The Classic Locomotives of England miniature sheet, to be issued on February 1, is the first of a series of four highlighting the contribution made by steam engines to British industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Across the public railway network, and also in industrial locations such as factories, quarries and docks, locomotives of all shapes and sizes were the workhorses of the national economy until as recently as the 1960s, cared for by a vast army of drivers and firemen, engineers and mechanics.
Philip Parker of Royal Mail Stamps said: ‘For many people, the age of steam meant bright-liveried passenger locomotives, but in the background a huge number of other less glamorous steam machines were playing a massive role.
Jamaica, the largest island in the British West Indies, was the very first British colony to operate its own postal service, having a post office established shortly after it was siezed from the Spanish in the 17th century.
But for two centuries the colony’s governors failed to implement an efficient service.
Did rubber tapping techniques really undergo radical change between 1935 and 1938?
Today more than 70% of natural rubber comes from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
But in 1935 the British colony of Ceylon was a very important producer, and it was keen to reflect this in its pictorial definitive series of 1935-36.
Four of the 11 values were recess-printed by De La Rue, and the other seven by Bradbury Wilkinson.
1899 Zanzibar 2r depicting Sultan Hamoud bin Mohammed, from the second series recess-printed but with a second colour added by letterpress
The British Empire was always alert to developments in Zanzibar in the 19th century, because of its strategic importance for trade along the east coast of Africa.
Imperial influence was clear from the fact that an Indian post office was opened there in 1868, and the Heligoland-Zanzibar treaty of 1890 formally established a British protectorate over the island.
Initially Indian and later British East African stamps overprinted with the word ‘Zanzibar’ were used.
In September 1890, when the use of Austrian postage stamps was extended to include postal orders and parcels, new values became necessary.
This no doubt encouraged a decision to replace the existing ‘Double Eagle’ stamps, in use since 1883, with a new definitive set depicting Emperor Franz Josef I.
This classic ‘Emperor’s Head’ series would remain in use for almost two decades, leaving plenty of varieties for collectors to study.
Of the many definitive sets issued during the 25-year reign of Belgium’s King Albert I, one stands out – not for its longevity (around three years) or its complexity (14 values, with few varieties), but because of its symbolism.
Since acceding to the throne in 1909, Albert had become very popular.
He worked for justice and unity within his country, which was threatening to fall apart due to its linguistic divide, and was the first Belgian monarch to take the coronation oath in both French and Flemish.
The Turks & Caicos 2s and 3s
Stamps depicting the seal of a colony seemed to be a favourite recommendation of Colonial Secretaries in the late 19th century.
Instructions to the Crown Agents frequently urged the use of a single design with a central device to convey the badge.
Precisely this approach was suggested for the first combined issue of the Turks & Caicos Islands in 1900, and the result was something of a classic in conveying the economic raison d’être of one of the least heralded corners of the Empire.
The Christmas stamps for 2010, to be released on November 2, feature ‘claymation’ duo Wallace & Gromit, stars of the Aardman Animations’ Oscar-winning films A Grand Day Out, A Close Shave and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Royal Mail’s design team worked closely with Nick Park, the creator of characters, and Aardman to create five exclusive scenes featuring the duo, for the set of seven self-adhesive stamps.
Park drew the scenes, and refined them to work to best effect in the two definitive formats, before each was constructed with models, props and background sets created especially for the issue.
The Royal Mail issue for this year’s Europa theme, which is children’s books, honours one of Britain’s most popular pieces of literature for the young and young at heart, the Winnie-the-Pooh series by A A Milne.
Released on October 12, it comprises a total of 10 stamp designs, all reproducing E H Shepard’s original illustrations for Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), Now We Are Six (1927) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928).
The six sheet stamps show Pooh with one of his animal friends, while the four stamps in the miniature sheet focus on his relationship with Christopher Robin.
