Indonesia has issued a number of scarce souvenir sheets over the last thirty years, many of which feature popular topics and printing quantities in the 20,000- 50,000 range. In 1989, Indonesia issued two souvenir sheets honoring the World Wildlife Fund and picturing Orangutans (Scott #1381a,1383a). Only 20,000 pairs of sheets were issued, and Scott '11 prices them at $140.00 for unused. World Wildlife Fund stamps picture Flora and Fauna that the Fund is dedicated to preserving, and they are among the most popular Plant/Animal topicals.
A recent Price, Waterhouse, Coopers report projects that Indonesia will be one of the world's fastest growing economies over the next forty years. Should this prove accurate, and should a burgeoning Indonesian middle class provide a base for a developing stamp market, then it is likely that the values of the country's better modern souvenir sheets will increase many-fold.
Indonesia is a rapidly developing, though still poor, country of 230 million people, with an annual GDP growth rate hovering around 5%-6%. It is the largest economy in Southeast Asia. While the manufacturing and service sectors are growing rapidly, agriculture still employs more of the working population than either. The country has extensive natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper, and gold. Its major export commodities include oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, rubber, and textiles. Like most emerging market nations, Indonesia faces challenges which will have to be addressed, including corruption and major inequities in the distribution of income.
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