While collecting stamps from around the world is a popular facet of this hobby, collecting stamps related to a subject or a concept is also common. Topics can be almost anything, from stamps on stamps, birds, trains, cars, music, to famous people, events, astronomy or space.
There are estimated to be as many galaxies visible in the universe as there are stars in the Milky Way – over 100,000 million. So, it is surprising that not many of them are featured on stamps.
As space exploration grew, so did ‘Astrophilately’ – the area of philately (the collection and study of postage stamps) connected with astronomy and efforts to reach space, both manned and unmanned.
Guyana has many astronomy themed stamps. In 2013, Guyana issued a set of star/space stamps featuring ten of the 88 constellations recognised today.
List of Guyana’s
astronomy themed stamps
1968 – Scott 64-67 – Tropospheric Scatter Antenna and Map
1978 – Scott 294-297 – Satellite Earth Station, Georgetown
1989 – Scott 2216-2219 – Women in Space
1993 – Scott 2637-42 – Earth Summit 92, Anniversaries and Events
1994 – Scott 2809-11 – First Manned Moon Landing 25th Anniversary
1994 – Scott 2900-2906 – Star Trek
1996 – Scott 3105A – Mars Meteorite
1998 – Scott 3327a – Pioneers of Aviation – The Wright Brothers, 1903
1999 – Scott 3417-3420 – 30th Anniversary of the First Manned Landing on the Moon
1999 – Scott 3428 – John Glenn’s Return to Space
1999 – Scott 3443 – First Balloon Flight Around the World
2000 – Scott 3496-97 – The 25th Anniversary Apollo-Soyuz Joint Project
2000 – Scott 3502-06 – Space Satellites
2006 – Scott 3925-32 – Space Anniversaries
2006 – Scott 3925-36 – Hot Air Balloons and Airships
2011 – Scott 4055-56 – International Year of Astronomy (2009)
2013 – Scott 4240-41 – Exploration of Mars
2013 – Scott 4243-46 – Constellations
2014 – Scott 4297-98 – Chinese Space Program
2015 – Scott 4393-94 – International Year of the Light
2015 – Scott 4442-43 – Characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Television Series
2016 – Scott 4483-84 – ExoMars Mission to Mars
2016 – Scott 4481-82 – Characters from “Star Trek: The Next Generation Television Series”
If you collect astronomy themed stamps, you could have several segments: famous astronomers, the history of astronomy, observatories and telescopes, and stars. You could even branch out into various related topics, such as astrology, aviation or meteorology. There are many possibilities.
Astronomy is one of the more popular subjects when it comes to postage stamps. And many countries have created and released many stamps devoted to the subject. It is something that captures the imagination.
Ann Wood is president of the Guyana Philatelic Society. The members of the Guyana Philatelic Society are people from all walks of life who collect new issues from Guyana to those who have only very limited stamp budgets. But above all, the stamp club offers the friendship, knowledge and experience of its members who are there to help stamp collectors with advice on all aspects of collecting. Visit www.guyanastamps.com for more information on stamp collection.
