The Stamp Designs of David Gentleman

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Freestampmagazine

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June 7, 2022

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The 2022 Royal Mail stamp miniature sheet seen here is a compilation of various stamp issues designed by a very special man – David Gentleman, the most prolific and influential stamp designer in UK philatelic history. Below are the original stamp sets:

‘National Productivity Year’, Great Britain 1962

‘Battle of Britain 1940’, Great Britain 1965

Above, the 1965 set commemorated the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

‘Battle of Hastings 1066’, Great Britain 1966

1966 was the 900th Anniversary of the Norman victory at the Battle of Hastings.

Historic British Ships, including the Cutty Sark, Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain and the ocean liner RMS Mauretania which, when launched in 1906, was the world’s largest ship.

‘Social Reformers’ set, featuring Thomas Hepburn, leader of the first coal miner’s union in Britain; Lord Shaftesbury, politician, philanthropist and social reformer; Robert Owen, Father of British Socialism; and prison reformer, social reformer, philanthropist and Quaker, Elizabeth Fry.

Artist, illustrator, designer and author David Gentleman is the man who created the artwork for all of the Great Britain stamps featured in this article. Born in 1930 of artist parents, he studied at the Royal College of Art, South Kensington, and has lived in London ever since. He has also travelled widely, drawing and painting throughout Britain, Europe and India. His work is represented in Tate Britain, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Design Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum and private collections.

Here we have stamps from 1972 designed by David Gentleman to represent the start of broadcasting: the development of the microphone (3p), a horn loudspeaker (5p), a colour television camera 1972 (7 1/2p), and a commemoration of Marconi/Kemp experiments in 1897 depicting an oscillator and spark transmitter (9p).

The two outer stamps were designed by David Gentleman, the middle stamp’s designer was graphic designer and illustrator Michael Goaman (1921-2009). Produced to celebrate the first Concorde flight in 1969.

Then to celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of William Shakespeare a festival was held in his birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. Scenes from his plays shown on the stamps are: Puck and Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) 3d, Feste (Twelfth Night) 6d, The Balcony Scene (Romeo and Juliet) 1/3, Eve of Agincourt (Henry V) 1/6 and Hamlet contemplating Yorick’s skull (Hamlet) 2/6.

I fully recommend taking a look at the following by clicking on the link https://davidgentleman.com/film, where you will get a great insight to the great body of work David Gentleman has created.

Recently Added to Stock

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Freestampmagazine

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May 31, 2022

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Here we have a small selection of items recently added to PostBeeld’s vast stock. We kick off with these se-tenant PHILEXAFRIQUE ’85 stamps from Central African Republic issued for the exhibition held in Lomé, Togo, in 1985.

Great set of Cook Islands stamps from 1979 entitled “Death Centenary of Sir Rowland Hill” depicting the history of various forms of mail transport.

A fine stamp Philippines stamp sheet from 1985 featuring horse breeds Palomino, Brown, Bay and Chestnut.

Above, from the Central African island country São Tomé and Príncipe, issued 1991, this wonderfully illustrated stamp sheet featuring a Toucan (Ramphastos toco).

Two fine stamp sheets from 1966 issued by Ecuador featuring the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). Check the freestampcatalogue.com website for other Ecuador stamp sheets from 1966 featuring famous historic figures.

Stamp set from China with images of gymnasts issued for the Asian Games held in Iran in 1974.

In December 1992, delegates from 159 countries and the European Economic Community and representatives from 144 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs – independent non-profit groups), 11 inter-governmental organizations and 16 United Nations bodies attended an International Conference on Nutrition, jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The two organizations had co-operated in the past with efforts to overcome the problem of malnutrition. Rwanda produced this stamp set in 1992 to commemorate the initiative.

Above, Paraguay issued two stamp sheets to commemorate France’s contribution to aeronautical progress regarding the development of the supersonic jet Concorde, and below with its contribution to space exploration. Produced in 1972 the stamps also have portraits of French Presidents Georges Pompidou and Charles de Gaulle.

In October 1966 the Qatari stamps seen below, produced to commemorate Education Day, were overprinted with a new currency (Riyal/Dirham) which was introduced following the signing of the Qatar-Dubai Currency Agreement on 21 March 1966.

