Sunday Stamps - Lunar New Year animals: South Africa, Great Britain

 After 10+ years of Sunday Stamps I have run out of Lunar New Year stamps and have used all other stamps that 'link' to the 12 representative animals.

One lone South African stamp is the nearest I can get to an ox I thought -  

South Africa - African Bull - 31 May 1961

And then purely by chance I found these in my 'odds & sods' box on a cut up card acquired from a market stall more years ago than I remember.

Great Britain - 6 March 1984 FDC

• 16p Highland Cow
• 20/1/2p Chillingham Wild Bull
• 26p Hereford Bull
• 28p Welsh Black Bull
• 31p Irish Mulled Cow

To see other lunar New Year Animals check out those linked to Sunday Stamps.

Sunday Stamps II - New Year

I have no stamps that celebrate the lunar New Year. However Maria sent me a stamp last year for the Rooster - 

I then discovered this mini-sheet from the USA - 

USA 29 January 2006

And tucked away in the centre of the bottom row is a stamp for the Year of the Dog,

Until I unearthed that I thought I would just have to show - 

Oscar in 2017 waiting for his first New Year in my daughter's home.

For more New Year Dogs carry your lead across to Sunday-Stamps-II -165.

Lunar New Year - Sheep; Sunday Stamps II

Canada has issued two stamps to mark the Lunar New Year.

Canada - Year of the Ram 2015

The domestic stamp shows three rams welcoming spring. Hopefully someone else will be able to show us that.

The Merino is a famous breed of sheep and it appears on stamps from - 

South Africa - 1972

and

Australia - Poll Dorset and the Merino 1989

These were two of a set of four issued to commemorate the World Sheep and Wool Congress held in Tasmania that year.

I have had some close encounters with sheep - well their fleeces at least. In school summer holidays I had the pleasure of baling fleeces at a Central Wool Growers plant where fleeces were graded according to the quality of their wool. My hand have never ever been as soft since then - thanks to all the lanolin they contained.

I'll draw a line under the effect of baling dags - the clippings from sheep's behinds.

There have been some articles in the UK newspapers this week on whether this should be the year of the sheep, or as they are too meek, the year of the goat instead. I don't think I would argue with a Merino ram.

But just in case here's a - 

Goat from Norway - 1981

There's no need to be sheepish when you can see more at Sunday-stamps-ii-10. and where I've just discovered both the Canadian stamps and more about goats.