Formosa,85 used stamps

Formosa — 85 Different Used Stamps:
A Cross-Section of
Chinese Heritage and Island History

Few stamp-issuing nations pack as much visual and historical interest into their catalog as the Republic of China on Taiwan — the government behind every stamp in this packet. Formosa is the historic name for Taiwan, and collectors will find these stamps listed under that name in many catalogs. Since 1949, Formosa's stamps have drawn on millennia of Chinese art, mythology, and history while simultaneously documenting the island's own rapid modernization — lighthouses, railways, construction projects, and the symbols of a government determined to preserve its identity. Eighty-five used stamps gives you a genuinely varied look at what that catalog has to offer.

Specific stamps will vary, but these are some of the subjects and topics likely to appear:

• Dragon and mythological creature definitives — Formosa issued several striking definitive series featuring creatures from classical Chinese culture: a multicolor dragon (1.00), a detailed bronze-style Wu Xuan mythological figure (19.00), and a double-carp design (10.00) that draws on centuries of Chinese decorative art. Together they offer a compact lesson in the imagery that Taiwan chose to put on its everyday postage.
• Lighthouse and island scenery — A dramatic 12.00 stamp depicts the Dongju Island lighthouse (東莒島燈塔) against a vivid sunset sky. Taiwan's coastline is studded with lighthouses, and this issue — part of the 1989 lighthouse definitive series — captures one of the more remote and picturesque of them.
• Infrastructure and national development — The ROC government made Taiwan's postwar economic development a stamp subject throughout the 1970s. You may find issues depicting railroad electrification (a train on a mountain track, 1.00) and national construction projects, reflecting the government's pride in building a modern economy from the ground up.
• Chungshan Building and flying geese definitives — Two of Formosa's most recognizable definitive series: the Chungshan Building (0.05 and 0.40 values) and the flying geese design, in which a formation of wild geese symbolizes the promptness and order of the mail. Both series were issued across multiple denominations and printings.
• National symbols and leadership — The ROC flag, presidential commemoratives, and cultural figures such as Confucius appear throughout the Formosa catalog, reflecting a postal tradition that kept Chinese national identity at the center of every issue.

Order today and see what you get.