Designed by David Gentleman, the stamps above were issued by Great Britain in 1964 to accompany the celebrations for the 400th birth anniversary of William Shakespeare. The stamps show characters and scenes from his plays. The 3d stamp depicts Puck and Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), 6d Feste (Twelfth Night), 1/3 the Balcony Scene (Romeo and Juliet), the 1/6 ‘Eve of Agincourt’ (Henry V) and 2/6 Hamlet contemplating Yorick’s skull (Hamlet).

Finally, a wonderful set of definitives from Papua New Guinea, issued in 1952 with various topics pictured on the 23 stamps.

A Starring Role – Observatories

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Freestampmagazine

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May 17, 2022

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The iconic stamp shown here, issued by the United States of America in 1948, features Palomar Observatory, located atop Palomar Mountain in north San Diego County, California. Conceived of nearly 100 years ago, the observatory has been in continuous scientific operation since the mid-1930s, and remains productive and relevant today. Palomar is most directly the vision of George Ellery Hale (1868–1938). Despite the challenges of the Great Depression and the Second World War, Hale and a dedicated group of astronomers, engineers, technicians, and builders secured funding, designed the telescopes and site, and created the Observatory in much the same state as it exists today.

The subject of the 2009 Europa CEPT stamp issue was Astronomy. Armenia’s contribution was an image of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO), founded in 1946. “Modern” astronomy in Armenia began with the foundation of the BAO. It is one of the most important astronomical centres in Eastern Europe and the Middle East region in terms of its scientific instruments and achievements. The Observatory was founded in 1946 on the initiative of Viktor Ambartsumian (1908-1996), a famous Armenian scientist. BAO is situated on the southern slope of Mount Aragatz, some 30km Northwest of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

Hurbane Observatory is the oldest and best known Slovak observatory, standing in the middle of a historic park in centre of Hurbanovo, a town in southern Slovakia. Founded in 1871 by Dr. Mikuláš Konkoly-Thege, who bequeathed all his property – house, garden and the equipment of the observatory, to the state in 1899.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Harry Bayley Observatory, Barbados produced this 4-stamp set in 1988. Named after Dr. Harry Bayley (1908-1958), a distinguished Barbadian physician and keen amateur astronomer, Harry Bayley Observatory is the only one of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean. Situated in Clapham, St. Michael, the Observatory was officially opened in 1963, and has been recently refurbished and re-equipped with a 16-inch Meade telescope, and a Lunt 80mm solar telescope, thanks to the generosity of the Sfumato Foundation.

The Ebro Observatory, located on the outskirts of Roquetes, is a research institute founded in 1904 to study the meteorology and the relations between the Sun and the planet Earth. The continuity and accuracy of its observations for more than a hundred years makes its library-recorded archive incalculably valuable.

Egypt is considered as one of the oldest countries whose people studied astronomy. The historical 30 inch Reynolds’s reflector at Helwan was the first large telescope in Africa and the Middle East and the first telescope in the world to record Halley’s Comet in 1909 and 1911. The finder telescope fitted to it was also used by Herschel to observe the Comet in 1835/6. In the 1940s it was decided that a larger telescope was necessary and in 1948 the Egyptian Government placed an order with the British firm Grubb-Parsons for a new 74-inch telescope equipped with both Cassegrain and Coudé spectrographs. The telescope and spectrographs were expected in 1955. However, owing to numerous difficulties, delivery was delayed until 1960. First light was achieved in May 1964.

Naturally, via our PostBeeld.com and freestampcatalogue.com websites you can find literally thousands of stamps with the topic Astronomy and, further, Observatories.

Joint Issues

Philately

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Freestampmagazine

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May 3, 2022

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India has made many interesting collaborations with other countries regarding joint issues. In 2003 a joint issue with South Korea featured the Cheomseongdae Observatory, built during the reign of Queen Seondeok (632-647), a great landmark in Gyeongju, capital of the region of Silla. Constructed using 365 stones, symbolizing the number of days in a year, the observatory was built in a cylindrical shape approximately 9 meters high. The stamp on the left above shows the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, a collection of 19 astronomical instruments built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur, Rajasthan. The monument was completed in 1734. It features the world’s largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

To commemorate friendship between India and the Soviet Union, a set of two commemorative stamps depicting the Red Square in Moscow and an Elephant and the throne of an Indian Maharaja was issued in 1990.

