Alpaca and Llama Stamps Around Our World

(and...how postage stamps came to be)

By Cathy Spalding

Page 2

I spotted my first llama stamps some 15 years ago on an old envelope from Bolivia. The stamps nearly covered the entire front of the envelope and definitely caught my attention.

As a llama owner and stamp collector as a young child, I was curious and began to search catalog after catalog for stamps depicting lamas (llama, alpaca, guanaco and vicuna.) It was a most difficult and very time-consuming endeavor. There are no special listings for lamas and stamp dealers/shops across the nation were baffled by my inquiries. Undaunted, I persisted in my search until finally connecting with philatelic (stamp) dealers in South America. Today I have put together one of the worlds largest lama stamp collections and continue to donate a number of framed groupings for llama and alpaca association fundraising events. The collections are well received and have stimulated some very active bidding.

Lama stamps have been issued in some fairly unlikely areas around the globe - Japan, Cuba, United Nations, Vatican City, Russia, and Afghanistan - as well as in several South American countries primarily Bolivia and Peru.

The first Peruvian stamp featuring
llamas was printed in 1866

Peru pictures the llama on their country Coat of Arms and has issued the largest variety of lama stamps.