This stamp issue features beautiful illustrations, by Roger Swainston, of four species of marine mollusc found in the tropical waters around Christmas Island.
The approximately 708 marine mollusc species that have been collected on Christmas Island include representatives from four groups or classes: Polyplacophora, Gastropda, Bivalvia and Cephalopoda. The stamps represent three from the class Gastropoda: Lambis scorpius, Tectus niloticus and Conus canonicus and one from the class Bivalvia, Tridacna squamosa.
Learn more about shells and shell collecting in our blog article
Technical specifications
- Issue date
- 23 August 2016
- Issue withdrawal date
- 28 February 2017
- Denominations
- 2 x $1, 2 x $2
- Stamp illustration
- Roger Swanston
- Product design
- Lynette Traynor, Australia Post Design Studio
- Printer - gummed
- RA Printing
- Paper - gummed
- Tullis Russell Red Phos
- Printing process
- Offset lithography
- Stamp size
- 37.5mm x 26mm
- Perforations
- 13.86 x 14.6
- Sheet layout
- Module of 50
- FDI postmark
- Christmas Island WA 6798
- FDI withdrawal date
- 20 September 2016
Lambis scorpius is a spider shell from the Strombidae family, measuring around 16 centimetres in length.
Tectus niloticus comes from the Trochidae family, one of the largest of the gastropod families. Trochids have a spiral, pyramidal or conical shell. It is around 15 centimetres long.
The three-centimetre long Conus canonicus comes from the Conidae family, of which 43 species have been recorded on Christmas Island.
Tridacna squamosa comes from the Tridacnidae or giant clam family. This large species measures 30 centimetres across.
This content was produced at the time of the stamp issue release date and will not be updated.
