I was a toddler in Australia when my parents first introduced me to stamp collecting in the ’90s. We went into the post office and bought my first stamp collectors’ kit, and my love affair with these tiny pieces of art began.
The kit contained some starter stamps, a stamp book/album, tweezers and other tools to delicately handle and store these precious cultural artifacts.
Though rendered near obsolete by today’s innovations, it’s nice to appreciate the masterful artwork in tiny postal stamps. Used long before emails, chat and zoom — stamped envelopes were what carried handwritten letters of our thoughts and emotions across air and seas.
To immortalize my collection, I’ll be posting them gradually here on Luscious Mind for you to enjoy how such tiny, thin pieces of paper hold immense cultural weight.
International stamps of fauna
For starters, here are a few stamps of animals from different parts of the world. Ethnic and biodiversity through stamps never looked this cool!
The Philippine Eagle (1997)
This is the second largest eagle in the world and is the Philippine’s national bird.
Sadly, this majestic eagle is critically endangered. Its numbers are dropping according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Philippine Eagle is endemic to Philippine forests, so revitalizing our forests is key to its survival.
Cotton Harlequin Bug (Australia, circa 1991)
This is one of my stamps of a vibrant red harlequin bug. It’s a kind of Jewel Bug commonly found in Eastern Australia. The stamp above shows a handsome male harlequin, while the females are orange.
Though beautiful, you wouldn’t want these bugs to overrun your garden or cotton farm, as they can be a little pesky (Australian Museum, 2020).
Starfish (Vietnam, circa 1985)
This stamp of a starfish (Nadao tuberculata) dates back to 1985. I got this from my leisure trip in Vietnam a few years ago. Oddly, there is not much public information available on this peculiar species of starfish. So I’ll update this blog as soon as I consult my biologist friends.
If you know more about this starfish, please do share in the comments below. But as far as stamp value goes, collectors are selling this from 0.66 USD up to 80 USD.
Rufous babbler (Sri Lanka, circa 1990)
The rufous babbler bird (Turdoides rufescens) is endemic to Sri Lanka. A near-threatened species as per IUCN, this bird could come closer to extinction in the near future if nothing is done to prevent it.
Like the Philippine eagle, deforestation is also affecting this bird’s declining population since it lives in the forest.
Anoa Buffalo (Indonesia, 1985)
Endemic to Indonesia, the anoa buffalo is another endangered species (IUCN). Hunting this buffalo is said to be its number one threat.
Apparently, we humans are not doing enough to keep biodiversity up for these and many other species.
That’s a sneak peak to my humble stamp collection. I do hope we become more environmentally conscious at home and in business to help sustain our biodiversity. Simple practices like recycling and waste segregation go a long way.
Animal and plant lover too, are you? Check out this article next about how to take care of an air plant called Medusa. Watch out for more stamp art and fun facts here on Luscious Mind!
References:
Miller, D. 2002. Bubalus depressicornis. Animal Diversity Web. Accessed July 20, 2020
