Additions and corrections for December 2008

A World-Wide List of Turtles and Tortoises on Stamps

by Donald N. Riemer


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


-- A --

-- B --
BRUNEI
BULGARIA

-- C --
CHAD
CHINA, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF
COOK ISLANDS

-- D --

-- E --
ECUADOR
EQUATORIAL GUINEA

-- F --

-- G --

-- H --
HUNGARY

-- I --
INDIA

-- J --
JAPAN

-- K --
KOREA, NORTH
KOREA, SOUTH

-- L --

-- M --
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MEXICO
MONTSERRAT

-- N --
NEW CALEDONIA

-- O --

-- P --
PANAMA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA

-- Q --

-- R --
RWANDA

-- S --
ST. THOMAS AND PRINCE ISLANDS

-- T --

-- U --

-- V --

-- W --
WALLIS AND FUTUNA

-- X --

-- Y --

-- Z --
ZAMBIA


BRUNEI


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
* Unknown Chelonia mydas Aerogramme w/ photo of turtle on beach in rectangle and large, faint photo of swimming turtle in background behind sender's name and address. * There is no denomination specified but the imprinted "stamp" says "Brunei Darussalam" and "Postage Paid".


BULGARIA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
Various 21 Jul 08 Mauremys caspica rivulata S/S of two stamps (one w/ wild canine & pups, the other w/ an eagle on a branch). Turtle in lower right corner of sheet. No turtles on stamps.


CHAD


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
1000f 2008 Geochelone elephantopus S/S of four stamps w/ Charles Darwin in left margin. Large photo of Galapagos tortoise on one stamp. Upper margin of sheet inscribed "Galapagos".
1000f 2008 Geochelone elephantopus Individual stamp w/ turtle from 2008 sheet of four. Large photo of tortoise facing viewer w/ grass in mouth. Green, white and purple flag in upper left corner of stamp.


CHINA, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
60 See Description Postal card w/ imprinted stamp, issued by the Chinese postal authorities. Front of card shows a fossilized skeleton of Manchurochelys liaoxiensis, from the Early Cretaceous Period, 1.25 million years ago. No turtle on stamp; on front of card only.


COOK ISLANDS


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 1291 $3 10 Oct 07 Four Sea Turtle Species Block of four stamps w/ a different sea turtle on each. Picture of Queen Elizabeth II in oval near left side of each stamp.
SC 1291 a $3 10 Oct 07 Eretmochelys imbricata Turtle swimming toward viewer and slightly toward viewer's left. Picture of Queen Elizabeth II in oval near left side of stamp.
SC 1291 b $3 10 Oct 07 Dermochelys coriacea Turtle swimming right, underwater. Picture of Queen Elizabeth II in oval near left side of stamp.
SC 1291 c $3 10 Oct 07 Chelonia mydas Turtle swimming up and to left, underwater. Picture of Queen Elizabeth II in oval near left side of stamp.
SC 1291 d $3 10 Oct 07 Lepidochelys olivacea Turtle swimming left, underwater. Picture of Queen Elizabeth II in oval near left side of stamp.


ECUADOR


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
32c 28 Jul 08 Cartoon-Like Turtle Fiftieth Anniversary of the Higher Polytechnic Institute of the Coast. School's emblem is circular, w/ a turtle in the center and it appears twice on the stamp. Stamp inscribed "50 Anos Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral".


EQUATORIAL GUINEA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
Various Unidentified Softshell Block of four stamps with a single image of a coin covering all four stamps so that one-fourth of the coin is on each stamp. Turtle is primary design feature on the coin. Coin is a one-ruble Russian coin issued in 2003.
25ek Unidentified Softshell Stamp from upper left position of block of four with one fourth of Russian coin depicting turtle. Shows left hind leg of turtle and part of carapace.
50ek Unidentified Softshell Stamp from upper right position of block of four with one fourth of Russian coin depicting turtle. Shows left front leg, head and part of carapace of turtle.
60ek Unidentified Softshell Stamp from lower left position of block of four with one fourth of Russian coin depicting turtle. Shows tail and part of carapace of turtle. Also shows small WWF panda logo.
75ek Unidentified Softshell Stamp from lower right position of block of four with one fourth of Russian coin depicting turtle. Shows right front leg of turtle plus part of neck and part of carapace.


HUNGARY


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 4083 100ft 02 Sep 08 Cartoon Turtle Cartoon turtle visiting a museum w/ other cartoon animals. Characters are from a board game called Philavillage.


INDIA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
15.00 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea Sheet of thirteen identical hexagonal stamps w/ a tortoise on each plus a large tortoise in background behind the stamps in the sheet margin. Sheet inscribed "Aldabra Giant Tortoise". Tortoise on each stamp is facing almost directly toward viewer.
15.00 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea One of the hexagonal stamps w/ the tortoise facing the viewer from three different sheets of thirteen. Tortoise is facing almost directly toward viewer.
5.00 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea Sheet of thirteen identical hexagonal stamps w/ a tortoise on each plus a large tortoise in background, behind the stamps, in the sheet margin. Sheet inscribed "Aldabra Giant Tortoise". Tortoise on each stamp facing left.
5.00 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea One of the hexagonal stamps w/ the tortoise from three different sheets of thirteen. Tortoise on each stamp is facing left.
Various 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea Sheet of thirteen octagonal stamps w/ a tortoise on each plus a large tortoise in background, behind the stamps, in the sheet margin. Sheet contains five stamps w/ 15.00 denom and eight stamps w/ 5.00 denom. 15.00 denom in upper left corner.
Various 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea Sheet of thirteen octagonal stamps w/ a tortoise on each plus a large tortoise in background, behind the stamps, in the sheet margin. Sheet contains five stamps w/ 5.00 denom and eight stamps w/ 15.00 denom. 5.00 denom in upper left corner.