With the theme of protecting nature Brazil and France had a joint issue in 2008. With identical se-tenant stamps showing the “Mer de Glace” glacier on the northern slopes of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, and the “Serra do Aracá” waterfall in state of Amazonas in Brazil.

In 2008 France and Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first flight between the two countries with the above stamps.

And to commemorate 45 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Kuwait these stamps were issued in 2008

The Øresund Bridge is an approximately 16 km long road and rail link between Sweden and Denmark. It consists of three sections: a bridge, an artificial island and a tunnel. The bridge accounts for half the length of the link (approx. 8 km) with the two 204m high pylons supporting the 490m long bridge span across the Flinte channel. The design is known as a cable-stayed bridge. On the bridge, the railway and motorway run on separate levels with the railway on the lower deck and vehicle traffic on the upper deck. Sweden and Denmark produced these stamps showing the bridge and a map of the area in 2000, the year of the opening of the link.

This Canada/Thailand joint issue from 2003 features the national flower of Thailand, Ratchaphruek, and the Maple leaf – the national emblem of Canada.

Stamp Errors Part 18 – Vultures of Malawi

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Freestampmagazine

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April 7, 2022

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In 2018, Malawi produced a miniature stamp sheet with a major error, resulting in the withdrawal of the sheet from sale. Featuring a Vulture, and part of an issue entitled ‘Vultures of Malawi’ (see stamps below), it was missing the value and the bird’s name.

Railway Stamps

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Freestampmagazine

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March 29, 2022

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100 years of Bulgaria’s Rhodope narrow-gauge railway was commemorated with this stamp sheet. The railway has been under threat for many years due to lack of investment but there is hope that as a tourist attraction the line will survive.

Stamps were issued by Norway in 2021 to celebrate 100 years of the Dovre-Banen railway (now the Dovre Line) which links Oslo to the northern historic city of Trondheim. Seen here is the cover of a prestige booklet and below two of the stamps from the booklet.

Beautifully-illustrated 2021 ‘European Year of Rail’ stamp set from Romania.

Top left, Lei 1.40 is the “Resicza” No. 2 steam locomotive, the first built in South-east Europe, in 1872, at the Reșița locomotive factory; then the Lei 2 face value is a DMU (diesel multiple unit) train at the new Henri Coanda Airport Rail station, from which trains run direct to the station Bucharest North. The third stamp, Lei 5.50, shows a 060 DA (diesel-electric) type locomotive, built in Romania between 1959 and 1988 and modernised between 2000 and 2007. The stamp with the face value of Lei 19.50 has a 41-series 060 EA electric locomotive, this model was built in Romania between 1964 and 1991.

This fine ‘Trains of South America’ set produced by Curacao in 2021 shows the following:

A Colombian freight train in Aracataca, a city in Magdalena and birthplace of the author Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014); for Ecuador a train is shown at the station in the village of Alausi, a town particularly well-known across Ecuador for its railway heritage; then Argentina, a Cargo train crossing Argentinian Patagonia; Bolivia – a train in Avaroa, Bolivia, South America; then there is a Brazilian freight train in the interior of the State of São Paulo; and finally, Peru – a train with the Andes mountain range in the background, near Puno, Peru.

Stamp minisheet 2021 from The Gambia with electric trains from various countries. In the border is a Dutch Nederlandse Spoorwegen Plan V train from 1964.

Has anyone the answer as to why The Gambia used the same artwork seen on the above year-2000-issued Gabon railway stamp sheet?

Recently Added to Stock

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Freestampmagazine

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March 22, 2022

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Some great additions to stock this week include many fine fauna and flora stamps from Albania. Illustrated beautifully, these Albania bird stamps show a European Crested Tit, an Atlantic Canary, a Common Linnet, a Rock Thrush, a Goldcrest and a Eurasian Blue Tit.

Hundreds of other items have been added from Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, Sierra Leone, North Korea, Yemen etc., etc. Apologies for the lack of resolution on some of the published images, but if you click on them you will see better quality pictures.

Protected fauna stamps from the DDR, 1962. Top left the Red Wood Ant (Formica rufa), the 10 pfennig shows the Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis), then we have the Common Shrew (Soricidae) and on the 40 pfennig the Brown Long-eared Bat (Plecotus auritis).

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz in 2001, Maldives produced the above stamp sheet. Cars featured were the 1933 Model 290, a Model 5 from 1933, the 1953 300SL Coupe, a 90 HP Wooden Skiff from 1911, the 1968 280SL and a 1937 W125 Grand Prix.

