Antigua and Barbuda

Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, Charles Darwin, Natural History Museum on stamps and postmarks of Antigua and Barbuda

<< previous country back to index next country >>


Contents:
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island country lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands. The permanent population numbers about 81,800 (2011) and the capital and largest port and city is St. John's, on Antigua. Separated by a few nautical miles, Antigua and Barbuda are in the middle of the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles, roughly at 17°N of the equator. The country is nicknamed "Land of 365 Beaches" due to the many beaches surrounding the islands. Its governance, language, and culture have all been strongly influenced by the British Empire, of which the country was formerly a part.
The English settled on Antigua in 1632; Sir Christopher Codrington settled on Barbuda in 1684. Slavery, established to run sugar plantations around 1684, was abolished in 1834. The British ruled from 1632 to 1981, with a brief French interlude in 1666. The islands became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 November 1981, with Elizabeth II as the first Queen of Antigua and Barbuda. [R1]

Regular letter from Antigua and Barbuda, with stamps of dinosaurs from 1992, sent to Germany
Regular letter from Antigua and Barbuda, with stamps of dinosaurs from 1992, sent to Germany.
Since its establishment, this tiny country started issuing large numbers of stamps of various themes. Most of the themes were unrelated to the country. Over 4.600 stamps were issued between 1981 and 2015 - 135 (!) per year on average. Just to compare with some other small countries: the Aland islands issue 15 stamps per year and Andorra issues about 30 stamps per year (15 each from the French and Spanish Administrations).

Moreover Barbuda island with a population of less than 1700 persons (2011), has issued its own stamps since 1968 and overprinted Antigua stamps with “Barbuda Mail” from 1973 on. (BARBUDA MAIL) from 1973 onwards.

Stamps issued by this country often show prehistoric animals in unrealistic environments and mix prehistoric animals from different periods of geologic time together.
For example:
  • 1992: The Stegosaurus and Triceratops are shown living in grasslands. Grass evolved long after the Mesozoic ended.
    Stegosaurus is found in Jurassic and Early Cretaceous rocks, while Triceratops lived near the end of the Cretaceous! (Stampedout)
  • 1995: Protoceratops and Pteranodon lived at different times on different continents. The reconstruction of Pteranodon is too small.
    Like the 1992 issue, the Centrosaurus is shown living in a grassland. (Stampedout)
All of the above, makes these stamps undesirable for the serous collector!



Official stamps of Antigua and Barbuda related to Paleontology: dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, Charles Darwin

28.06.1982 "Centenary of death of Charles Darwin" 06.04.1992 "Dinosaurs" [1] 15.05.1995 "Dinosaurs" [2]
Charles Darwin on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1982 Dinosaurs on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1992 Dinosaurs on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1995
26.05.1999 "Dinosaurs and prehistoric Mammals" 23.05.2005 "Prehistoric animals"
Dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1999 Dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 2005



Other stamps of Antigua and Barbuda to consider: Natural History Museum

17.11.1989 "Smithsonian Institution" [A1]
Smithsonian Institution on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1989

Notes:
[A1] This block was issued for World Stamp Expo'89" International Stamp Exhibition in Washington DC.
The stamp shows the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian Institution appeared on a postage stamp for the first time on an American stamp issued in USA in 1946.
Smithsonian Institution has a very large Paleobiology Department.


Official stamps of Antigua and Barbuda related to Paleontology: dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals of BARBUDA island: overprinted with "BARBUDA MAIL" label.

08.12.1992 "Dinosaurs" 13.06.1996 "Dinosaurs"
Dinosaurs on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1992 Dinosaurs on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1995



Postmarks of Antigua and Barbuda related to Paleontology: dinosaurs

Legend is here
08.12.1992 "Dinosaurs" [FDC]
Dinosaurs on stamps of Antigua and Barbuda 1992



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 valuable comments.


<< previous country back to index next country >>