Sunday 1 September 2013

Odd Shaped Stamps

Do not usually collect these type of stamps but since they are part of my collection, I cannot ignore this category of odd shaped stamps. There is a huge number of odd shaped forms of stamps issued by many countries and I avoid collecting this category because of large numbers, huge cost and time involved. However presenting a few from my collection. Will not be going into details of the stamps except for issue date if they have been covered elsewhere on this blog. (Apologies to fans of Odd Shaped stamps)

Featured below are 
Heart shaped
Triangle shaped
Trapezoidal shaped
Diamond shaped
Pentagonal shaped
Hexagonal shaped
Heptagonal shaped
Octagonal shaped
Drop shaped
Circle shaped 
Tangram shaped 
Puzzle shaped
Shield shaped
Oddly shaped

Other known shapes
Oval shaped
Map shaped

I have also included Odd shaped miniature sheet forms in this category
Heart Shaped Stamps

Thailand 2013 Valentines day Heart Shaped stamps 

Issue date 7 February 2013


Thailand Post issues “Symbol of Love” themed stamps every year to commemorate St Valentine’s Day – very popular in Thailand. This year, the stamps are also perforated in a heart shape, which can be used instead of the regular perforation, for an additional touch of romance. The stamps features the Thai Flag and Rose.


Taiwan 2012  - Valentine’s Day Rose Scented Heart Shaped Miniature Sheet Stamp

Issue date : 10 Feb 2012

Hongkong 2011 Volunteerism Day Stamp on MS



Issue date 29 Mar 2011

Timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers, this special stamp issue in 2011 pays tribute to volunteers of all ages. The first-ever heart-shaped stamp in the stamp sheetlet is the perfect recognition of the spirit of selfless love shown by volunteers.

Thailand 2010 - 60th Royal Wedding Anniversary Swarovski Heart Shaped Stamp on MS 



Issue date 28 April 2010 


Triangle Shaped Stamps


Argentina 2011 – Copa America  (with moving triangular Stamp) Souvenir sheet





Issue date 25 June 2011. 

Israel 1957 Tabil Stamp Exhibition Zodiac Signs Triangular Stamps



Issue date 17 September 1957

Miniature sheet of the Zodiac circle formed of 4 inverted triangle stamps (100, 200, 300, 400 Prutot) with rouletted separation in the shape of an X. The stamps faced north, south, east, and west. 

Diamond shaped stamps

India 2011 Mahatma Gandhi Khadi diamond shaped Stamp 

Date of issue 20 February 2011

India 2009 Spices of India Miniature sheet



Issue date 29 April 2009

India 2008 Beijing Olympics Miniature sheet

Issue date 08 August 2008 (08-08-08)

India 2008 Madhubala - Indian actress MS

Issue date 18 March 2008


Trapezoidal Shaped Stamps

Iceland 2010 Shanghai World Expo Trapezoidal shaped stamp on MS





Issue date 06 May 2010

The sides of the Trapezoid stamp is uneven giving a feeling of depth in the stamp.

Pentagonal shaped Stamp


Indonesia 2005 President and Vice President Pentagon shaped stamp MS


Issue date 17 August 2005

Indonesia post issued 2 pentagon odd shaped stamps featuring the President Rt. Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and vice President Rt. H.M. Jusuf Kalla of Indonesia.

Hexagonal shaped Stamp

Malaysia 2012 – The Second Series of Malaysian Currency – Coins (Hexagonal Silver/Gold foil embossed stamps)

Issue date 16 July 2012


Malaysian Post has issued 8 hexagonal Stamps (only four shown above from my collection while the other four are the backs of the stamps and not shown). Two stamps featuring the 5 Sen and 10 Sen coins are silver embossed stamps while the other 2 stamps featuring the 20 Sen and 50 Sen coin are gold embossed stamps.


Taiwan 2012 Bees of Taiwan Souvenir Sheet MS

Issue date 12 July 2012

Bees play an important role in pollinating flowering plants. Their disappearance could lead to food shortages. In order to raise understanding about bees and pay more attention to the conservation of ecology, Chunghwa Post will issue a souvenir sheet which comprises six stamps, each featuring a bee species of Taiwan. The designs follow: 

1. Phimenes flavopictus (NT$5): This predatory wasp has yellow markings on its black body, giving it coloring that resembles that of a yellow and black striped tiger. Females build their mud nests in places such as tree trunks and cliff-face crevices. It is also called the “tiger-striped potter wasp” in Chinese.

2. Apis mellifera (NT$10): Commonly known as the western honey bee, most of them have a yellowish brown chest. The species’ worker bees have specialized pollen baskets, which can be found on the tibia of their hind legs.

3. Xanthopimpla pedator (NT$5): The range of this parasitic wasp was once used to control she-oak pests.

4. Xylocopa tranquebarorum (NT$10): This pollinator has almost dark black body. Its wings have a purple, copper sheen to them. Females build their nests by boring holes into dead bamboo.

5. Vespa ducalis (NT$5): This stinging wasp has two golden yellow rings on its abdomen which are its most salient feature. Its last four abdominal segments are black.


6. Apis cerana (NT$10): Commonly known as the eastern honey bee, this pollinator lives in the wild mostly. Its appearance greatly resembles the western honey bee. It has alternating yellow and black stripes on its abdomen.


