Alderney 1999 Total Solar Eclipse Souvenir Sheet MNH - PHILEX/IBRA Overprint - LOT ST628

• Country: Alderney (Bailiwick of Guernsey).

• Year of Issue: 1999.

• Stanley Gibbons (SG) Number: MS A131 (Special Overprint).

• Condition: Mint Never Hinged (MNH) / Unmounted Mint.

• Special Features: Includes the PHILEX FRANCE '99 logo (bottom left) and the IBRA '99 Nürnberg logo (bottom right).

• Themes: Astronomy, Solar Eclipse, Space, Maps.

• Map Detail: The background shows a relief map of the English Channel and Northern Europe with the "path of totality" marked across Alderney and Guernsey.

Collector's Note

• Limited Edition: While the base stamps were widely available, the exhibition overprints were produced in smaller quantities for visitors to the major stamp shows in Paris and Nuremberg.

• The "Space" Topical: This is a very popular "Topical" stamp (meaning it fits into a non-geographic theme). Collectors of "Space" or "Astronomy" often look specifically for this sheet because of its scientific accuracy in depicting the eclipse phases.