Fossils and reconstructions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals,
paleontologists, Charles Darwin, Natural History Museum, fossil found places on stamps,
postmarks and postal stationeries of Romania
Romania, is a sovereign state located in Southeastern Europe.
It borders the Black Sea,
Bulgaria,
Ukraine,
Hungary,
Serbia, and
Moldova.
It has an area of 238,391 square kilometres and a temperate-continental
climate, with population of 20 million.
Its capital and largest city is Bucharest.
Modern Romania emerged within the territories of the ancient
Roman province of Dacia, and was formed in 1859 through a personal
union of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia.
The new state, officially named Romania since 1866, gained independence from
the Ottoman Empire in 1877.
At the end of World War I, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia united with
the sovereign Kingdom of Romania.
In June–August 1940, as a consequence of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and Second Vienna Award,
Romania was compelled to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union,
and Northern Transylvania to Hungary.
In November 1940, Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and, consequently, in June 1941 entered World War II
on the Axis side, fighting against the Soviet Union until August 1944, when it joined
the Allies and recovered Northern Transylvania.
Following the war and occupation by the Red Army, Romania became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact.
After the 1989 Revolution, Romania began a transition back towards democracy and a
capitalist market economy.
[R1]
The first stamps inscribed "POSTA ROMANA" were issued in January 1865;
the three values depicted Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza in profile, facing right.
In 1891, Romania issued its first commemorative stamps, a series of five in which the usual profile of
the king was framed by an inscription marking 25 years of his reign. In
1896, Romanian stamps were overprinted in Turkish currency for use on
ships passing between Constanța and Constantinople. In 1903
the
first pictorial designs were issued to note the opening of a new post
office in Bucharest, followed by a series of 10 designs in 1906, for
the 40th anniversary of Carol's reign. [R2]
Official stamps of Romania related to Paleontology: fossils, dinosaurs and other
prehistoric animals, paleontologists, Charles Darwin
Notes: [1] Charles Darwin is depicted on the gray stamp among other famous personalities
Charles Darwin on international stamps of year 1959
The year 1959 was both the 150th anniversary of the
birth of Charles Robert Darwin, and the 100th anniversary of the publication of his most famous
work "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection".
Many countries issued stamps and postmarks to commemorate the 200th anniversary of
Charles Darwin’s birth and 150th anniversary of the publication of
“On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”.
Only a handful of countries issued stamps in Charles Darwin’s honor for the 150th
anniversary of his birth and 100th anniversary of the publication of his most significant work.
The five countries that released stamps in 1958-1959 were all communist countries and included
GDR (in 1958),
USSR,
Czechoslovakia,
Romania and
Poland.
[2] Famous Romanian geologist and paleontologist,
member of the Romanian Academy in 1886 Grigore Cobilcescu (Sometimes spelled Cobalsescu)
(1831 -1892 ) shown on light blue stamp of the set.
He was the first professor of geology and mineralogy at the University of Iasi.
He developed the first Romanian book on geology, "The Limestone at Repedea" (1862),
in which he agrees with the Catastrophic interpretation of the fossil record after Cuvier.
After learning about Darwin’s theories, Cobilescu became one of the most ardent supporters
of Darwin’s evolutionary theory in Romania.
He researched stratigraphy, petrography and paleontology - especially in the Eastern Carpathians.
The results of this study are included in his most acclaimed work “Geological and Paleontological Studies
of Certain Tertiary Formations in Some Parts of Romania” (1883).
After known Darwinism, Cobalcescu returned on his own and has become one of the most ardent
supporters of this view in Romania.
He did research stratigraphy, petrography and paleontology,
especially on the Eastern Carpathians.
The results of studies are included in the work accestor "Studies on the geology and paleontology of Tertiary
realms of some parts of the Eastern Carpathians".
[R4]
Romania paleontologist Grigore Cobilcescu on stamp of Romania 1962
MiNr.: 2073, Scott: 1495
Grigores Antipa and fossil of Dinotherium giganteum on stamp of Romania 1967
MiNr.: 2609, Scott: 1941
[3] Fossil of Dinotherium giganteum depicted
on a background of the green stamp, dedicated to Grigores Antipa (1861-1944).
He founded the Romanian school of hydrobiology, ichthyology and oceanography, pioneer in the field of museology,
the author of modern concepts in ecology, biosociology and biosphere.
