1981 Commemoratives


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1981 - Tuvalu Commemorative Stamps
Sets: \| Butterflies \| Ships \| Royal Wedding \| UPU \|

1) Butterflies:

	Date of Issue:	1981-02-03
	Designer:	J.E. Cooter
	Printer:	House of Questa
	Process:	Lithography
	Size:	40.5mm x 32mm
	Format:	Sheets of 16 (4 panes of 4)
	Paper:	Unwatermarked, White Gum
	Perforation:	14.25 x 14.5

BRC#	Value	Description	Scott	S.G.
1981.C01.1	8c	Hypolimnas bolina elliciana	146	158
1981.C01.2	20c	Hypolimnas bolina elliciana	147	159
1981.C01.3	30c	Hypolimnas bolina elliciana	148	160
1981.C01.4	40c	Junonia vallida	149	161
Specimen stamps produced for all values.

2) Historical Ships:

	Date of Issue:	1981-05-13
	Designer:	R.G. Barrett
	Printer:	Format International
	Process:	Lithography
	Size:	42.5mm x 28.5mm
	Format:	Sheets of 6 plus 2 labels)
	Paper:	Post Office watermark, White Gum
	Perforation:	14 x 14

BRC#	Value	Description	Scott	S.G.
1981.C02.1	10c	Brig Elizabeth (1809)	151	162
1981.C02.2	25c	Brigantine Rebecca (1819)	152	163
1981.C02.3	35c	Whaler Independence II (1821)	153	164
1981.C02.4	40c	HMS Basilisk (1872)	154	165
1981.C02.5	45c	HMS Royalist (1890)	155	166
1981.C02.6	50c	Olivebank (early 1900's)	156	167
Specimen stamps produced for all values. A number of the sheetlets containing the 35c stamp have the name of the ship misspelled INPEPENDENCE on one of the gutter labels. So far sheets from cylinder 1A have onlybeen seen, with the exception of a sheet from 1B overprinted SPECIMEN. See the article The Tuvalu Historical Ships of 1981 – The “INPEPENDENCE” Error Revisited

3) Royal Wedding:

Set

S/S

	Date of Issue:	1981-07-14 (single stamps)
		1981-11-26 (souvenir sheet and booklet)
	Designer:	D. Shults
	Printer:	Format International
	Process:	Lithography
	Size:	42.5mm x 28.5mm (Yacht and couple)
		85mm x 28.5mm (Congratulations)
	Format:	Sheets of 7 with 2 x 10c, 45c, $2 Yachts
		1 x 10c, 45c, $2 Congratulations
		Booklet panes of 4 x 10c and 2 x 45c
		Souvenir sheet of 1 x $1.50
	Paper:	Post Office watermark, White Gum
	Perforation:	14 x 14 (single stamps)
		12.25 x 12 (booklet & Souvenir Sheet)

BRC#	Value	Description	Scott	S.G.
1981.C03.1	10c	Royal couple and yacht Carolina Perf. 14 x 14	157	168
	a)	As above, perf. 12.25 x 12 (from booklet)	-	-
1981.C03.2	10c	Royal Couple Congratulations	158	158a
1981.C03.3	45c	Royal couple and yacht Victoria and Albert Perf. 14 x 14	159	169
1981.C03.4	45c	Royal Couple Congratulations	160	169a
	a)	As above, perf. 12.25 x 12 (from booklet)	-	-
1981.C03.5	$1.50	Royal Couple Congratulations (S/S)	163	MS171
1981.C03.6	$2	Royal couple and yacht Britannia	161	170
1981.C03.7	$2	Royal Couple Congratulations	162	170a
Specimen stamps produced for all values except the booklet stamps. The sheetlets of seven were later made available in uncut panes of four sheetlets, with horizontal and vertical gutters. The booklet sheetlets were made available in uncut panes, tete-beche. [image] Extremely large quantities of all sheetlets were dumped on the market at a fraction of their face value after the dissolution of the philatelic advisors, Philatelists (1980) Ltd. in 1987.

4) UPU:

Set

S/S

	Date of Issue:	1981-11-19
	Designer:	Harrison and Sons
	Printer:	Harrison and Sons
	Process:	Recess (engraved)
	Size:	28.5mm x 35.5mm
	Format:	Sheets of 10 plus 2 labels Plates 1A, 1B, 1C for each value
	Paper:	Harrison and Sons watermark Greenish Gum (sheets)
		Unwatermarked, Greenish Gum (S/S)
	Perforation:	14.75 x 14

BRC#	Value	Description	Scott	S.G.
1981.C04.1	70c	UPU symbol in blue	164	172
	a)	unwatermarked	-	-
	v1)	Plate scratches (row 1/2, plate 1A) [image]
1981.C04.2	$1	UPU symbol in brown	165	173
	a)	unwatermarked	-	-
	b)	S/S of 2 unwatermarked	165a	MS174
	v1)	inverted watermark
Specimen stamps produced for all values, (1,000 sets) and the souvenir sheet (1,000 sheets). [image] A special black imperforate version of the souvenir sheet was distributed free with a British philatelic publication for publicity. It was not sold in Tuvalu nor was it valid for postage. Covers bearing the black prints do exist, prepared by collectors and having slipped through the Tuvalu postal system. [image] The souvenir sheet exists imperforate. Very few are known. [image] The souvenir sheet exists with a mirror image of both stamps on the reverse, due to wet ink transfer. [image] The watermarks are very difficult to detect on single stamps, unless a margin is attached. Minor shade varieties exist for both values. Quantities sold: 70c - 60,147. $1 - 62,798. These totals include 2,367 first day covers, 854 gutter pair FDCs, and 1,550 presentation packs, and all stamps used as postage. 28,039 souvenir sheets were sold, but first day cover quantities are unknown.