The Stanhopea Pages

As far as I have been able to determine, there are at least 28 stanhopeas depicted on stamps, representing eight different species. They are listed below, in chronological order, with their corresponding Scott/Michel numbers. If you find any additional issues, or can provide digital images for any of the stamps listed, please do not hesitate to contact me!

1960/05/10 Colombia, Stanhopea tigrina v. wardii, 10 centavos [C365].
1960/05/10 Colombia, Stanhopea tigrina v. wardii, 1 peso [C370].
Two of a set of five orchid stamps.

1962/01/30 Colombia, Stanhopea tigrina v. wardii, 25 centavos
[C423] -- One of a set of three orchid stamps.

1962/03/30 Nicaragua, Stanhopea ecornuta, 5-cent [RA68].
One of a set of ten orchid stamps (stanhopea is in the upper left corner of set).

1965/??/?? Nicaragua, Stanhopea ecornuta, 5-cent [unlisted].
Reissue of RA68 with overprint: "Pensiones de Retiro y Montepio G.N.".

1965/12/03 Nicaragua, Stanhopea ecornuta, 5-cent [845].
Reissue of RA68 with overprint:"Camporee Scout 1965".

1962/??/?? Venezuela, Stanhopea ________, 10-cent

1962/05/30 Venezuela, Stanhopea wardii, 20-cent [806].
One of a set of eight orchid stamps; there are an additional 10.

1965/10/25 Romania, Stanhopea tigrina, 10 bani [1780]

1967/06/15 Costa Rica, Stanhopea cirrhata "Torito", 15-colones [C445]
One of a set of eight orchid stamps (C443-450); the stanhopea is the third from the left on the upper row in the image.

1974/05/15 Bolivia, Stanhopea grandiflora, 3.80 pes [C328]
One of a set of seven orchid stamps (558-560, C327-330). Flower is printed upside-down, on a rose-colored background.

1974/05/20 Bolivia, Stanhopea grandiflora and Cattleya nobilior, Souvenir Sheet
[Michel - B38] One of two souvenir sheets issued. This one has #C328 and #558 printed along with "Soccer Champions, Munich 1974".

1979/02/07 Suriname, Stanhopea grandiflora, 20-cent [521]
One of a set of four orchid stamps.

1984/06/27 Bolivia, Stanhopea grandiflora, 10,000 bolivars [704]
#C328 SC and #704a Inverted surcharge (also see this pair).

1984/-/- Hungary, 7-value stamp set depicting butterflies, includes four orchids - Goodyera repens, Stanhopea sp., Ansellia gigantea, Angraecum sp. [SG3556-62]

1985/07/02 Guyana, Stanhopea shuttleworthii, $1.50 [441]
Reichenbachia set, Part 2, plate 35.1

1985/12/31 Bolivia, Stanhopea grandiflora, 10,000 bolivars [Michel - B148]
Reissue of the upside-down 1974 stamp at 10.0 on miniature sheet depicting Rafael's 'Las Tres Gracias' (the Three Graces - partly-clad nudes).

1985/12/03 Costa Rica, Stanhopea ecornuta, 13-colones [337]
One of a set of six orchid stamps printed on a tan background. See image of half the set, 335-337; the stanhopea is on the right.

1987/12/16 Belize, Stanhopea shuttleworthii, Sheetlet/ 1 Label [35/1} [647a]
Two stamps each of #647 thru #653.

1988/10/10 R.P. Kampuchea (Cambodia), Stanhopea tigrina, 3 Riels [Gibbon 935; Scott 976-982]
The Stanhopea is pictured as the center stamp in this grouping. The stunning red, white and yellow flower is depicted on a light-blue background. The set of seven orchid stamps ranges in value from 0.2R (20 sen) to 3R.

1990/09/12 Guyana, Stanhopea with bird "Welcome Trogon", $8.90
One of a set of seven.

1990/09/12 Guyana, Stanhopea with bird "Golden-headed Train", $12.65
One of a set of seven orchids and birds.
1991/??/?? Guyana, Stanhopea grandiflora, $12.80

1997/-/- Dominica, Stanhopea grandiflora souvenir sheet [MS2290b]

1998/??/?? Belize, Stanhopea cornuta, 75-cent [--]
One of a set of four Christmas orchid stamps. Others are Isochilus carnosiflorus and an Encyclia.

2001/--/-- Peru, Stanhopea sp., S/.1,50 value
One of a set of three stamps, Orquideas del Peru. Others depicted are Chloraea pavoni (S/.3,20) and a Psychopsis sp. (S/.3,80). Photo at right provided by Kelvin Bush, UK.

2007 Mozambique, "Stanhopea", 33.00 value
This miniature sheet includes six stamps of orchids and hummingbirds, one of which, at lower left, is labeled "Stanhopea" alongside a bird labeled "Veniliornis." What is actually pictured appears to be a pink cymbidium hybrid.

2009 Republic of Congo, Stanhopea nigroviolacea 600 F (Central African Franc = CFA)
One of a set of four stamps issued on a miniature sheet, "Champignons et Orchidees." This is the only orchid, other stamps depict the White bat flower (Taca Integrifolia) 400 F, and two mushrooms (200 F, 800 F). The two flower stamps on this sheet contain errors: the labeling of the images of the Stanhopea and the Taca sp. are reversed! SV0504

Peggy Alrich, 1991, Orchids on Stamps, 88 pages, ATA Handbook 118, issued at $9.00, American Topical Association, PO Box 630, Johnstown, PA 15907 USA
This soft-cover book includes stamp listings by country as well as by genus, with nine pages of black and white photos. Also available from the American Orchid Society Book Department.

Also, see the list of worldwide "Orchid Stamps" published quarterly in sections by the Chalmers family on behalf of the Orchid Stamp Club International and sent to members. The quarterly listing is arranged alphabetically by country, continually updating the initial, comprehensive work done by Peggy Alrich.

H.S. Wilshaw, 1982, Orchid Stamp Collecting, Vol. I 1935-1981, published in England. This glossy soft-cover book includes stamp listings and offers color photos. [Volume II never published]

I have seen a copy of a beautiful book written by Vale Eiji Miyoshi called "The World Orchid Stamps". If anyone knows where I can procure a copy, *please* let me know.

There is additional information about orchid stamps in the article, "An Introduction to Orchid Stamps," online at the Houston Orchid Society website

Other stamp collecting links:
Sobralias on Stamps - Part of The Sobralia Pages website, posted August 2000.

Plants on Stamps -- American Topical Society special monthly topic, December 1999.
There is a new ATA Handbook, #137, "Plants on Stamps, Vol.III"

Topicals on Stamps, website by Sarah Perelli-Minetti

Joseph Luft's Philatelic Resources on the Web -- offers 2147 philatelic links!