He was Director of the Museum of Natural History in Bucharest, where he made important contributions
to the organization of the phylogenetic and ecological collections.
As a token of gratitude for his work in the museum since 1933, the Museum of Natural History bears his name.
The Dinotherium is the most expressive artifact of the museum.
Some website and even catalogues mention this stamp as the first stamp depicting a paleontologist.
Unfortunately, this is not accurate, as G. Antipa was a biologist and not a paleontologist.
The presence of Dinotherium giganteum in the background of the stamp likely gave people
a wrong impression that G. Antipa was a paleontologist.
As theDinotherium giganteum fossil is a highlight of the Museum, it has appeared on
both this stamp and on the margin of the mini-sheet “Centenary of the Natural History Museum” in 2008.
[R3]
[4] The third stamp of the issue, with the value of Lei 8.50,
shows the cave bear skulls found in the Rece (Cold) Cave, the bear being the representative mammal
of the last Ice Age in the Carpathians. The Rece Cave is located on the left slope of Cutilor Gorges,
from Rosia Township, Bihor County.
Other stamps to consider: contributors to Paleontology science, Natural history
museums, fossil found places, prehistoric animals on margins
Notes: [A1] Carl von Linné (1707 - 1778) Sweden Carl Linnaeus, was a
Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for
the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature used in all biologically related sciences, including paleontology.
He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology.
[R7]
Prehistoric hunter on stamp of Romania 1961
MiNr.: 1982, Scott: 1426
[A2] In June 1961, Post Authority of Romania issued a set of 10 stamps "Wildlife & Hunting".
Wild animal shown on foreground and a hunter on a background.
The stamp with face value of 20 bani, with Lynx on foreground shows a hunter with a spear depicted
on the background, perhaps a prehistoric human from the stone age.
[A3] Emil Racovita (1868-1947) was a Romanian biologist, zoologist,
speleologist and explorer of Antarctica.
Together with Grigore Antipa, he was one of the most noted promoters of the natural sciences in Romania.
Racovita was the first Romanian to have gone on a scientific research expedition to the Antarctic,
more than 100 years ago, as well as an influential professor, scholar and researcher.
He found and described several fossils in caves he was observing, for example Ursilor Cave which is depicted
on stamp of 2011 (face value 0.30 L).
The cave was discovered in 1975.
The name of the cave originates from the numerous cave-bear fossils discovered here, being an appropriate
shelter for animals for more than 15,000 years.
They believe that the cave entrance was blocked by a fallen rock so that more than 140 bears attacked each
other because of hunger.
In September 1975, a group of amateur speleologists from "Speodava" Club explored the cave for the first
time and 5 years later it was opened for tourists.
One of the bear fossils and its reconstruction is shown on stamp of 2007 and the cave shown on the stamp from 2011.
[R5]
Emil Racovita, Cave Bear and Ursilor Cave on stamps of Romania
[A4] Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd
American president, author of the Declaration of Independence depicting on one of these stamps.
He was also a central player in the beginnings of American paleontology.
In addition, his participation occurred at a time when people were struggling with the
ideas of fossils as evidence of past life, of extinction, and of an Earth far older than the Biblical account.
Some of the fruits of Jefferson's paleontology became part of the collections at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.
Beginning in 1849 these holdings were transferred over to the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, where they are currently housed.
National Geology Museum of Romania on stamp of Romania 2014
MiNr.: 6872, Scott:
[A5] Various dinosaur silhouettes used as overprint label on surcharged bug stamp of Romania 1999
to cover the old face values.
Original stamps were issued in 1996.
[A6] National Geology Museum of Romania, located in Bucharest, shown on stamp with face value of 9.10L.
The museum hosts a collection of 80,000 samples of rocks, fossils, and minerals from Romania.
[R8]
Postal stationeries related to Paleontology: fossils, dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals
Notes: [PS1] The Petroșani Mining Museum (Romanian: Muzeul Mineritului Petroșani) is a museum
focused on coal mining and located in the Jiu Valley city of Petroșani, Hunedoara County, Romania.
The collection includes some 1500 items related to mining, including some unearthed fossils.
It is the country's only museum that focuses on coal-mining technology.
