or another, as yet
undiscovered, proto-bird is unknown. There are some indications it is
indeed not from the same animal as most of the skeletons.
Werner von Siemens of´n German stamp from 1990
|
The
Berlin Specimen was discovered in 1874 or 1875 on the
Blumenberg near Eichstaett, Germany, by farmer Jakob Niemeyer. He sold
this precious fossil for the money to buy a cow in 1876, to inn-keeper
Johann Doerr, who again sold it to Ernst Otto Haeberlein, the son of K.
Haeberlein. Placed on sale between 1877 and 1881, with potential buyers
including O.C. Marsh of Yale University's Peabody Museum, it was
eventually bought by the Humboldt Museum fuer Naturkunde, where it is
now displayed, for 20,000 Goldmark.
The
transaction was financed by Ernst Werner von Siemens (depicting on
several German stamps), founder of the
famous company that bears his name. Described in 1884 by Wilhelm Dames,
it is the most complete specimen, and the first with a complete head.
It was in 1897 named by Dames as a new species, Archaeopteryx
siemensii; a recent
evaluation supports the Archaeopteryx siemensii species
identification.
Nowadays, some paleontologist says
Archeopterix is not the fisrt Bird, but the last flying lizard.
Products
There are two postmarks issued with the stamp:postmark of
Berlin used on official FDC
of Deutsche Post, postmark of Bonn used on
Souvenir Sheet Three additional postmarks issued by Deutsche for some other location that have some connection to Archaeopteryx: Solnhofen - the vilage where all Archaeopteryx fossils are found. Eichstaett - small town near Solnhofen, has imoressive musuem of natural history with many fossils that found on the region, include Archaeopteryx.
Dino Park Muenchenhagen at Rehburg-Loccum - the biggest park with
life-size replicas of Dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures in
Germany. |
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Mini Sheet
Official
FDC |
Personalized
FDC |
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Some used covers |
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Some Souvenir Sheets |
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References:
Wikipedia
Souvenir
Sheet
Latest
update 30.10.2017
Any feedback, comments or even complaints
are welcome: [email protected] (you
can email me on ENglish, DEutsch, or RUssian)