Sea Turtle Postage Stamps of the World

SEA TURTLE POSTAGE STAMPS
of the WORLD

Compiled by Nancy B. Linsley and George H. Balazs

Note: This site has been on the WWW since November 12, 1996,
solely for the enjoyment of other collectors and sea turtle enthusiasts.

Last Updated on 11 August, 2024

* * * We're not dealers .... no stamps are sold here * * *

Our thanks to Dr. Frank Wisskirchen and Bernard Boussac
for their ongoing help providing Michel and Yvert catalog numbers.

In early 1980, Dr. Archie Carr, in a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General, requested
consideration of commemorative sea turtle stamps

Now, 50 years after the first sea turtles were protected under the newly-enacted
U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, and many decades after Dr. Carr's initial letter,
it has finally happened, due to the professional persistence of
Barbara Schroeder (NOAA National Sea Turtle Coordinator Retired)

This beautiful commemorative "Protect Sea Turtles" set featuring the six sea turtle species
found in U.S. waters (and a hawksbill turtle in the sheet's selvedge), was issued by the
U.S. Postal Service on 11 June, 2024. They have been assigned Scott Catalog numbers 5865-5870.

Depending on what you like and collect,
be aware that more and more countries are
assigning their stamp production to agents
for sale to the "New Issue" and/or "Topical" trades, and these stamps are often never made available in the issuing country's post offices for its citizens to use for postage.

There seems to be an ongoing debate as to whether these stamps, are, or should be, considered POSTAGE stamps, and who should make that decision.

For further reading ...
The Abuse of Topical Collectors
ATA Position on Illegal Stamp Issues