[R6]
Other postal stationeries of Romania to consider: Natural History Museums, stylized prehistoric animals
20.05.2008 "150th anniversary of Grigore Antipa"
[FDC] [PSO1]
Notes: [PSO1] 150th anniversary of Grigore Antipa. [3]
He was director of the Museum of Natural History in Bucharest, where he made important
contributions to the organization of the phylogenetic and ecological collections.
As a token of gratitude for his work in the museum since 1933, Museum of Natural
History bears his name.
Imprinted stamp on the postal stationery shows the logo of the museum with silhouette of Mammoth.
The mammoth and Dinotherium giganteum (depicted for the first time on
Romanian stamp in 1967)
are most impressive and popular artefacts of the museum.
Set of 2 mint stamps issued on the same date with
Dinotherium giganteum on tab at top-left corner of every Mini-Sheet.
Dinotherium giganteum on tab attached to stamp of Grigore Antipa, Romania 2008.
MiNr: 627, Scott: 5044.
Commemorative covers related to Paleontology: fossils and reconstructions of prehistoric animals on cachets
1982 "Natural History Museum, named after Grigore Antipa"
Notes: [PM1] Sabba Ștefănescu (January 12, 1857 - August 16, 1931)
was a Romanian paleontologist and geologist, professor of paleontology at the University of Bucharest,
a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy, who studied the evolution of mastodons and elephants,
as evidenced by the fossils of Pliocene and Pleistocene fossils he researched in the country and
during his stay in Paris.
[R9]
[PM2] Ion Th. Simionescu (born as Ion Gheorghiu; July 10, 1873—January 7, 1944) was a
Romanian geologist, paleontologist and naturalist.
He wrote extensively about paleontology and stratigraphy, describing 707 taxa, of which at least 98 were previously
unknown.
Over the course of seventeen paleontological works, he named and defined the Volhynian,
Bessarabian and Khersonian substages of the Sarmatian.
[R10]
[PM3] Grigoriu Ștefănescu (1836–1911) was a Wallachian-born Romanian geologist, mineralogist
paleontologist. Together with Grigore Cobălcescu, he is the founder of the Romanian school of
earth sciences (geology, mineralogy, paleontology).
[R11]
[PM4] Eduard Gustav Freiherr von Toll (14 March 1858 – 1902), often referred to as Baron von Toll,
was a Russian geologist and Arctic explorer.
He was most notable for leading the Russian polar expedition of 1900–1902 to the legendary Sannikov Land.
It is less known that in 1893, he led an expedition to Siberia along the Siberian Sea with the goal
of finding the remains of Mammoths to bring them back to Saint Petersburg.
Unfortunately, he was only able to find and unearth a few bones of the animal.
These bones are depicted on the bottom-left corner of the postmark.
[R12]
Other commemorative postmarks of Romania to consider: Natural History Museums, flint tools
[PMO1] Robert Falcon Scott
CVO (6 June 1868 – 29 March 1912) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions:
the Discovery expedition of 1901–1904 and the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition of 1910–1912.
Scott and his companions died on the second expedition. When Scott and his party's bodies were discovered,
16kg of Glossopteris (an extinct beech-like tree from 250 million years old) fossils from the Queen Maud Mountains
were found next to their bodies, which they had dragged on hand sledges.
These fossils were promised to Marie Stopes (shown on UK stamp in 2008)
to provide evidence for Eduard Suess's idea that Antarctica
had once been part of an ancient super-continent named Gondwanaland (now Gondwana).
More details are here.
Note: Robert Falcon Scott was honoured on several stamps of
British Antarctic Territory and
UK, as well as on several international postmarks.
[PMO2] Alfred Lothar Wegener (1880 -1930) was a German scientist, geophysicist, and meteorologist.
He is most notable for his theory of continental drift (Kontinentalverschiebung),
proposed in 1912, which hypothesized that the continents were slowly drifting around the Earth.
Note: Alfred Lothar Wegener was honoured on several German
(Berlin,
DDR ) and
Austrian stamps in 1980, as well as on several international postmarks.
[R2] Postal History and Philately of Romania:
Wikipedia,
Links to official website of the Post Authority, stamp catalog and a list of new stamps of Romania are here
Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University,
for reviewing the draft page and his valuable comments.
fellow collector Peter Brandhuber from Germany and Mr. Alexander Pedchenko from Russia,
for their help in finding some missing philatelic stuff of Romania.