Britain's most spectacular commemoratives, No68: 1999 Soldiers' Tale 26p
So many stamps were produced in the Millennium series of 1999-2000 that collectors were overwhelmed – and perhaps irritated. As a result, some wonderful designs have gone largely ignored.
The dominant stamp in the military set, entitled The Soldiers’ Tale, was the 19p depicting Robert the Bruce, but the striking 26p devoted to the English Civil War is a hidden gem, requiring more careful study to appreciate its intricacies.
Appropriately rendered in pewter colour, it most obviously shows the head of a Cavalier with his horse, but a Roundhead’s helmet and a musket can also be found. And the gold colour used for the Queen’s head also adorns tiny details here and there.
Design: Rod Kelly.
Printing: gravure by Walsall.
