U N D E R C O N S T R U C T I O N
Issue Date |
06.06.1989 |
ID |
Michel: 139-148
Scott: 115-121
Stanley Gibbons: 124-132
Yvert: 112-115, 120-123
UPU: N/A Category: pR |
Designer |
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 Seals
20s - The Mountains
32s - The Rivers
42s - Silurian: Sigillaria trunk, Equisetales, and Lycopoda
50s - Cambrian: Olenoides, Waptia, Lancastria, Marrella
57s - Carboniferous: Equisetales
|
Size (width x height) |
30mm x 35mm |
Layout |
Mini-Sheet of 10 stamps, Souvenir-Sheet with 1 stamp |
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 Goverment of Tonga |
On June 6, 1989, the Post office of the Government of
Tonga
on behalf their Niuafo'ou Island, issued the set of 10 stamps that shows "Evolution of the Earth".
These stamps shows ten major scenes of the Earth evoultion until appearance of the early life forms.
(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 7 stamps shows lifeless Earth landscapes.
Products
Tonga did not issue any imperf stamps from this set,
the only imperfs known are genuine plate proofs, and come from the Walsall Security Printers archives.
FDC |
Monochrome Proof [1] |
Plate Proof [2] |
 |
 |
 |
Used Covers
| Specimens |
|
 |
 |
|
Notes:
[1] The
Monochrome Proofs were done on thin card 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 amount 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.
References:
- [R1] Technical details and stamps presentation:
stampedout
Acknowledgement:
-
Many thanks to Mr. Greg Jorgensen from Australia, who sells philatelic materials from archive of
Walsall Security Printers on the Internet under nickname tonga2, for explanations about their printing process.