The Formosa Collection: A 1950s Time Capsule

This collection of fifty species was originally assembled in the mid twentieth century, when the island now known as Taiwan was widely referred to in the West as Formosa, meaning “beautiful island”.

The sets were discovered by us as sealed new old stock, having remained stored for over seventy years. Many of the bags were wrapped in brown paper and left untouched for decades.

The sheet below is the original identification guide supplied with the collection, showing the fifty species in colour. Scientific names have changed over time, but the specimens correspond to the shells shown on this sheet.

We have photographed two opened packs laid directly over the guide to help with matching and identification. Every sealed set contains the same fifty species as shown here.

If you would like to see individual shell photographs in more detail, we have uploaded a full gallery here: 

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A few helpful notes

Look inside larger shells
Some of the smaller species were originally placed inside larger shells for packing. If you think one is missing, check inside first.

Natural variation
Shells vary in colour, tone and pattern. The photographs show examples, but your specimens may differ slightly. This is completely natural.

Surface finish
Some specimens may have a light vintage lacquer applied decades ago. If this has begun to flake, a gentle soak in warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush will usually return the shell to its natural matte finish.