Lot 376 Tonga SG#295-304, O37-O38 1969 First Oil Search Self-Adhesive Issue, a VFNH Set on Original Backing Paper

A VFNH set of the 1969 First Oil Search self-adhesive issue. Tonga, along with Sierra Leone and a few other countries were the first to issue self-adhesive stamps, die cut to odd shapes, starting in the mid to late 1960's. At the time they appeared they were hated by traditional philatelists, who decried that they were nothing more than stickers. Little did these collectors know that 50 years later, to the present day, self-adhesive stamps would largely replace sheet stamps with water activated gum and perforations. These are the "pioneer" issues, and as such have become increasingly sought after.

Gibbons values this set at 17 GBP = approximately $28.90. The stamps offered here grade 84.