Darwin Stamps

Charles Darwin and Darwinian images have appeared on postage stamps since 1935, in Ecuador. Since then at least sixty countries have now published Darwin stamps.

This online catalogue began with a selection of over 100 Darwin stamps from the collection of the Turkish historian of science Cemil Ozan Ceyhan who kindly shared them with Darwin Online. He aims to create a complete collection of Darwin stamps and hopefully the list on this page will eventually represent a complete catalogue.

Ozan writes that "this collection can also be seen as a tool for a different perspective on how different countries perceive Darwin."

Darwin Online has been the source for a surprising number of stamps- in addition to countless other publications and broadcasts (see here). Those which used Darwin Online images in the list below are marked with *. Those reproduced images with permission are marked with **.

For further details or to assist with the collection, please contact Ozan via email: ceyhanc@itu.edu.tr

More recently (2024) we have received information and images of further Darwin stamps from the collection of Stephen Green, UK.

Green's contributions are distinguished here by a summary of details and are signed Stephen Green, UK.

The terms used in Green's summaries are:

POSTAGE STAMP, where evidence of normal postal use has been found (local or international) or it is considered such use would have been accepted by Postal Authorities.
"STAMPS", postage stamps, issued for postal use, AND similar items, produced for various non-postal uses.
NON POSTAL, where there is no indication of local or international postal services or acceptance.
M/S, Mini Sheet.
GUTTER PAIR, stamps joined by a non postal border, usually where a large sheet of stamps is divided by a margin, horizontally and/or vertically, into 2 or 4 sections.
PERFORATED, where the stamp is bordered by perforations.
IMPERF, where the stamp is issued without any perforations.
CANCELLATION/POSTMARK, an ink impressions is made on the stamp and envelope, usually indicating, date and place used, and sometimes with an explanation of use or illustration.
CTO, Cancelled To Order, quite often indicating issued for non postal reasons, or as an additional interest for stamp collectors.
FDC, First Day Cover, stamps on an envelope cancelled by a postmark that shows the exact date of formal issue and use.
FDI, First Date of Issue, a postmark recording the first day of issue.

With thanks to Michael Kogan for the Albanian stamp and further details on world stamps depicting Darwin.

John van Wyhe

Albania

Antigua and Barbados

Ascension

Austria

Bashkiria, Russia

(commemorative print)

Bosnia

British Indian Ocean Territory

Bulgaria

CAPE VERDE

COUNTRY: CAPE VERDE

ISSUE DATE: 2009 printed on stamp

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: probably postage stamps, removed from a sheet, a strip of 3 perforated, joined, different stamps

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: this may be from what is termed a "sheet-let", postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

Chad

(commemorative print)

COUNTRY: CHAD

ISSUE DATE: 2015 on stamp [12.03.2015 on CTO]

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint, perforated M/S holding a single stamp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: also CTO, postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

Cocos (Keeling) islands

Comores

Congo

(commemorative print):

Cuba

Czech Republic

DDR - German Democratic Republic

Djibouti

(commemorative print)

COUNTRY: DJIBOUTI

ISSUE DATE: stamp dated 2024

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint M/S holding 3 different joined perforated stamps

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen, also IMPERF variety. Stephen Green, UK.

COUNTRY: DJIBOUTI

ISSUE DATE: stamp dated 2024

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint M/S holding a single Perforated stamp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen, also perforated variety. Stephen Green, UK.

Ecuador

COUNTRY: ECUADOR

ISSUE DATE: FEB '86 on stamp

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: single, mint, perforated, postage stamp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: removed, single, postal use with cancellation/post mark. Stephen Green, UK.

Falkland Islands

Gabon

Gibraltar**

Grenada*

Guinea

COUNTRY: GUINEA

ISSUE DATE: 2017 on stamp

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint, perforated M/S, holding a single stamp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

COUNTRY: GUINEA

ISSUE DATE: 2017 on stamp

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint, perforated M/S, holding 4 joined different stamps

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen, extracted single mint stamps. Stephen Green, UK.

COUNTRY: GUINEA

ISSUE DATE: 2009 on stamp

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint, perforated M/S holding 6 joined stamps, of which only 2 picture Darwin

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

Guinea-Bissau

COUNTRY: GUINEA-BISSAU

ISSUE DATED: stamp dated 2023

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint M/S, holding a single perforated stamp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

COUNTRY: GUINEA-BISSAU

ISSUE DATE: stamp dated 2023

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint M/S, holding a single perforated stamp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

COUNTRY: GUINEA-BISSAU

ISSUE DATE: stamp dated 2023

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint M/S, holding 3 joined different perforated stamps

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

India

Ireland

Ivory Coast

(commemorative print)

COUNTRY: IVORY COAST

ISSUE DATE: 2017 (on stamp)

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: Single extracted mint stamp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Also M/S, postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

Kiribati

Liberia*

Macedonia

Madagascar

COUNTRY: MADAGASCAR

ISSUE DATE: 2018 on stamp

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint, perforated, M/S

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

COUNTRY: MADAGASCAR

ISSUE DATE: 2016 on stamp

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: mint, perforated, M/S, with 3 different joined stamps

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: postal use not yet seen. Stephen Green, UK.

Malawi

(commemorative print)

Mali

(commemorative print)

Mauritius

COUNTRY: MAURITIUS

ISSUE DATE: 1982, probably 19 April 1982, as per others in the series

TYPE ILLUSTRATED: A set of 4 different, extracted, mint postage stamps

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Also, Gutter Pairs, used and cancelled 18 Nov 1982, issued in a series of Island Nations visited by Darwin and HMS Beagle i.e. St Helena, Ascension and Falkland Islands. Stephen Green, UK.