Above and below we have airmail Paris-Dakar Rally stamps from Mali, issued in 1983. They show Mercedes vehicles – above a race car from 1914, a 1929 SSK and a 1954 W196 model. Below a stamp sheet indicating the route of the race, the included stamp showing 1983’s winning vehicle – a Mercedes-Benz 280 GE, driven by the great Belgian racing driver Jacky Ickx and French actor Claude Brasseur.
The Paris-Dakar Rally was first held in 1978–79. It covered around 15,000 km (9,300 miles) and was considered among the most gruelling rally events. In 2009 the competition was renamed the Dakar Rally and relocated to South America after its organisers cancelled the 2008 race, because of terrorist threats in Africa.

Here a North Korea minisheet from 1985, celebrating 60 years of Mercedes-Benz.

In 2005 severe river flooding affected many parts of Europe and this overprinted charity stamp from Austria was issued in 2006 to help victims of the flooding in that country.

Great ‘hunting dogs’ stamps from Romania, 2005.

Jamaica stamps from 1988 here feature the 1988 Winter Olympic Bobsled team, whose story was rather exaggeratedly told in the film ‘Cool Running’ and below, iconic West Indian cricketers from the past. The stamps show an 18th Century belt buckle, the engraving on which is thought to be a slave playing cricket. The players are Jackie Hendriks, Karl Nunes, George Headley, Allen Rae and Michael Holding.

In 1946, just after World War II, the French military administration – in what was then Allied Forces-occupied Germany – organised part of the territory bordering France as the Saar Protectorate. After a referendum in 1955, it joined the Federal Republic of Germany, becoming a state in 1957. Saarland had its own currency, the Saar Franc, and the territory issued postage stamps until 1959. The stamps shown here were produced for the 15th Olympic Games, held in Helsinki in 1952. This was the first and only time Saarland competed in the Olympic Games as an independent nation.

Attractive set of 1987 America’s Cup sailing competition stamps here. The 1987 America’s Cup, held in the Australian city of Fremantle, was the twenty-sixth challenge for the America’s Cup. The American challenger Stars & Stripes 87, sailed by Dennis Conner, beat the Australian defender Kookaburra III, sailed by Iain Murray.

Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the formation of the United Nations, Vatican City issued this item in 2015.

Here is a stamp sheet for petrolheads and automobile enthusiasts alike. In 1991 Maldives celebrated the life and creations of Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988). Classic Ferraris from the past are featured. There are two Testarossas, a 1966 275 GTB, then race cars – a 1951 “Aspirata”, 1952 Type 375, a 1958 Dino 246, a 1975 312T and Nigel Mansell’s 1990 Formula One car.

The image on the two “Les couleurs de Marianne” minisheets above was designed by Eve Luquet, to date the only female designer of France’s Marianne stamps. Engraved by Claude Jumelet, the image – “Marianne du 14 Juillet” – is seen on definitive stamp series issued in France between 14 July 1997 and 2005.

Black Heritage – Part 13

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Freestampmagazine

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March 8, 2022

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The USPS Black Heritage stamp series issue for 2010 featured Oscar Micheaux. He was an author, film director, screenwriter, and producer who between 1919 and 1948 wrote, produced, directed, and distributed more than 45 films for African-American audiences. He would hire black writers and actors for his films so that he could more accurately dramatise and project his black audience’s lives onto the big screen. Micheaux received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Oscar Micheaux Award was created by the Producers Guild of America to honour people who overcome difficulties and go on to accomplish great things in the film and television industry.

The first African-American woman to be elected to the Texas legislature was lawyer and educator Barbara Jordan (1936-1996). She was featured on the 2011 stamp. She was prominent in supporting many key pieces of legislation extending the federal protection of civil rights. Jordan also became the first woman and first African-American to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 1976. She was named as one of the most influential American women in the twentieth century by America’s National Women’s Hall of Fame. Among Jordan’s many awards and honours is the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The 2012 Black Heritage stamp featured the first African-American to attain major success in the field of publishing, John H. Johnson (1918-2005). He was possibly the greatest minority entrepreneur in American history. Johnson’s business empire included magazines, radio stations, cosmetics, and more. His published magazines showcased African-American accomplishments. He was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1966, was named publisher of the year, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. Johnson also served as a Special U.S. Ambassador for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Althea Gibson (1927-2003) was featured on the 2013 stamp. A pioneering American tennis player, she dominated women’s competition in the late 1950s. Althea Gibson was the first black player to win the French, Wimbledon, and U.S.A. Open singles championships. She was tall, muscular and very fast around the court. With her long reach, hard service and great agility she was a formidable opponent. She became an inspiration for future generations of African-American players. Gibson helped integrate her sport at the height of the civil rights movement. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and continued to work in athletics after her retirement.

