Believe it or not, the subject of this collection of stamps, the peanut, is not a nut. Technically, a nut is a fruit whose ovary wall becomes hard at maturity. Nonetheless, for practical culinary purposes and, in everyday language, the peanut is a nut. In its own family of legumes, beans or peas, the peanut is unusual because its pods grow beneath the earth. This is why the Latin name given to it by botanist Carl Linnaeus is Arachis hypogaea with "arachis" identifying a legume and "hypogaea" signifying "under the earth."

China and India are the world's largest peanut producers, collectively accounting for almost half of the world's production of 50 174 000 metric tons in 2020. Peanuts are the world's second most important source of cooking oil after soy beans. The residue from extracting peanut oil, peanut meal, is an excellent source of protein, minerals and energy used in animal feed for beef cattle, poultry and aquaculture. Other uses of peanuts include peanut butter, confections, roasted peanuts and snack products, soups and desserts and as substitutes or extenders for meat.

As it grows, this collection will show how this important agricultural product has been represented on stamps and related items of interest from around the world.

Peanut Stamps from Around the World

George Washington Carver and Peanut Products

Origins of the Peanut Gallery