Giraffes on stamps is a wonderful topic for a collection. Stamps range from rare classic sets to postage stamps with giraffes as a minor image on the stamp.
Giraffes are one of the most iconic creatures of Africa! The beautiful long neck, and the unique polygon patterns on the skin make this animal one of the most distinctly recognizable species on the planet.
My interest in collecting giraffes on stamps was sparked by a wonderful website that had a listing of all giraffes found on postage stamps from issuing authorities all over the world. Unfortunately, I can no longer find that site online.
The Animals On Stamps Database lists over 400 stamps with giraffes on them and it is our hope this listing serves as an updated replacement to the site that sparked my interest all those years ago.
Giraffes on Stamps - the Biology
Giraffes have been a known species since the dawn of time as the many cave paintings in Africa with Giraffe ancestors can attest to. The modern classification of Giraffe was originally classified by Linnaeus, in 1758.
Over time, many scientists have described subspecies, and up to 9 are readily identified.
Some of the most current research indicates that the Giraffe may actually be 4 distinct species, and 8 subspecies.
A prominent behavioral feature of most Giraffes is ‘necking’. This behavior is usually between males to assert dominance, and involves using the lengthy (and heavy!) neck as a battering ram on each other to force one into submission! Giraffes are one of the longest living ruminants in Africa with some individuals living up to 38 years.
Giraffes on Stamps - The Stamps
Classic Stamps
The first stamps with Giraffes on them appeared in 1901. Nyassa stamps were issued by a corporation in East Africa, and this eventually evolved into what is today a part of Mozambique.
Different valuations, and provisional overprints make these early issues a challenge to identify, and collect.
Ethiopia had giraffe stamps from 1916, but in 1922 Tanganyika produced a lovely classic set, with the central black giraffe surrounded by a colored vignette. These 20 stamps (including watermark varieties) are keenly sought after by classic collectors and animal thematic collectors.
Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) had some lovely stamps that spanned over 3 British Monarchs also featured with Giraffe stamps
Modern Stamps
At some point in the late 1950’s giraffes became a more prominent topic found on postage stamps from all over the world.
A personal favorite is the Tanzania souvenir sheet issued in 1999 that is on a stark white background. The extra space allowed by the souvenir sheet displays a spectacular Giraffe! This postage stamp is featured at the top of this blog post.
Giraffes On Stamps In The Animals On Stamps Database
Giraffes are contained in the Wild Mammal Database on Animals on Stamps. Here are some quick statistics on the number of postage stamps with giraffes on them contained in this database.
| Number of Records |
|---|
| 445 |
| Issuing Authorities |
|---|
| 93 |
Number of Records Per Issuing Authority
Where To Buy Stamps With Giraffes
- Post Beeld
- Stamp World (Click the Advanced Search Button on the Right to Filter for Giraffes)