JAPAN

See End Note #11 for information about Japanese postal cards w/ turtles.


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
80 Unident. Freshwater Turt. Painting of turtle suspended by a cord, looking out of a window at sailing ships on a body of water. This is a Prefecture stamp. It is from a sheet of ten stamps w/ paintings from the Ukiyoe-Edo period.
80 Unident. Freshwater Turt. Sheet of ten 80 denom stamps, all w/ different paintings from the Ukiyoe-Edo period. One stamp depicts a turtle suspended by a cord, looking out of a window at sailing ships on a body of water.


KOREA, NORTH


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 4391 Various 10 Aug 04 Unidentified Sea Turtle Sheet of four se-tenant stamps, all depicting freshwater fish. Turtle in lower left selvedge. Although the fish are all freshwater species, the turtle is a sea turtle.


KOREA, SOUTH


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 2246 a 250w 19 Mar 07 Silhouette of Sea Turtle Sheetlet of two identical stamps w/ what appears to be a chromosome and a DNA molecule on each. Silhouettes of various animals, including a sea turtle, in background of stamps and in left margin of sheet. Sheet inscribed "The Year of Biology 2007". Small silhouette of sea turtle in left margin of sheet. This stamp was formerly listed here, in error, as being from the Republicc of China (Taiwan).


MARSHALL ISLANDS


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
42c 19 Aug 08 Chelonia mydas Pane of six se-tenant Endangered Species stamps w/ a turtle on one.
42c 19 Aug 08 Chelonia mydas Individual stamp w/ turtle from pane of six issued this date.


MEXICO


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 2505 30.50p 30 Nov 05 Stylized Turtle Figurine Folk art turtle made of obsidian and opal. This stamp was later re-issued w/ tiny "2007" inscribed in bottom margin and again w/ "2008" in bottom margin.


MONTSERRAT


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 1202 $2.25 03 Jul 08 Eretmochelys imbricata S/S of six stamps depicting an elephant, an eagle, a tiger, a sea turtle, a rhinocerous and a gorilla. Upper selvedge of sheet inscribed "Endangered Animals of the World".
SC 1202 d $2.25 03 Jul 08 Eretmochelys imbricata Individual stamp w/ turtle from Scott Montserrat #1202. Turtle swimming up and to right.


NEW CALEDONIA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
110f 2008 Unidentified Drawing Simple, child-like drawings of a turtle, a dolphin and a lizard-like creature in the foreground and a white bird flying overhead. This is the 2008 Christmas stamp as evidenced by a banner in the lower right corner inscribed "Joyeux Noel".


PANAMA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 780 35c 17 Jul 90 Trachemys scripta ornata Adult, facing right, emerging from water. Examples exist w/ white tab at top inscribed "De Rio" in black.
SC 781 45c 17 Jul 90 Lepidochelys olivacea Adult on beach facing right. Examples exist w/ white tab at top inscribed "Marina" in black.
SC 782 60c 17 Jul 90 Geochelone carbonaria Adult on grass facing left. Examples exist w/ white tab at top inscribed "Terrestre" in black.


PAPUA NEW GUINEA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 1313 85t 25 Jun 08 Primative Drawing Primative drawing of person w/ long hair. Lizard to left of human figure and what is probably a turtle to right, holding on to person's hair w/ its mouth. Stamp inscribed "AKIS", "Pioneer Art, 2008" and "Long Hair by Akis (1944-1984)".


RWANDA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
900f 2008? Macroclemys temminckii Mini sheet of one stamp w/ turtle on land, facing right. Turtle's head on stamp and turtle's body and limbs in selvedge of sheet. Stamp inscribed "Macroclemys temminckii". Selvedge inscribed "Reptiles" and "The Alligator Snapping Turtle".


ST. THOMAS AND PRINCE ISLANDS


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
10,000db 2005 Chelonia mydas S/S of four stamps w/ photos of owls on each stamp. Seven pale photos of turtles distributed around the four margins of the sheet. "2005" inscribed in upper right corner of each stamp. "Flores e Animais do Mundo e WWF" printed in bottom margin of sheet in extremely small print. No WWF symbols on stamps or sheet.
Various 2008 Unidentified Sea Turtle S/S of four stamps depicting bank notes from four different countries. The upper left and lower right corners of the sheet show partial images of a bank note from Auba w/ a stylized sea turtle on it. There are no turtles on any of the four stamps. The bank note w/ the turtle depicted in two corners of the background of the sheet is listed as Aruba #6 in The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Volume Three, 10th Edition. The note was first issued in 1990 and has a denomination of 5 Florin.


WALLIS AND FUTUNA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
95fr 07 Mar 08 Unidentified Sea Turtle SCUBA divers, fish, turtle and coral. Turtle in upper left corner of stamp. Stamp inscribed "EvasionBleue" and "La Plongee a Wallis".
95fr 07 Mar 08 Unidentified Sea Turtle S/S of ten identical stamps. Each stamp shows SCUBA divers, fish, a turtle and coral. Background of sheet is an enlarged version of the picture appearing on each stamp. Sheet margin inscribed "Taipei 2008", "La Plongee a Wallis et Futuna" and "Anee des recifs coralliens".


ZAMBIA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
1500k 2008? Unidentified Tortoises This is Scott Zambia #905 o/p'd "K1500" in black at top center of stamp. Original denomination of K1400 in bottom left corner of stamp is not obliterated in any way.


http://www.personal.psu.edu/crr2/turtstmp/ Last updated:   Dec 11, 2008