** UPDATE: December 19, 2025 **

 
Only two months since the previous update, but a lot has happened.
The first thing is that I suddenly had to replace my PC. It was so outdated that an upgrade to Windows 11 was impossible. That did not worry me too much, what did was that the hard disk started showing disturbing symptoms of old age: problems with booting up and spontaneous resets. Fortunately I was able to copy all my files and transfer them to my new computer. Of course, I also had to reinstall all my software and get everything back the way I want it.
I have finished checking all the books on my shelves for images used on stamps - now I still have to do the dusty older books in dusty boxes in storage. I was surprised to find that some good books with beautiful illustrations yielded no hits at all, while poorer pictures other books were copied frequently. Maybe some publishers or artists guard their copyrights more closely than others.
I have also added a number of new issues - and some that are not so new. I was familiar with a 1989 Spanish cultural heritage issue, but I had never noticed that the 'Cuevas de Altamira' stamp had a bison cave painting in the background. And a 2017 French 'Conseil de l'Europe' issue also has a small cave painting bison on it.
As usual, the 'fossils' issues kept me busy. The lazy designer again copied illustrations and names from old publications, it took me a while to find the current names for all of the species.
Just when I was finishing this update, Stampera released a new batch of issues, but these will have to wait until next year.
Merry Christmas, a happy new year, and good collecting to everybody.
 

** UPDATE: October 20, 2025 **

 
This is a rather unusual update, with no new issues nor new genera. I have started a project that I have been intending to do but have been postponing for a long time: checking all my books about prehistoric life for picures that have been used on stamps. Which entails an awful lot of rather boring work: turn book pages until you find an illustration, and then search all issues in which this species occurs. Fortunately, I can do the checking in the species database of my site, I do not have to turn all the pages of all my stamp albums for every illustration.
There are fewer 'hits' than I expected, but still I have already found a considerable number of illustration sources. And I also found a large number of mostly minor errors, plus a couple of major ones. Even (shame on me) some 'page not found' errors.
Annoyingly, it can be very difficult to find the name of the artist who created an image, the information is often hidden in very small letters, abbreviations and numbers at the back of the book.
A number of times I found two different artist names for very similar illustrations, I suspect that some images have been copied, either legally or illegally. In other cases, the same illustration may show two different names on different stamps, something that is hard to discover because you check only one species a time.
In this digital age, there is a trade in digital images, and may recent stamp designs are based on material offered on the web by companies selling illustration copyrights. This will require systematic research that I may do once I have finished with my books.
 

** UPDATE: July 20, 2025 **

 
The subject of this years' 'Europa' issue is archeological finds, and in a surprising number of countries inspiration was sought in the far past. This has given paleophilately its first 'non-emis / unissued' stamp. A number of interesting dinosaur finds have been made in France, and these were chosen as subject for their issue. Only when the stamp and all the related material had already been printed, they realized that there is a difference between archeology and paleontology. Everything was destroyed and a new stamp was designed quickly.
In San Marino they did not realize this, or did not care, and they have a fossil whale on their stamp.
Both Gemany and Portugal went back to the Paleolithic, Jersey issued a set of six stamps, with a mammoth skull on te top value.
Regrettably, most of the other issues are more of the same from the same countries. Exceptions are the Malaysia issue with fossils found in the country and the UK 'Myths and Legends' issue, which includes the Loch Ness monster.
 

** UPDATE: April 15, 2025 **

 
It has taken me a while to get this update ready, I have had to cope with a couple of distractions.
As usual, the great majority again consists of undesirable issues. But with so many issues chances are that some of them are interesting, and I think the idea of devoting an issue to a geological period has its merits. But I fail to understand why the Devonian, Permian, and Triassic period issues were printed for Liberia, but the Carboniferous issue was made for Sierra Leone. I also do not get why they did not start with the earliest periods, instead of with the late Paleozoic and earliest Mesozoic.
This update also introduces a large number of new genera, with many of them quite interesting. For instance, the well-known Carboniferous Sigillaria makes its first appearance as a named subject. And for once, most of the names provided on the stamps are actually right.
My favourite for this update is the 'Europa' issue by San Marino, with a fossil whale discovered in this tiny country.
 

** UPDATE: December 2, 2024 **

 
The previous update was only three months ago, but still this is a another major one with a LOT of undesirable issues. Just when I started working on this update a large number of new issues appeared on the market.
As usual, the fossils took a lot of time to research. The stamp designer again turned to copyright-free illustrations from old books, available on the internet. And also as usual, used the names from these old books.
So I had to research all the names to see if they were still valid, and find the correct names for reclassified species. At least some of the species are nice.
Only two issues are really interesting. LaPoste (France) commemmorated the 50-th anniversary of Australopithecus afarensis 'Lucy' with a stamp, and the Swiss mail issued two stamps and a sheet depicting 'Ice Age Giants'.
And I am proud to have discovered a miniature sheet issued over thirty years ago with a Tyrannosaurus on it that has (to my knowledge) not been noticed until now. The 1991 Grenada issue commemmorates the Disney animated classic 'Fantasia', and I knew one stamp and one miniature sheet showed pterodactyls and a Tyrannosaurus respectively. I was quite surprised to discover that one of the other miniature sheets from the issue shows a birthday cake with a cande in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus head. Of course, this is just another undesirable 'Agency' issue, but discovering something like this is still rather thrilling.
 

 

** UPDATE: September 3, 2024 **

 
In spite of the summer season, the flood of new issues does not abate. In this case, regrettably nothing but Stamperija products. I am glad I stopped buying them a couple of years ago. At least, some of the new species are interesting.
Michael Kogan, webmaster of Paleophilately, informed me that a plate flaw exists for the Poland 1965 60 gr. Mesosaurus stamp (Michel 1573, Yvert & Tellier 1426). On this stamp, the outer claw of the left hand is shorter.
 
     
 

** UPDATE: July 16, 2024 **

** UPDATE: June 6, 2024 **

** UPDATE: April 21, 2024 **

** UPDATE: March 1, 2024 **