Additions and corrections for June 2009

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 --
BHUTAN
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
BURKINA FASO

-- C --
COMORO ISLANDS

-- D --

-- E --
ERITREA

-- F --

-- G --
GUERNSEY
GUINEA
GUYANA

-- H --

-- I --
INDIA

-- J --
JAPAN

-- K --
KOREA, NORTH

-- L --

-- M --
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MAYOTTE
MOZAMBIQUE

-- N --
NEW CALEDONIA
NORFOLK ISLAND

-- O --

-- P --
PITCAIRN ISLANDS

-- Q --

-- R --

-- S --
SENEGAL

-- T --

-- U --

-- V --

-- W --

-- X --

-- Y --

-- Z --


BHUTAN


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
30nu 2009 Unident. Freshwater Turt. S/S consisting of a large oval of grosteque faces w/ a ventral view of a turtle in the center. A single stamp with an ox is superimposed on the turtle's plastron. Sheet inscribed "Female Earth Ox Year 2009" and "I am the Ox".


BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
$1 27 Mar 09 Trachemys scripta elegans Adult male on ground facing camera. From set commemorating the J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens.


BURKINA FASO


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 1010 a 150fr 1995 Stylized Tortoise s/s containing one Scott Burkino Faso #1010. Besides the tortoise on the stamp, the selvedge depicts a boy holding a turtle that may be a young sea turtle. Scott formerly listed this sheet as #1010a but they now list it as a footnote to #1010. There is no longer a #1010a.


COMORO ISLANDS


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
3000fc 2008 Submarine Named Turtle S/S w/ one stamp depicting a primitive American submarine of 1776 named Turtle. Sheet margin shows a larger picture of the Turtle plus plans of other submarines. Sheet margin inscribed "Les Sous-Marins" in large letters and "Turtle 1776" in very small letters.
3000fc 2008 Submarine Named Turtle Single stamp w/ three views of a primative American submarine named Turtle from a s/s of one stamp. Stamp inscribed "Turtle 1776".


ERITREA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
10 2001 Unidentified Tortoise S/S of one stamp w/ a tortoise (Homopus?) on a green background, facing right. Rotary International logo in lower right corner of stamp. Three cheetahs in margin of sheet. A CTO example exists w/ a cancellation date of "05 09 2001".


GUERNSEY


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
51p 26 Feb 09 Geochelone elephantopus Anterior third of tortoise facing left. From six stamp set commemorating Darwin's discoveries.
Various 26 Feb 09 Geochelone elephantopus S/S containing the six stamps of the "Charles Darwin Discoveries" set.


GUINEA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
5000fg 2008 Various Tortoises Sheetlet of six 5000fg stamps, each depicting a tortoise and a rugby player. Three of the stamps are mirror images of the other three. Additional tortoises in margin of sheet.
5000fg 2008 Geochelone pardalis Tortoise on left, rugby player Bismarck du Plessis on right. Inscribed "Les Tortues".
5000fg 2008 Homopus femoralis Tortoise in foreground facing slightly left, rugby player Bryan Habana in background facing right. Inscribed "Les Tortues".
5000fg 2008 Geochelone sulcata Tortoise in foreground facing right, rugby player Bakkies Botha in background facing left. Inscribed "Les Tortues".
5000fg 2008 Geochelone pardalis Tortoise on right, rugby player Bismarck du Plessis on left. Inscribed "Les Tortues".
5000fg 2008 Homopus femoralis Tortoise in foreground facing slightly right, rugby player Bryan Habana in background facing left. Inscribed "Les Tortues".
5000fg 2008 Geochelone sulcata Tortoise in foreground facing left, rugby player Bakkies Botha in background facing right. Inscribed "Les Tortues".
2500fg 2008 Astrochelys radiata S/S of one stamp that depicts tortoise in foreground facing left, rugby player Schalk Burger in background running directly toward viewer. Margin of sheet depicts three additional tortoises plus rugby player Jaque Fourie in upper left corner.


GUYANA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
$20 2008 Unidentified Sea Turtle Circular design in center of stamp w/ a semi-circle of shield-shaped objects on design's left side. The shield-shaped objects are segments of the flags of 15 Caribbean nations. The first shield to the left of the bottom shield is from the Cayman Islands' flag and shows an extremely tiny yellow turtle. Background color of stamp is red. Stamp is inscribed "Carifesta X".
$55 2008 Unidentified Sea Turtle Circular design in center of stamp w/ a semi-circle of shield-shaped objects on design's left side. The shield-shaped objects are segments of the flags of 15 Caribbean nations. The first shield to the left of the bottom shield is from the Cayman Islands' flag and shows an extremely tiny yellow turtle. Background color of stamp is pale green. Stamp inscribed "Carifesta X".
$80 2008 Unidentified Sea Turtle Circular design in center of stamp w/ a semi-circle of shield-shaped objects on design's left side. The shield-shaped objects are segments of the flags of 15 Caribbean nations. The first shield to the left of the bottom shield is from the Cayman Islands' flag and shows an extremely tiny yellow turtle. Background color of stamp is pale blue. Stamp inscribed "Carifesta X".
$160 2008 Unidentified Sea Turtle Circular design in center of stamp w/ a semi-circle of shield-shaped objects on design's left side. The shield-shaped objects are segments of the flags of 15 Caribbean nations. The first shield to the left of the bottom shield is from the Cayman Islands' flag and shows an extremely tiny yellow turtle. Background color of stamp is yellow. Stamp inscribed "Carifesta X".


