Niue Post issued a miniature sheet consist of four stamps feature the Niue’s shells in year 2012.The shells depicted are the map cowrie (Leporicypraea mappa), geography cone (Gastridium geographus), partridge tun (Tonna perdix) and tiger cowrie (Cypraea tigris).
The $ 1.20 stamp represents the Map cowrie is common name of Mauritia mappa.
It is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.The map cowry was named on the basis of its distinct color pattern, because of the longitudinal lines and the easily distinguishable and sinuous mantle groove, which creates a resemblance to ancient maps
This is considered an economically important species in the Indo-West Pacific, where it is usually collected both for food and for shell trading.
