Minerals On Postage Stamps

(via Mineral Digest Vol. 1, 1972) Franklin R Bruns, Jr writes:

In the fall of 1594 the Spanish galleon San Pedro, en route home with treasure from the New World, was wrecked on the north Bermuda reefs, and went down to the bottom. There it lay for more than three hundred years, until Teddy Tucker, a Bermudian diver, salvaged much of the treasure, including jewels, gold and artifacts. Valued at more than US $560000, the treasure was sold to the Bermuda government in 1961. Part of it is now on display at the Museum of Natural History in Flatts Village.

The finest single item from Tucker’s salvage is an emerald-studded gold cross that is three inches long, with a 11/4 inch traverse bar set with seven Colombian emeralds, the cross alone is valued at US$75000. One Dutch jewelry expert said it might take ten years to match at set of perfect emeralds like these, if indeed they could be matched at all. Colombian emeralds are, of course, at their best, second to none. It is believed that the jeweled cross was made by South American Indians, probably under the supervision of a Spanish jewelsmith.

In 1969, Bermuda issued a set of four colorful stamps portraying the emerald-studded cross from the San Pedro. Each stamp bore the identifying legend. “1594 Treasure from the sea.” The four postal items were in denominations of 4d, 1s/3d, 2s, and 2s/6d.

Since the cross was recovered from the sea, it seemed rather fitting that artist V Whiteley should have used a sea fan background for two of the stamps and coral reefs on the others. Of course, Bermuda was not the only country to feature emeralds on its postal issues. A Colombian airmail stamp of 1932-39 showed a large emerald on two high values. In the same period Colombia released a regular postage set with an emerald mine, a platinum mine, gold mining scene, and a scene of oil wells.

However, with thousands of new postage stamps released each year, it is rather surprising that so few designs relate to, or picture, minerals. Plainly, this area has not been exploited philatelically, as have flowers, birds and fishes.

With the technological advances in stamp printing, and the increasing output of brilliantly colored issues by many nations, it should not be long before a number of well awaken and stress the breadth of their mineral resources on their postage stamps. The United States, for example, has not issued a single stamp with a mineral design, or even a mineral theme, unless one considers the commemoration of the first American oil well as celebrating a national mineral asset.

A few years ago, there was a move to persuade the post office to issue mineral stamp to mark the presence of a mineralogy convention in Washington D.C. The design was to feature a brooch that was mounted with gems from each of the states. Unfortunately the move was unsuccessful, although the brooch was made and was presented to Lady Bird Johnson, later to be turned over to the Smithsonian Institution.

Perhaps the closest the United States has come to include any mineral or gem on a stamp is the instance of the $1.00 value stamp in the 1893 Columbian Exposition series which shows Queen Isabella pledging her jewels. Items of jewelry may also be seen in the illustrations on other stamps in this series: Columbus Soliciting Columbus Describing his Third Voyage.

In 1898, the United States also showed a Western Mining Prospector; the “Golden Spike Ceremony” marking the completion of the trans-continental railroad systems; the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill; a gold miner; and one for silver.

Now that Postmaster General Winton M Blount has approved a revival of the conservation stamp program, perhaps there may, one day, be stamps that depict our rich mineral resources. The conservation stamp program, initiated under former Postmaster General Arthur E Summerfield, employed pictures of wildlife, soil, forest, water and range conservation.

Stressing the importance of water conservation, France and Andorra, incidentally, recently released single stamps with a droplet that is a diamond to indicate the preciousness of water. Although Canada has immense mineral wealth, she, too has been remiss here in the field of philatelics. One Canadian stamp shows a miner with pneumatic drill and another miner panning gold. But there have been no Canadian stamps to call attention to the incredible variety of her minerals, not even her asbestos or uranium sources.

Of course, Canada, with its British heritage and association, has often shown jewel bedecked royalty and the great crowns of Britain frequently have appeared on her stamps. Indeed, there have been crowns aplenty on postage stamps. For Canada alone, one can cite the ‘young and old Victoria’ jubilee design of 1897; the Princess and Prince of Wales, later King George V and Queen Mary; Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII; King George V and Queen Elizabeth; and Queen Elizabeth II.

