Only stamps belonging to category a) are included in FishBase, with the additional provision that it should be straightforward to assign the fish in question to a valid FishBase species, either because its name or a synonym is stated on the stamp, or because the species can be readily identified from the stamp itself. No fish is shown (but a related motif is). (1977), who also covered stamps related to fishing, used a classification that distinguished the following categories:įish is the central theme (whether or not the stamp also depicts a ruler) įish is only part of the design (with or without ruler) įish is a stylized or only minor part of design

(1977), covering the period 1865 to 1975, and consolidating previous accounts in Bio-Philately, a topical journal. The first global account of fish stamps is that of Bearse et al. Nowadays, there are so many colorful stamps of fish that for some countries at least, entire books can be illustrated by them (see, e.g., Hong 1994 Van Tiggelen 1995). Was issued in 1865 in Newfoundland (Eschmeyer and Bearse 1974).

Indeed, a stamp-like device, depicting cod ( Gadus morhua) was issued as early as 1755 in the colony of Massachussetts, while the first true (gummed) stamp depicting a fish ¾

Stamps, whose original raison d’être was to only document that a postage fee had been paid, have acquired additional purposes very early, notably for the issuing entities to assert themselves through the dissemination of, e.g., their art, history or natural resources.įish being important natural resources in numerous countries, and highly decorative to boot, it was inevitable that they would end up as motif of stamps.

Old photostyler