Niuafoʻou (Tonga) 1989
"Evolution of the Earth" (II)
Issue Date |
01.08.1989 |
ID |
Michel: 149-152;
Scott: 118-121;
Stanley Gibbons: 127-130;
Yvert et Tellier: 120-123:
Category: pR |
Designer |
Mr. Ray Edge, Walsall Security Printers of London, UK |
Stamps in set |
10 |
Value |
T$1- Carboniferous: Ichthyostega
T$1.50 - Jurassic: Stegosaurus
T$2 - Jurassic: Archaeopteryx and early mammals
T$5 - Pleistocene: prehistoric humans, Home erectus
|
Emission/Type |
commemorative |
Issue place |
Niuafoʻou |
Size (width x height) |
25mm x 40mm |
Layout |
|
Products |
FDC x2 |
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 August 1
st, 1989, the Post office of the Government of
Tonga issued,
on behalf of their Niuafo'ou Island, additional four stamps for "Evolution of the Earth" stamps set.
The first part of the set was issued on June 6, 1989.
These four stamps show prehistoric animals including:
- an amphibian (likely Ichthyostega)
- Stegosaurus
- Archaeopteryx and early mammals
- a group of prehistoric humans, Home erectus and a wild dog on the background
Each stamp shows both a reconstruction and a fossil of the animal.
Products and associated philatelic items
FDC |
Monochrome Proof [1] |
Plate Proof |
|
|
|
|
Examples of circulated covers
| Unadopted Artwork, by Ray EDGE |
|
|
|
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]
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
Acknowledgements:
-
Many thanks to fellow collector Mr. Vincent David from France for sharing a scan of the Artwork from his collection.
-
Many thanks to fellow collector Mr. Peter Brandhuber from Germany, for sharing some scans 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.