India 2008 Aldabra Tortoise hexagonal stamp sheetlet

Issue date 02 August 2009

Heptagonal shaped Stamp


Thailand 2011 - The Celebrations on the auspicious Occasion of His Majesty the King's 7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary 5th December 2011 Commemorative Stamps (1st Series) – Gold embossed Heptagonal Stamp




Issue date 05 December 2011

Thailand 2011 - The Celebrations on the auspicious Occasion of His Majesty the King's 7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary 5th December 2011 Commemorative Stamps (2nd Series) – four colors on foil sheets with embossed patterns on Heptagonal copper/bronze Stamps





50 years of reign (1996)


WHO award


Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award
given by former UN secretary Kofi Annan


International Rice Research Award
given by the International Rice Research Institute


"Glory to the Greatest Inventor
in the year of Creativity and Innovation 2009"


WIPO Global Leader Award
by the World Intellectual Prosperity Organisation


2000 Brussels Eureka
49th World Exhibition of Innovation, Research and
New Technology

Issue date 05 December 2011

Octagonal shaped Stamps

Bangladesh 2012 Birds Nest Miniature sheet with Octagonal stamps

Issue date 14 June 2012

Bangladesh Post has issued 6 octagonal shaped stamps on a miniature sheet featuring the Birds Nest of 6 common birds of Bangladesh namely – The Baya Weaver or Weaver Finch (Ploceus Philippinus), The Red-vented Bulbul (Pyncnonotus cafer), The Common Tailorbird  (Orthotomas sutorius), The Black-rumped Flameback  or the Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker (Dinopium benghalense), The Black-naped Monarch or Black-naped Blue Flycatcher (Hypothymus azurea) and The Rose-ringed Parakeet or the Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula Krameri).

Drop shaped Stamps

South Africa 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation with drop shaped stamps





Issue date 20 March 2013

Finland 2009 Drops of Happiness Drop shaped stamps




Issue date 22 January 2009

Circle Shaped Stamps


Switzerland 2013 “Goldvreneli” miniature sheet made from real gold with multi-level embossing and round perforation.



Issue date 28 Aug 2013

Austria 2010 Embroidered Miniature sheet – Rose 


Date of Issue 17 September 2010


Austria 2008 – Football – Round stamp made of synthetic mix of Polyurethane

Issue date 12 March 2008

Austria 2006 – Mail from a Different World – Stamp with Meteorite Dust particles

Austria Post issued a stamp on 24 March 2006

Canada 2004 - 100th anniversary of the Canadian Open golf tournament circle stamps

Issue date 12 August 2004

USA 2000 Space Achievement and Exploration Hologram Round stamp 



Issue date 09 July 2000




Austria 2011 25 Years of Austrian Lotto – round stamp with bar code

Issue date 7 September 2011

A special stamp edition of the Austrian post, displaying a lottery ball, on a round stamp. The 'allonge' (tear away stub) above the block contains a voucher for a free “6 out of 45″ line and hence the chance to win EUR 1 million.


Tangram shaped stamps

South Africa 2010 30 years of the Pan African Postal Union: Bridging the digital divide MS with Tangram Design





Issue date 7 January 2010

The above Tangram design features square shaped, a parallelogram shaped and triangle shaped stamps.

Puzzle Shaped Stamps

GB 2009 Charles Darwin stamp set with jigsaw puzzle form cutout



Issue date 12 Feb 2009

Shield Shaped Stamps

Hongkong 2012 - 150 years anniversary of the Queen's College Shield shaped stamp Miniature sheet

Issue date - 27 March 2012

Queen’s College, founded in 1862, was the first government secondary school set up in Hong Kong.

Initially named The Central School and first located on Gough Street, Central, it provided Western education to both Chinese and foreign students. The school was renamed Victoria College in 1884 and was relocated to the junction of Aberdeen Street and Hollywood Road, Central in 1889.

In 1894, it adopted the name Queen’s College, which has been in use ever since. In 1950, Queen’s College moved to its present site on Causeway Road, Causeway Bay. 

Queen’s College has notable alumni who excel which include Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who studied in the school between 1884 and 1886.

The year 2012 marks the 150th anniversary of Queen’s College. Hongkong Post issues a stamp sheetlet to commemorate the occasion. Set in a nostalgic sepia tone, the stamp sheetlet depicts the old school building on Hollywood Road in the foreground against the present Causeway Road campus in the background. The cannon on the bottom left is a relic moved to the present campus from the old school which was destroyed during the war, bearing testimony to the change of times. On the right is a shield-shaped stamp, the first of its kind launched by Hongkong Post, which is thoughtfully modelled on the shape of the school badge of Queen’s College. Printed on the bottom right is the school motto in Chinese, “勤有功”, and Latin, “LABOR OMNIA VINCIT”, setting out the philosophy of education and the path to scholarship advocated by Queen’s College. 

Odd Shaped Stamps


France 2009 - 50th Anniversary of Asterix with Stone Dust affixed on Menhir

Issue date 03 December 2009


The stamps - Dogmatix with the bone and Obelix with the Menhir Stone are oddly shaped stamps.


Austria 2007 Architect Artist – Josef Hoffman - Embossed Miniature Sheet with 24 Carat Gold & Relief Printing


Issue date 14 September 2007
The stamp is odd shaped as per the silhouette of the necklace.

Disclaimer - Information about the stamp issues on this page has been taken from the net and are for informational purposes only. No copyright claim is made for the above mentioned information/pictures. 

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