Niuafoʻou (Tonga) 1989
"Evolution of the Earth" (III) - World Stamp Expo '89 Washington DC.
| Issue Date | 17.11.1989 |
| ID | Michel: 153-168, Bl. 8; Scott: 123; Stanley Gibbons: MS132; Yvert et Tellier: BF8; Category: pR |
| Design | Mr. Ray Edge, Walsall Security Printers of London, UK |
| Stamps in set | 15 |
| Value |
32s - The Earth Surface 32s - The Earth Crust 32s - Volcanic Formations 32s - The Surface Cools 32s - The Seas 42s - The Mountains 42s - The Rivers 42s - Silurian: Sigillaria trunk, Equisetales, and Lycopoda 42s - Cambrian: Olenoides, Waptia, Lancastria, Marrella 42s - Carboniferous: Equisetales 57s- Carboniferous: Ichthyostega 57s - Jurassic: Stegosaurus 57s - Jurassic: Archaeopteryx and early mammals 57s - Pleistocene: prehistoric humans, Home erectus 57s - Neil Amstrong, the first Man on the Moon |
| Emission/Type | commemorative |
| Issue place | Niuafoʻou |
| Size (width x height) | stamps of 32 and 42s: 30 mm x 35 mm, stamps of 57s: 25 mm x 40 mm Mini-Sheet: 185 mm x 151 mm |
| Layout | Mini-Sheet of 16 stamps |
| Products | FDC x1 |
| Paper | |
| Perforation | 14 x 14 |
| Print Technique | Offset, multicolor |
| Printed by | Walsall Security Printers of London, UK |
| Quantity | |
| Issuing Authority | Post office of the Government of Tonga |
On November 17th, 1989, the Post office of the Government of Tonga issued, on behalf of their Niuafo'ou Island issued the Mini-Sheet of 15 stamps.
This Mini-Sheet contain all 14 stamps from the previous two issues of "Evolution of the Earth" (06.06.1989 and 01.08.1989) plus a new stamp - "Neil Armstrong, the first Man on the Moon" (perhaps to celebrate 20 years since the first human, Neil Armstrong, walked on the Moon).
All 15 stamps were printed together in a Mini-Sheet - 3 rows, 5 stamps each.
The stamps from the Mini-Sheet can be differentiated from the previous releases by the logo of UPU on their upper-right corners and the face values.
Products and associated philatelic items
| FDC | Examples of Cromalin Proofs [1] | Monochrome Proof [2] |
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| Examples of circulated covers | Artworks | |
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[1] The Cromalin Proofs are thick cardboard and in full colour, a proofing method used by Walsall Security Printers in which full color proofs are produced directly from the color separations prior to final production of the printing plates.
Each color is layered on top of the next thus building up to the full color design. The cromalin proofs never left the printing house in UK and were issued in small amounts (3 or 4 pieces each).
[2] 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.
[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.
References
- Technical details and stamps presentation:
stampedout colnect
Acknowledgements
- Many thanks to fellow collector Dr. Jon Noad from Canada, for sharing scans of the artwork from his collection.
- 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.