Set of 5: 22c Seashells

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AMELLOSA NUCEH 22 BOS APR Frlled Dogwi kle 1985 02205 MA CYPRAECASSIS TESTICULUS 22 Beiculated Helmet APR 1985 02205 MA NEPTUNEA DECEMCOSTATA 22 New England Neptune BOS APR 1985 02205 MA ARGOPECTEN GIBBUS 22 Cafico Scallop APR 1985 02205 Tom, MA BUISYCON CONTRARIUM 22 Lightning Whek BOSTON APR 1985 02205 MA

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FRILLED DOGWINKLE First Day of Issue: April 4, 1985 First Issue Location: Boston, Massachusetts For centuries, men and women, young and old have been collecting seashells because of their beauty and unusual shapes. The study of shells is called conchology and is practiced, both on a professional and amateur level, by many people in the United States and around the world. While shells come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, many people ask the question, "What kind of animal makes the shell?" The answer is “mollusks." Mollusks are soft bodied marine animals that secrete a form of liquid calcium carbonate which crystalizes and forms the animal's hard outer shell. The shell is not made all at one time, but is added to as the animal inside the shell grows and needs more room. One of the most beautiful of the rugged shelled mollusks is the frilled dogwinkle, which is found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California. Its tightly coiled shell is sculpted into many ridges and spines which gives the shell its frilled look. The stamp featured on this Maximum card portrays the beautiful Frilled Dogwinkle. No. 85-23 1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Tom Bjarnason. RETICULATED HELMET First Day of Issue: April 4, 1985 First Issue Location: Boston, Massachusetts One of the most prolific of all seashells is that of the cowrie. Found all over the world, the most beautiful species exist in tropical waters, where the warm currents assure a plentiful supply of food. From the earliest times, man has used cowrie shells for both ornamental purposes and good luck. Primitive people believed that if a cowrie was given to a bride, it would guarantee offspring. For it was thought that if held to the ear, the cowrie whispered with the voice of the goddess of fertility, whose spirit dwelt within the shell. The soft bodied animal inside the cowrie shell is perhaps as interesting as the shell itself. Resembling a large snail, the animal is able to extend a large, fleshy flap called a mantle from inside its shell. This flap is the shell's means of locomotion and contains its sensory cells as well. The Reticulated Helmet, de- picted on this Maximum Card is one of the most interest- ing cowrie shells. Its heavy, reddish colored shell has a wide orange lip at the opening, giving it the appearance of a helmet. No. 85-24 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Tom Bjarnason. NEW ENGLAND NEPTUNE First Day of Issue: April 4, 1985 First Issue Location: Boston, Massachusetts One of the most popular pastimes for people living near the ocean is beachcombing. Often, after a severe storm, many treasures of the sea are washed ashore . . . much to the delight of shell collectors. In the New England coastal states, one of the seashells frequently washed to shore is that of the New England Neptune, a member of the whelk family of mollusks. The Neptune's shell is grayish white with prominent reddish brown spirals along its ridges. The animal living inside the shell is actually a marine snail, and once removed from its shell, looks a great deal like a land snail. One of the most unusual characteristics of Neptunes are the eggs they lay. The female Neptune secures the first egg capsule to a rock or piece of dead shell, then capsule after capsule is laid on top of the others until the entire egg case looks like a tower four or five inches tall. The United States Postal Service honored the New England Neptune by issuing the beautiful stamp featured on this Maximum Card as part of a stamp booklet. No. 85-25 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Tom Bjarnason. CALICO SCALLOP First Day of Issue: April 4, 1985 First Issue Location: Boston, Massachusetts Of all the seashells in the ocean, perhaps the one most easily recognized is that of the scallop. For thousands of years, the design of the scallop's shell has been used in jewelery, in art, and as a religious symbol. Ar- cheologists searching the ruins of Greece have found statuettes of the goddess Aphrodite stepping from a scal- lop shell. In later years, the scallop became a symbol of Western Christendom, when Crusaders picked up shells along the Palestinian coast and wore them on their helmets as a way of saying “I was there.” Today, many of the more colorful varieties of scallop shells, like the calico scallop which is portrayed on this Maximum Card, are strung together and used as necklaces or bracelets. Another of the many uses of the scallop is as a food source. Millions of pounds of scallops are dredged from the ocean depths each year. In honor of the beautiful calico scallop, a favorite of shell collectors, the United States Postal Service issued the stamp featured on this Maximum Card. No. 85-26 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Tom Bjarnason. LIGHTNING WHELK First Day of Issue: April 4, 1985 First Issue Location: Boston, Massachusetts The whelk family is one of the largest and most diversified of all the families of marine snails. One species, the Lightning Whelk, is a member of a genus which has been native to the southeastern United States for over sixty million years. The Lightning Whelk is related to the conch family and is one of the largest of the seashelled animals. With its large upper body, which tapers to a point, and its wide outer lip, the Lightning Whelk's shell is one of the most striking of all seashells. While most seashells grow in a clockwise manner, the Lightning Whelk grows counter-clockwise or “left-handed." Light- ning Whelks feed almost exclusively on hard shelled clams. The Whelk exerts a strong, steady pull with its massive, muscular foot and forces the clam's shell valves apart. The Lightning Whelk then wedges the edge of its shell between the clam's valves so the clam is unable to close. The Lightning Whelk is honored on the distinc- tive stamp issued by the United States Postal Service and featured on this Maximum Card. No. 85-27 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Tom Bjarnason.