Many of you will be familiar with the Cape of Good Triangulars; stamps issued in the 1850s by the British colony at the southern tip of Africa.  Laernu has its own version of this design format featuring a more scantily clad young lady with a rather cute little dragon. She is the mythological ‘Mother’ of all living creatures, which start off as dragons which have the ability to fly, swim or run. She visits each dragon and asks what creature it would like to become. Indecision results in them being reborn as humans. These stamps may be the key to the world of Laernu.

For philatelists these stamps are a treasure, and not just because they look so good. There are but four values, but different printings have yielded some easily discernible colour variations, but a closer examination will separate other differences between different printings. The stamps have been found both perforated and imperforate. Most stamps have a little black capital letter in the diamond shape at the apex of the stamp. Those who have a full sheet will see that the twelve stamps may have D I E H F G P U Q R S and T, or maybe  A B C K J I M N O X W and U Perhaps the Laernuans could send a secret message by the choice of stamp.

Like the Continental series there was a mixed sheet of stamps produced, with three of each value. These stamps are noticeably brighter in colour than those from the single value sheets, have quite shiny gum, and lack that little letter. There were sheets of 24 produced, but these seemingly were broken up for use on post. They can be identified by being perfed 11, as opposed to 11.75 (15 per inch).

Other variations noted are even glossier finishes on the multi-stamp sheet issues, and a design variation so far limited to the 5D red. There existed a possibility of stamps printed on the gummed side. These should be easily recognisable.

One rarity that has been found has the number 1402 perfinned into a joined pair of the 6D yellow and the 9D green. This obviously indicates that they were for use on mailings of Isle of Vue St Valentine`s stamps, but only one copy of this unusual addition has been recorded.
Likewise further pairs with perfins; again a yellow and green pair, and a red and blue pair, both with 1504 or 150413 perfinned across them. again, these may be unique.

What to look for in this issue.

• Imperforate versions
• are these limited to the 6D and 9D values?
• The different colour shades
• Stamps from the different printings as identified by paper, gum and perforations
• Look at the CENTRO and notice different shading to the letters
• Glossier paper used on some stamps from the mixed sheets
• Presence or absence of the apex letters
• Perfins like the 1402 above
• Have you got a stamp printed on the gummed side?