Andorra

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Freestampmagazine

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March 1, 2022

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The Principality of Andorra is the only country in the world with two foreign postal organisations in the same country – the French and Spanish postal services. Andorra is a tiny independent country, situated in the Pyrennees, bordered by Spain and France. Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest-altitude capital in Europe. Despite having the two postal services the country is fully independent from France, Spain and the European Union but its currency is the Euro.

The photograph above shows La Poste and Correos mailboxes side-by-side.

Here we have a set of French definitives overprinted “Andorre” from 1931.

And, above, overprinted Spanish Post Andorra airmail stamps from 1932.

In 2021, to honour the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte, La Poste issued the above Andorran stamp.

Joan Monegal was a Spanish painter. The 40th annoversary of his death was commemorated with the stamp sheet seen here, featuring his artwork. He was born in Spain in 1933 but in 1974 he moved his family to the Andorran capital, where he developed all of his main work. He died in 1981 at the age of 47.

This is a small sample of French and Spanish Andorran stamps in stock at PostBeeld. If you visit its freestampcatalogue.com website you will be able to see many more interesting examples.

Switzerland – Pro Juventute

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Freestampmagazine

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February 22, 2022

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The charitable foundation Pro Juventute was set up in Switzerland in 1912. It is dedicated to supporting the rights and needs of Swiss children and youth. Since 1912 (with the exception of 1914, the year the First World War began), the Swiss postal authority has produced stamps annually to support the work of Pro Juventute. The three official languages spoken in Switzerland – German, Italian and French – were shown on the first Pro Juventute stamps seen here.

Helvetia is the female national personification of Switzerland (much as Britannia for Great Britain) and her portrait featured on the 1913 edition.

This article concentrates on a selection of stamps from the 1950s which featured famous people and a variety of butterflies, moths and other insects.

The 1950 issue has a portrait of a Swiss politician and the military Chief General-Staff from 1905 to 1919, Theophil Sprecher von Bernegg. The insects are: an Admiral Butterfly, a Blue Underwing Butterfly, a Bee and a Sulphur Butterfly.

Seen above is the 1951 set, featuring Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) the Swiss-born author, probably her best-known work being the children’s book, “Heidi”. Then follow stamps showing a Dragonfly, a Black-Veined Butterfly, an Orange Tip Butterfly and a Peacock Moth.

For 1952 we have on the left “Portrait of a Boy” by Swiss artist Albert Anker (1831-1910). Then a Ladybird, a Barred-wing Butterfly, an Argus Butterfly and a Silkworm Moth.

In 1953 another painting by Albert Anker, “Portrait of a Girl” was featured. The other stamps depicted a Nun Moth, a Camberwell Beauty Butterfly, a Purple Longhorn Beetle and a self portrait of Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918).

The next year’s famous person stamp commemorated the birth centenary of the Swiss novelist Jeremias Gotthelf (1797-1854). The insects are a Garden Tiger Moth, a Bumble Bee, an Ascalaphus and a Swallowtail Butterfly.

For 1955 the postal authority chose Charles Pictet de Rochemont (1755-1824), the Swiss statesman and diplomat responsible for the declaration of Switzerland’s permanent neutrality. Then the following: a Peacock Butterfly, a Great Horntail, a Yellow Bear Moth and an Apollo Butterfly.

Honouring the Swiss-Italian architect Carlo Maderno (1556-1629), thought to be one of the fathers of Baroque architecture, the first stamp shown here is from the 1956 series. The insects are: a Burnet Moth, a Purple Emperor Butterfly, a Blue Ground Beetle and a White Cabbage Butterfly.

And in 1957 Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), Swiss mathematician and physicist was featured. The other stamps depict a Magpie Moth, a Clouded Yellow Butterfly, a Rose Chafer Beetle and a Red Underwing Moth.