Niuafoʻou (Tonga) 1989 "Evolution of the Earth" (I)


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Issue Date 06.06.1989
ID Michel: 139-148; Scott: 115-121; Stanley Gibbons: 124-132; Yvert et Tellier: 112-115, 120-123; Category: pR
Design Mr. Ray Edge, Walsall Security Printers of London, UK
Stamps in set 10
Value 1s - The Earth Surface
2s - The Earth Crust
5s - Volcanic Formations
10s - The Surface Cools
15s - The Seas
20s - The Mountains
32s - The Rivers
42s - Silurian: Sigillaria trunk, Equisetales, and Lycopoda
50s - Cambrian: Olenoides, Waptia, Lancastria, Marrella
57s - Carboniferous:Equisetales
Emission/Type commemorative
Issue place Niuafoʻou
Size (width x height) 30 mm x 35mm
Layout
Products FDC x2
Paper
Perforation 14.25 x 14.25
Print Technique Offset, multicolor
Printed by Walsall Security Printers of London, UK
Quantity
Issuing Authority Post office of the Government of Tonga
Evolution of the Earth on stamps of Niuafoʻou 1989

On June 6, 1989, the Post office of the Government of Tonga on behalf of their Niuafo'ou Island, issued the set of 10 stamps showing "Evolution of the Earth". These stamps shows ten major scenes of the Earth's evolution until appearance of early life.
(Less than two months later, four more stamps of the same theme were issued.)

If chronological order was intended, the images on the 42s. - Silurian (443.8-419.2 million years ago) and the 50s. - Cambrian (538.8-485.4 million years ago) stamps should be swapped.
The first stamps shows lifeless Earth landscapes.

Products and associated philatelic items

Monochrome Proof [1] Plate Proof [2] Specimens
Evolution of the Earth on satmp proofs of Niuafoʻou 1989 Evolution of the Earth on satmp proofs of Niuafoʻou 1989 Evolution of the Earth on stamps of Niuafoʻou 1989
FDC Examples of circulated covers
Evolution of the Earth on FDC of Niuafoʻou 1989 Evolution of the Earth on stamps of Niuafoʻou 1989 Evolution of the Earth on stamps of Niuafoʻou 1989



Notes:
[1] The Monochrome Proofs were done on thin cards and in black and white by Walsall Security Printers of London UK, and were used to check the design. The perforations on the proof are only simulated.
The monochrome proofs were produced, in amounts of 20, after the Cromalin one, then sent to Tonga for the officials to check. When accepted, they were sent to stamp magazines to illustrate the upcoming new issues.

[2] The Plate Proofs printed one sheet of plate proofs first, this sheet was taken for checking and approval by Walsall Security Printers company and the officials of Tonga.
After it passed the necessary checks, this imperforated proof sheet was placed in the printers archives and was left imperforated. All other sheets issued were perforated.
The Tongan plate proofs are genuine proofs done by the printers for checking purposes then kept until recently in the printers' archives.

[3] Tonga did not issue any imperforate stamps from this set, the only imperforates known are genuine plate proofs, and come from the Walsall Security Printers archives.




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References




Acknowledgements:
  • Many thanks to Mr. Greg Jorgensen from Australia, who sells philatelic materials from the archive of Walsall Security Printers on the Internet under the moniker tonga2, for explanations about their printing process.
  • Many thanks to Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University, for reviewing the draft page and his very valuable comments.


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