Birds on Stamps!

As it is World Penguin Day, here is the Gentoo penguin pair as depicted on a 2d stamp from the Falkland Islands along with a couple of other feathered friends,

These three stamps are from the 1966 De La Rue reprints of the earlier Waterlow issues

1/2d, Falkland Islands Thrush (Turdus f. falklandii) - final printing with sideways watermark

2d, Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua)

2/,  Kelp Geese (Chloephaga hybrida malvinarum)

The Falkland Islands bird definitive set was initially printed by the Waterlow & Sons who completed the initial printing of all 15 values and was released in 1960. Of the 15 values, two included penguin species found on the islands: the 2d Gentoo Penguin and the 5 1/2d Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome).  The contract was later surrendered and all the original dies, transfer rollers, plates and perforating heads were transferred to Thomas De La Rue for subsequent printings beginning in 1961.

With multiple reprints, shifting vignettes, perforation variations, plate numbers, etc., this is one set, 'The Bird Definitives of the Falkland Islands' that could easily be a specialist focus...

Have fun and happy collecting!!

A pretty airmail set from Mali.

The numbers printed of each sheet  is as follows:
Angola 20,000

Botswana 10,000

Malawi 2,000

Namibia 10,000

South Africa 30,000

Swaziland 1,000

Zambia 3,000

Zimbabwe 15,000

If I recall correctly these print numbers originally came from an announcement in Setempe when the stamps were released. Setempe is the magazine of the Philatelic Department of the South African Post Office.
Unfortunately, my collection of these magazines disappeared in an over-enthusiastic and subsequently much regretted spring clean.

Many of the Angola sheets were destroyed due the printer's bill not being paid. Some sheets were sold in the Netherlands prior to the supposed release in Angola, and it is these sheets which likely account for those currently held by collectors.
Many eBay sellers ask ludicrous prices on the basis that only 50 sheets exist, which seems unlikely given the number of sheets that have been sold over the years.

Despite only 1000 Swaziland sheets printed, these regularly appear on auction sites such as eBay and occasionally even at fairly reasonable prices.

The hardest to find seem to be Malawi with 2000 sheets printed (in my previous post I had erroneously stated 1000) I have no idea why they are so scarce in comparison to the others, one can only speculate that a pile of them are sitting untouched in some village post office somewhere in Malawi.

Clive

The 'Typically Dutch' series of 2024 features images of cows, cats, etc., also includes the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) as shown earlier by hrdoktorx (Xavier). Preceding that, and in the same Delft pottery style is this image of a penguin issued in 2011 from the 'Boundless Netherlands - South Africa' souvenir sheet featuring 5 other stamps with stylised animals,

Although the Penguin on Stamp Study Unit (POSSU) checklist does not attribute a particular species to this issue, given that the stamp come from a sheet recognising the ties between The Netherlands and South Africa, it is likely to be an African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), the only penguin species to be found in the region.

For the history buffs amongst us, the 'VOC' logo emblazened on the bird's breast is from the Dutch East India Company and there is plenty of history there...

Have fun and happy collecting!