CPS Resource CentreSome recent issues from Argentina have come to our attention over the past few weeks. Thank you for your submissions. There has been some information on the new web store site from Argentine Post. If you have additional information or links, please tell us.
Argentina 2015-03-09, 50th Anniversary of South Pole Expedition
On March 9, 2015 Argentine Post issued a special sheet marking the 50th anniversary of “Operation 90” the first Argentine expedition to the South Pole. An edited translation of the text from the web site describes the background of the expedition. In 1965, a group of men from the Argentine Army proposed reaching the South Pole by land from the General Belgrano Base, located at 77 ° 46 ‘south latitude and 38 ° 11’ west longitude, on the Filchner Barrier. The expedition began on October 26, 1965 and was an extremely arduous journey, slowed by deep cracks and ridges of wind-blown snow (sastrugis). However, despite the difficulties, the team, traveling by snow cats, continued their journey and reached the South Pole on December 10, 1965. They returned to Belgrano Base on December 31, 1965. Additional information is also available on these two comprehensive web sites, here and here. The sheet, measuring 100mm x 150mm contains two stamps, in denominations of $11 and $14 Argentine Pesos (ARS). The upper stamp, $11, has a picture of the team leader, Colonel Jorge Edgard Leal, along with a map showing the Belgrano Base, and an inset map of Argentine territories in Antarctica. The lower stamp, $14, depicts the team, saluting the Argentine flag on December 10, 1965 at the South Pole. The remainder of the sheet shows the route the team traveled, along with specific dates and images of research activities carried out along the way. Issued in conjunction with the 50th anniversary sheet is a single $6 denominated stamp [not shown here] marking the discovery, in 1986 by an expedition from the Argentine Antarctic Institute to James Ross Island, of the remains of an unknown species of dinosaur, Antarctopelta Oliveroi. The genus of dinosaur ankylosaur represented by a single species, Oliveroi, that lived in the late Cretaceous period in what is now Antarctica, which is depicted on the stamp, and there is no map on this single stamp.