The British crowns naturally appear on postal issues of the United Kingdom and the countries within the Commonwealth. However, other bejeweled items in the state regalia, including those that hundreds of thousands have seen and marveled over at the exhibit in the Tower of London, have not been featured on British issues. Bejeweled crowns have, of course, been utilized widely in stamp designs of other lands. Two instances are Czechoslovakia’s altarpiece with the 14th century crown of St. Wenceslas, and far for Iran the coronation attire of Queen Farak of Persia. The great crowns worn by royalty have been adorned with fabulous gems from various parts of the world. Since these were generally mined before they were cut and polished, it is fitting that the part played by mining should be recognized. The collector of minerals on postage stamps may therefore include mining, and also metallurgy. Victor J Van Lint of the American Topical Association, specialist in mining on postage stamps provided the data for the following:

Surface mining, as depicted by a miner panning gold, for example, on a Canadian stamp is the first step in the many processes concerned with the wrestling of wealth from the earth. Next comes placering. Here water supplies are required, since, gold, platinum or precious stones, are caught behind riffles in a sluice box while a swift current of water carries off the dirt, clay, and gravel. Such a sluice is shown on a British Guiana (now Guyana) stamp. Dredge mining is shown on a Malaya stamp.

Underground mining may be pursued via three methods: by tunnels, inclined shafts, and vertical shafts. An example of a tunnel mine is on a Bolivian stamp, while a Chilean stamp shows an inclined shaft. A vertical shaft appears on a Czechoslovakian stamp.

Other postage stamps illustrate equipment used in mining. On stamps from Austria, Germany, the Saar, and Russia are shown headframes over mines, lamps used by miners, loaders, and, of course, miners with hammer, chisel and pickaxe, as well as the more modern pneumatic airpick. The Federal Republic of Germany recently issued a quartet of stamps that covered the mining operation graphically: a young miner and lamp, a miner with drill, a miner and conveyor, and a miner and coal elevator.

Romania has issued stamps showing a miner in dress uniform and also in work uniform. In 1949, Czechoslovakia marked the 700th anniversary of its mining industry, and the 150th anniversary of its miner’s laws by featuring early miners, a contemporary miner, and a mining machine. In 1952, it marked Miner’s Day—Sept. 14—with a 17th century mining tower.

While fairly comprehensive collections can be formed on mines and mining, the same cannot be said of gems and minerals. Happily for the mineral collector who is not particularly interested in postage stamps except as they feature minerals, there are a number of postal issues that present attractive minerals in crystals or groups. Here Switzerland has been the leader, natural in a sense because the Swiss have always valued the fine specimens found in their Alps. Over a four year period, from 1958 to 1961, this country issued numerous semi-postal stamps, showing fine minerals. (Semi-postal stamps have two values, one for the postage; the other to indicate the amount set aside for some worthy cause, in this instance, to benefit needy mothers.)

The first Swiss minerals set, released in 1958, displayed Fluorite, Garnet and Rock Crystal. The set also included Ammonite. Ammonite, of course, is a fossil, but it is not unusual for fossils to be included in postal issues devoted to minerals, not because so many mineral collectors also acquire fossils but because fossils, too, are found in the earth.

In 1959, Switzerland’s second set showed Agate, Tourmaline, Amethyst and Fossilized Salamander. In 1960, the subjects were Smoky Quartz, Feldspar, Gryphaea Fossil and Azurite. In 1961, to close the Swiss mineral program, came Fluorite, Petrified fish, Lazulite and Petrified fern. Also in 1961, Southwest Africa showed Tourmaline and Topaz. And, in 1963, Mexico, which has vast mineral resources, pictured Crystals.

In a set marking the bicentennial of the famous Mining Academy in Freiburg, the German Democratic Republic included stamps showing splendid Proustite crystals and Sulphur crystals. Other values showed an old furnace and ancient miners, both illustrations based on early woodcuts. More minerals appeared on a fine set of six stamps issued by the German Democratic Republic in mid-1969. The subjects were: Fluorite from Halsbrucke, Erythrite from Schneeberg, Galena from Neudorf, Smoky Quartz from Lichtenberg, Calcite from Niederrabenstein and Silver from Freiburg.

