South Korea 2010 "The Age of Dinosaurs - Triassic Period"


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Issue Date 05.08.2010
ID Michel: 2780-2783; Scott: 2340a-d; Stanley Gibbons: 3119-3121; Yvert et Tellier: 2568-2571; Category: pR
Design Designer - Jiwon MO
Stamps in set 4
Value 250 Won - Coelophysis
250 Won - Herrerasaurus
340 Won - Plateosaurus
340 Won - Riojasaurus
Emission/Type commemorative
Issue place Seoul
Size (width x height) stamps: 50mm X 33mm, Sheet: 250mm x 150mm
Layout Sheet of 12 stamps
Products FDC x1
Paper White Unwatermarked
Perforation 13
Print Technique Offset, six colors + Intaglio, one color
Printed by Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation(KOMSCO)
Quantity 540.000 stamps each
Issuing Authority Korea Post
Dinosaurs on stamps of South Korea 2010

On August 5th 2010, Korean Post issued the set "The Age of Dinosaurs" - the first four stamps in a three-year series. This series covers Mesozoic Era and features dinosaurs found around the world. Every issue show four dinosaurs and cover one period of the Mesozoic Era:
Below are, slightly corrected, quotes from official press release, of Korean Post, published on their website in 2010.

This fascinating animal appeared hundreds of millions of years ago to dominate life on earth for 160 million years only to abruptly go extinct. During the next three years, dinosaurs of each epochal period (the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods of the Mesozoic Era) were introduced.



Dinosaurs first appeared during the Triassic Period which lasted from 245 million years to 208 million years ago. Approximately at this time, all the continents on the earth were clumped together, with the continental areas being dry and rivers and seaside swarmed with ferns, tall coniferous trees, ginkgoes and cycads.
Note: This set is the first one with perforations shaped like the silhouette of dinosaurs.

Herrerasaurus dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010
Herrerasaurus dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010, MiNr.: 2780, Scott: 2340a.
Coelophysis dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010
Coelophysis dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010, MiNr.: 2781, Scott: 2340b.
Herrerasaurus known as one of the oldest kinds of dinosaurs, Herrerasaurus had carnivorous features: a big jaw, sharp teeth, and features favorable for hunting such as long claws and quick and nimble legs. Being about 3~4 m long and weighing 250~300 kg, it was a biped ambulatory animal. It inhabited the northwestern areas of Argentina during the latter part of the Triassic Period.

Coelophysis as a quick and agile dinosaur, its front legs were very short and its body except for the tail was a little bigger than a turkey. In 1947, hundreds of Coelophysis fossils were found in Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, USA . Unlike other large, carnivorous dinosaurs, Coelophysis seemed to have lived in groups, moving in herds. Its body was 3 m at longest and weighed 15-30 kg.

Plateosaurus dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010
Plateosaurus dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010, MiNr.: 2782, Scott: 2340c.
Riojasaurus dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010
Riojasaurus dinosaur on stamp of South Korea 2010, MiNr.: 2783, Scott: 2340d.
Plateosaurus was one of the largest among Triassic-age dinosaurs, it had a small head, long neck, shorter front legs as compared to its well-developed hind legs. It walked on four legs. The big toe had a big claw, which seemed to have been used either for hunting or as a weapon. Its fossils have been found in more than 50 areas in Europe, including Germany. This herbivorous dinosaur stood 9 m long and weighed 4 tons.

Riojasaurus with legs as thick and robust as an elephant and a long neck, had a non-proportionally longer tail, which seemed to have been used either for balance or as a weapon. It grabbed its food using five, long, front toes. Like other herbivorous dinosaurs, it had spoon-shaped teeth. It stood 11 m long and weighed 4.5 tons.
Riojasaurus (meaning "Rioja lizard") named after La Rioja Province in Argentina where it was found in the Los Colorados Formation in the Ischigualasto-Villa Union Basin by Jose Bonaparte.




Products and associated philatelic items

FDC
Dinosaurs on FDC of South Korea 2006 Dinosaurs on FDC of South Korea 2006 Dinosaurs on FDC of South Korea 2006
First-Day-of-Issue Postmark Mini-Sheet Boklet
Dinosaurs on commemorative postmark of South Korea 2010 Dinosaurs on stamps of South Korea 2010 Booklet with dinosaur stamps of South Korea 2010, 2011, 2012
Example of circulated covers
Dinosaurs on FDC of South Korea 2006 Dinosaurs on commemorative postmark of South Korea 2006 Dinosaurs on commemorative postmark of South Korea 2006





References:
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Acknowledgements:
  • Many thanks to Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University, for review of a draft of this article.
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