New Issue: Saba Butterflies (Caribbean Netherlands)

A few months ago the Netherlands issued a new set of stamps about the butterflies of Saba. I reviewed them here. They are part of a four-part series looking at Saba wildlife. The Caribbean Netherlands have now also issued a set of ten stamps showing Saba's butterflies. However they are very different. There are also ten stamps, like the Netherlands issue, but they show different butterflies and the background is a coloured design based around circles instead of natural habitat. The butterflies on the stamps are: Leptotes cassius — Cassius blue

Eurema elathea — Bared yellow

Phoebis sennae — Cloudless sulphur

Chlorostrymon maesites — Verde Azul hairstreak

Panoquina lucas — Purple-washed skipper

Marpesia petreus — Ruddy daggerwing

Glutophrissa drusilla — Tropical white

Papilio demoleus — Lime swallowtail

Urbanus proteus — Long-tailed skipper

Pyrisitia lisa — Little yellow

Design Quality - I think these stamps look really nice. The butterflies are detailed and easy to see, and the soft background colours match them well. The backgrounds are not too busy, which helps the butterflies stand out. I wonder if it would have been even better if like the Netherlands stamps the butterflies were shown in their natural environment, like on flowers or in the countryside of Saba? The coloured circles look interesting, but I'm not sure they work with nature. However, I like how all the stamps connect together to make one big sheet. 8/10

Theme/Subject Choice - Butterflies are a great choice for a stamp set because they are beautiful and there are lots of different kinds to discover. Saba is part of the Caribbean Netherlands, so it makes sense to show some of the butterflies that live there. I enjoyed learning the names of species I had never heard of before. 9/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - These butterflies are an important part of nature in the Caribbean Netherlands, so they help show something special about Saba. They may not be as famous as historical people or events, but they represent the local wildlife and environment, which is also important. 10/10

Innovation and Creativity - The stamps are attractive, but they remind me of many other butterfly stamp issues from around the world. The design is pleasant and quite well done, but it does not do anything especially unusual or surprising. The coloured circles give the sheet a modern look, but overall it doesn't feel different to lots of other butterfly stamps. 6/10

Collectability - I think these stamps would be popular with collectors because lots of people collect butterfly stamps. There are ten different species on one sheet, which makes it interesting to study and display. I would definitely want this sheet in my collection. 8/10

Personal Appeal - This isn't the best butterfly set I've reviewed but I still really like these stamps! The butterflies are colourful and interesting, and I learned about species I didn't know existed before. My favourite is the long-tailed skipper because it looks fast and has a cool shape. This is a stamp sheet that I would enjoy looking at again and again. 9/10 Overall Score - 50/60