The most striking of the Russian issues relating to mineralogy appeared in 1963. Naturally, they emphasized the precious stones from the mineral-rich Ural mountains. Shown were Topaz, Jasper, Amethyst, Emerald, Rhodonite, and Malachite. In 1968, the USSR offered a 6 kopek stamp with a Crystal and the emblem of the 8th Congress for Mineral Research.

In 1969, Hungary issued a fine series featuring both fossils and minerals. Four portrayed, individually, native Copper coated with Malachite, Cuprite, a group displaying Calcite and Sphalerite with the uncommon Greenockite, and a fine Quartz crystal group. South Rhodesia pictured emeralds in 1964, but a large number of postage stamps have featured the Diamond. Sierra Leone, especially, has emphasized its role as the Land of Iron & Diamonds. Incidentally, this West African country utilizes printed and embossed self-adhesive stamps that are cut in various shapes, and are attached to peelable paper backing which may carry different advertisements.

A faceted pear-shaped Diamond was chosen for the design when Sierra Leone marked the 75th anniversary of its Bay Scout movement with a special postage stamp. This self-adhesive commemorative was released December 3, 1969. Late in 1965 Sierra Leone released three airmail stamps in unique form. The self-adhesive stamp was cut in the shape of a faceted Diamond, with a reverse-embossed design of an elaborate Diamond necklace. The name of the famous American jeweler Harry Winston was on either side of the bottom apex of the Diamond.

Other self-adhesive issues from the Land of Iron & Diamond appeared in 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967. These had the shapes of a map of Sierra Leone, a cola nut, an eagle and a round coin. In 1961, when statehood was attained, one of the first traditional Sierra Leone stamps showed a Diamond miner. In 1961, Tanganyika featured a Rose Diamond and a mine. In 1966, Central African Republic depicted a Diamond grade. Other stamps showing Diamonds were issued by Southwest Africa in 1961-62, and South Africa in 1965.

Twice Belgium featured Diamonds. A handicrafts issue included a Diamond in 1960. In 1965, a commemorative stamp featured a woman’s hand with a large round Diamond on one finger and a huge pear-shaped Diamond held between two fingers. The latter was issued to publicize Diamontexpo, a Diamond exposition held in Antwerp July 10-28, 1965. In 1954, France linked jewelry with goldsmith’s work on a stamp. In 1966, Dahomey featured jewelry, as Czechoslovakia had done in 1956 and 1965. The first of the Czech stamps marked that country’s second 5-year plan, the other publicized a costume jewelry exhibit at Jablonec.

Israel has not emphasized minerals on its stamps, but in 1968 it did issue one high value airmail stamp with a large faceted diamond to celebrate its important export trade in cut stones. The same set also included postage stamps as a major Israeli export. Earlier postal issues in Israel showed ancient glass vessels from the 1st to 3rd centuries A.D., a bronze panther of the 1st century B.C., a gold calf’s head earring of Ashdod from the 6th to 4th centuries B.C., and a gold ram’s head drinking horn of Persia from the 5th century B.C. Such archaeological treasures are becoming more common in philatelics. The collector of minerals on postage stamps may include them, if he chooses, as examples of ancient metals.

Russia, too, depicted its ancient treasures on postage stamps. In 1964, one issue showing items from the Kremlin Museum included a helmet, a saddle, a jeweled fur crown, a gold ladle, and a bowl. Two years later, the USSR presented treasures from the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad; a 6th century B.C golden stag from Scythia, a Persian silver jug, and a Malachite vase from the Urals.

The above indicates how far governments have gone in celebrating their minerals and mineral wealth on their postage stamps. Collectors who limit themselves to the mineral area have only the Geology Unit of the American Topical Association to guide them. This Geology Unit has been dubbed Geolately or Geo-Philately. Whatever it may be called, it covers minerals, waterfalls, volcanoes and the oil industry.

So, minerals available on postage stamps are relatively few. However, the increased worldwide interest in minerals will undoubtedly influence many governments, including perhaps our own, to pay more attention to the design possibilities for their postal issues.