INDIA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
15.00r 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea Sheet of thirteen Scott India #2250 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.
5.00r 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea Sheet of thirteen Scott India #2249 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.
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 Scott India #2250 and eight Scott India #2249.
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 Scott India #2249 and eight Scott India #2250.
SC 2249 5.00r 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea One of the individual hexagonal stamps w/ the tortoise from three different sheets of thirteen. Tortoise is facing left.
SC 2250 15.00r 02 Aug 08 Geochelone gigantea One of the individual hexagonal stamps w/ the tortoise facing the viewer from three different sheets of thirteen. Tortoise is facing almost directly toward viewer.


JAPAN

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


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 3050 80y 01 Aug 08 Unident. Freshwater Turt. Sheet of ten 80y 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 and a bridge.
SC 3050 c 80y 01 Aug 08 Unident. Freshwater Turt. Painting of turtle suspended by a cord, looking out of a window at sailing ships on a body of water and a bridge. Painting titled "Mannen Bridge, Fukagawa" by Hiroshige. From a sheet of ten stamps w/ paintings from the Ukiyoe-Edo period.


KOREA, NORTH


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 4680 a Various 01 Jul 07 Three Species of Turtles Booklet pane consisting of a horizontal strip of four stamps, all depicting fish. Strip is surrounded by a narrow selvedge containing 28 small, simple drawings of marine and aquatic organisms. Three of these are turtles, appearing in the lower right corner. The turtles depicted are one sea turtle and two freshwater turtles. The sea turtle is a leatherback but the other two cannot be identified to genus or species.


MARSHALL ISLANDS


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 928 42c 19 Aug 08 Chelonia mydas Block of six se-tenant Endangered Species stamps w/ a turtle on one.
SC 928 d 42c 19 Aug 08 Chelonia mydas Individual stamp w/ turtle from Scott Marshall Islands #928.


MAYOTTE


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 248 0.55e 10 Nov 08 Embroidered Sea Turtles Woman doing embroidery w/ finished embroidered piece in background which shows three sea turtles. Stamp inscribed "La broiderie".


MOZAMBIQUE


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
3300mt 2006 Eretmochelys imbricata Sheet of eight stamps and one label. Stamps are of four designs, each of which appears twice on the sheet. Turtle's head on one design (two stamps). Central label depicts flags, a zebra and a man's head and shoulders. Turtle stamp is the same one that appears on a sheet of four and on a s/s of one stamp. Upper margin of sheet inscribed "45th Aniversario Da WWF" and "Historia Do Seculo XXI". Both side margins inscribed "1961-2006".
3300mt 2006 Eretmochelys imbricata S/S of one stamp w/ the head of a turle, facing right. Upper margin of sheet inscribed "45th Aniversario Da WWF" and "Historia Do Seculo XXI". WWF logo in each corner of sheet and upper left corner of stamp. Stamp is the same as one that appears on a sheet of four and a sheet of eight stamps and one label.


NEW CALEDONIA


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 1060 110f 06 Nov 08 Unidentified Turtle Simple, child-like drawing of a turtle, a dolphin and a lizard-like creature in the foreground w/ a white bird flying overhead. This is the 2008 Christmas stamp as evidenced by a banner in the lower right corner inscribed "Joyeux Noel". Date has also been reported as 7 Nov 08.
SC 1062 75fr 12 Dec 08 Unidentified Sea Turtle S/S of six stamps w/ birds, fish, snake, dugong, turtles and whale. Lagoons of New Caledonia inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Date also reported as 15 Dec 08.
SC 1062 c 75fr 12 Dec 08 Unidentified Sea Turtles Individual stamp w/ turtles from Scott New Caledonia #1062. Depicts turtles from Beaupre Zone. Date also reported as 15 Dec 08.


NORFOLK ISLAND


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 968 15c 16 Feb 09 Stylized Sea Turtle Individual stamp w/ turtle from booklet issued this date. Turtle is made of mosaic tiles.
SC 969 a 15c 16 Feb 09 Stylized Sea Turtle Booklet pane w/ twelve 15c stamps of two designs; six turtles and six starfish. Turtle is made of mosaic tiles.


PITCAIRN ISLANDS


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 681 Various 03 Dec 08 Chelonia mydas Sheet of four se-tenant stamps w/ various views of green turtles in water and on beach. Inscribed "Green Turtles of Henderson Island" and "UNESCO World Heritage Site".
SC 681 a 60c 03 Dec 08 Chelonia mydas Anterior half of turtle swimming underwater. Vertical stamp.
SC 681 b $1.00 03 Dec 08 Chelonia mydas Dorsal view of turtle swimming underwater, to right and slightly away from viewer. Denomination incorrectly listed as $2 in Linn's Stamp News dated 5 January 09 (page 46). Stamp is horizontal.
SC 681 c $2.00 03 Dec 08 Chelonia mydas Turtle emerging from surf onto beach. Stamp is horizontal.
SC 681 d $2.50 03 Dec 08 Chelonia mydas Four hatchlings crossing beach toward the sea. Stamp is vertical.


SENEGAL


Catalog # Denom.      Date      Turtle      Description      Comment
SC 1529 360fr 20 Dec 02 Geochelone sulcata Prominant turtle and snake. Ostrich running in background. Inscribed "Faune - Tortue D'Afrique".


http://www.personal.psu.edu/crr2/turtstmp/ Last updated:   Jun 15, 2009