Signs of the Zodiac on Australian Stamps (2007)

We have had Zodiac booklets in the past containing a range of re-released gummed stamps with tabs. Now we have a new set of individual stamps in 3 different formats.

In 2007 Australia Post chose to illustrate the 12 Siderial or Sun signs. The symbols and dates are shown in the stamp pack. Remember that your Zodiac Sign is set by your time, date and year of birth, so the 2007 dates shown in the stamp pack may not apply to you. The cusps (the changeover times and dates between signs) change each year. Perhaps next year we’ll have another stamp issue with 2008 dates and the “missing” Ophiuchus – The Serpent Bearer – sign. (For more information visit the What’s My Sign page on Jonathan Cainer’s astrology website: www.cainer.com.) Zodiac stamps could become a regular issue just like Christmas stamps. Do you think we need stamps related to “faith” subjects?

The 24 stamps were issued on 3rd April and a further 12 self-adhesive stamps with tabs were issued on 10th April via the Personalised Stamps website. For collectors this was the most expensive issue so far this year. The 12 different Signs of the Zodiac were issued in 3 blocks of four as gummed sheet stamps and in 12 separate booklets of 10 self-adhesive stamps with simulated perforations on all 4 sides. The self-adhesive P-stamps with tabs were available from the Personalised Stamps service in sheets of 20. As usual they had simulated perforations on 3 sides, a printed simulated perforation between the stamp and the tab and were imperf on the right. Many collectors don’t collect tabs, so they remove them to leave an imperf side with the printed simulated perforation on the right of the stamp. This creates a fourth format. See the picture for an example of the sheet stamp and the 3 self-adhesive formats. To obtain one of each of the 48 stamps and the 3 blocks of four, the cost was $348.

Just to add to the variations, many of the stamps had different background colours according to the format. I have shown the details in the Summary Table. (This was very subjective and based on the stamps I purchased on the days of issue. The colours may change according to the print run.) I have shown the Red/Green/Blue (RGB) readings from scans of the backgrounds of the 3 Gemini stamps pictured and named them accordingly.

Signs of the Zodiac
Summary	48 stamps and 96 variations
Issue Dates	3rd April 2007 – gummed sheet stamps and self-adhesive booklet stamps 10th April 2007 – imperf self-adhesive stamps with and without tabs
Sheet stamps	50c Aires 50c Taurus 50c Gemini 50c Cancer		50c Leo 50c Virgo 50c Libra 50c Scorpio		50c Sagittarius 50c Capricorn 50c Aquarius 50c Pisces
Perforations	14.6 x 13.9 – gummed sheet stamp 11.3 x 11.1 simulated perforation – self-adhesive booklet stamps 11.5 x 11.2 simulated perforation – imperf self-adhesive stamps
Blocks	4 x 50c Aires, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer 4 x 50c Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio 4 x 50c Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces
Image (Variation only counted where colour differs from sheet stamp)	Different background colours
	Stamp	Sheet stamp		Self-adhesive from booklet		Imperf self-adhesive
	50c Aires	Light blue		Light blue-grey		Light blue-grey
	50c Taurus	Light blue-grey		Pale grey		Pale grey
	50c Gemini	Light green		Pale yellow-green		Pale green
	50c Cancer	Light pink-grey		Light pink-grey		Light pink-grey
	50c Leo	Light beige		Pale beige		Pale beige
	50c Virgo	Pale violet		Pale violet		Pale violet-grey
	50c Libra	Pale blue		Pale green		Pale green
	50c Scorpio	Light pink		Pale pink-beige		Pale pink-beige
	50c Sagittarius	Light green		Pale green		Pale green
	50c Capricorn	Light mauve		Light mauve-grey		Light mauve-grey
	50c Aquarius	Light yellow		Pale yellow		Pale yellow
	50c Pisces	Light blue		Pale blue-grey		Pale blue-grey
Imperf	12 x 50c – self-adhesive, with tab (imperf on right) 12 x 50c – self-adhesive, without tab (imperf on right)
Self-adhesive	12 x 50c – booklets 12 x 50c – with tab (imperf on right) 12 x 50c – without tab (imperf on right)
Tabs	12 x 50c – self-adhesive, with tab (imperf on right)

(Note that the tabs on the P-stamps pictured were designed by me. This is my favourite set! Go to my on-line P-stamp album on my website for more self-adhesive P-stamp tab designs.)

David Mallen is co-author of the Australian Stamp Variations catalogue. He may be contacted on david@asv.net.au or at his website
www.asv.net.au