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Koalas in Danger Impressions medallion cover featuring three gold coloured medallions and stamps on one larger PMC with gold leaf numbering and cancellation marks

2024 Koalas in Danger PMC (Impressions)

An Impressions version of the Koalas in Danger set of PMCs

Impressions

Koalas in Danger Impressions medallion cover featuring three gold coloured medallions and stamps on one larger PMC with gold leaf numbering and cancellation marks

In August 2024, Australia Post released a set of stamps, maxicards, first day cover and three Postal Medallion Covers on the theme “Koalas in Danger”. As well as featuring the beautiful creatures, the pieces also raised money for Australia Post’s support of WWF-Australia in protecting Koala habitat.

In November 2024, Australia Post released their “Impressions” range: “Impressions 2024 are exclusive releases, with special prints and variations for your collection. Limited stock available“. As part of Impressions 2024, Australia Post released a limited edition medallion cover for Koalas in Danger. A single cover with three medallions on it, this release featured:

  • Limited edition of 150 only
  • Features three antique gold cut-out medallions made of zinc alloy measuring 48mm
  • Cover size 230mm (w) x 162mm (h)
  • Cover features foiled postmark and numbering 001/150-150/150
  • Presented in a clear cover

The issue was released on 13 November 2024. They are available until sold out or until 31 December 2025.

Medallion covers

Inner card showing the three medallions with a closeup of a Koala asleep in a tree as the card

(Inner card of the cover showing the three PNCs against a Koala asleep in a tree).

Medallion covers are a great way for Australia Post to market a cover to collectors of medallions on one of their stamp themes for which a corresponding coin is not available from either the Royal Australian Mint or the Perth Mint. Medallion covers are often not as widely collected as PNCs with coins, and I think that is a shame. Medallions often offer a larger surface to convey the subject on, often in colour, with extra relief and or interesting shapes. In this case, there are two holes between the Koala and the gum leaves.

Close up of the three medallions in gold with green leaves on the left and two holes, the koala picture coloured in the centre and "Koalas in danger" around the right with the "o" in koalas being a nose and two eyes

I liked the original silver-coloured medallions, but I think the gold of this version works even better.

Stamps

Close up of the stamps and cancellations on the Koalas in Danger Impressions cover. Three $1.50 stamps with each of the three koalas, with two cancellation marks touching the stamps - the cancellation marks are gold foil with a silhouette of a koala front on with a joey, or baby koala "cut out" inside. Postmarked 6 November 2024, Canberra ACT 2601

Like the gold medallions, the gold foil postmarks really pop and look fantastic. Featuring the outline of a Koala with a joey (baby), they are postmarked “6 November 2024, Canberra, ACT, 2601”.

Reverse

Reverse of the PNC showing the three medallions and the text describing them (see main post)

The reverse features similar wording to the reverse of the original series:

“Our iconic Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is facing a crisis. In its native habitat on the eastern and southern coastal regions of the mainland, the Koala is at risk, and in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, this much-loved marsupial is listed as an endangered species under national environmental law. The dramatic decline in populations can be attributed to habitat loss, climate change and associated extreme weather events, including bushfires and flood. The destruction and fragmentation of habitat means Koalas must spend more time on the ground moving from tree to tree. This makes them much more vulnerable to being hit by cars and attacked by dogs, while elevated levels of stress make them prone to sickness and disease. Sadly, many Aussies are unaware we’re at risk of losing this treasured species. We need more people to advocate for nature, to become Koala champions and build awareness of the threats that are pushing Koalas to extinction. That’s why Australia Post is supporting World Wide Fund for Nature Australia (WWF-Australia) in its goal to double the number of Koalas across eastern Australia by 2050. This includes supporting efforts to protect and restore Koala habitat and to keep Koalas safe from disease.
Learn more at auspost.com.au/environment.

This medallion cover is released in an individually numbered edition of just 150.

Stamp and cover design: Sonia Young, Australia Post Design Studio

Stamp and Medallion photographs: Suzi Eszterhas / Minden Pictures (QLD)

David Cunningham (ACT), John Carnemolla / Getty Images (NSW)

Cover Photographs: Tony Feder / Getty Images (Front cover), Chris Howey / Shutterstock.com (Back cover), Papuchalka-kaelaimages / Shutterstock.com (Card front)”

Numbering

Reverse of the inner card with the medallion specifications and showing the reverse of the three medallions. Closeup of the Queensland one with the number 038 visible

The reverse of the inner card showing the medallions with the “Queensland” one larger below. The medallions themselves are individually numbered with the same number as on the front of the cover.

Koalas

Koala in a tree looking right, framed with leaves.  Image: https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/koalas

I realised after writing up the piece on the original “Koalas in Danger” series, that I never really covered what a Koala actually is. So, let’s do that now.

The scientific name is “Phascolarctos cinereus”. BushHeritage Australia describes Koalas as: “Koalas are possibly our most iconic native animals; instantly recognisable worldwide as a symbol of Australia and found nowhere else. These tree-dwelling marsupials are the only surviving members of the Phascolarctidae (Greek for ‘pouched bear’, although as marsupials, they are not bears) family, whose closest living relatives are the wombats.

Weighing 4kg to 15kg, Koalas are among the largest tree-dwelling marsupials. Males are up to 50% bigger than females.

Mostly active at night, with their sharp claws and opposable digits, Koalas are most at home high in the tree canopy and come down to ground only to move trees or to another habitat patch. They get all the moisture they need from gum leaves and only need water in times of drought (when leaves dry out).

Perched high in gum trees, with their stocky, tailless body, large heads and fluffy ears, Koalas live almost entirely on eucalyptus leaves, which are tough to digest. As a result, they’ve developed a very slow metabolism to save energy – in fact they can sleep for up to 20 hours a day!

There are more than 700 species of eucalypts and Koalas are quite fussy eaters – only around 50 are suitable and around a dozen make up their staple diet. Koalas can only absorb about 25% of the nutrients from the leaves, and the rest is excreted as undigested fibre. So, they need to eat a lot of leaves – adults will put away around 500g to 1kg of leaves each night.

Koalas in Danger Impressions medallion cover featuring three gold coloured medallions and stamps on one larger PMC with gold leaf numbering and cancellation marks

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