Greetings Stamps - Flowers - 21 January 2003
         Sheet of 20 plus labels  
        
        These colourful and attractive 1st class stamps were were first issued
        in 1997 in booklets of 10. As Royal Mail are now making them available
        for personalisation this souvenir sheet with illustrated labels has been
        produced. The sheet is A4 in size and contains two sets of stamps
        arranged in a different order. The sheet is sold at a premium over face
        value. 
         Click here for larger picture.The flowers shown are, reading down the sheet:
        
        Column 1: Hippeastrum rutilum, Camellia japonica, Magnolia grandiflora,
        Gentiana acaulis.
        
        Column 2: Guzmania splendens, Fuchsia 'Princess of Wales', Iris
        latifolia, Tulipa, Tulipa gesneriana. 
        Columns 3 & 4 show the same stamps in a different order.
        
        The labels mostly show the same flower as the stamp to which they are
        attached, but designs span two labels in four cases: in positions 1+2 in
        label columns 1 & 3, positions 3+4 in label column 2, and positions
        4+5 in label column 4. 
        The designs are taken from 19th century paintings of flowers.
Technical details:  
        Sheets - printed by House of Questa as are all Personalised sheets. 
        This is the first time these stamps have been printed by Questa as the
        booklets were printed by Walsall Security Print.
      
All images are taken from Royal Mail's Philatelic Bulletin and Postmark Bulletin, and are Copyright 2003 by Royal Mail.
We produced two exclusive covers for this issue, with 5 stamps and
            labels on each, both with postmark L8273 shown below. 
            The covers were sold only in pairs and are now all sold.
        
There are NO Royal Mail FDCs for these stamps.
Special postmarks available for the day of issue are shown here.
| Flowers shown on postmarks have been identified to the best of my limited ability - corrections are welcome! | |||||
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|  Ref L8297  Camellia. Woking Surrey [Royal Horticultural Society]  | 
               Ref L8298  Gentian. Kew, Richmond, Surrey [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]  | 
               Ref L8299  Passion flower. Chelsea, London SW3 [Chelsea Flower Show]  | 
               Ref N8313  Tulip. Harrogate,Yorkshire. [North of England Flower Show]  | 
               Ref E8326  Fuchsia. Rettendon Common, Chelmsford. [ ]  | 
              
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|  Ref E8325  Magnolia. Ardingly, Haywards Heath. [ ]  | 
               Ref W8334  Hippeastrum. St Austell, Cornwall [The Eden Project]  | 
               Ref W8336  Iris. Llanarthney, Carmarthen [National Garden of Wales]  | 
               Ref W8337  Guzmania. Mevagissey, St Austell. [ ]  | 
               Ref W8335  Tulip. Torrington, Devon [ ]  | 
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|  Ref L8273  Botanical Fine Arts, Kew Gardens, Richmond, Surrey  | 
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This page updated 6 February 2003 [7.2.05]
        
        
        Any questions? please 
          e-mail us.
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| 14 January Birds of Prey | 21 January - Flowers Greetings Stamps Smilers Sheet | 4 February Occasions/Greetings stamps and Smilers sheet | 25 February Medical Science - DNA & Genome | 4 March Hello SA booklet & Wales 1st reprint | 
| 25 March Fun Fruit & Vegetables | 27 March New definitives, SA airmail booklets of 40gr stamps | 29 April Extreme Endeavours | 6 May 34p definitives | 20 May Wilding II miniature sheet | 
| 28 May Wales 2nd class, 1st class gold reprints | 2 June - 50th Anniversary of the Coronation | 17 June Prince William of Wales | 1 July High Value Definitive reprints | 15 July British Journey - Scotland | 
| 29 July Cartoons Smilers Sheet | 12 August Pub Signs - Europa | 18 September Transports of Delight - toys | 30 September Christmas Robin Smilers Sheet | 7 October 250th Anniv. of British Museum | 
| 13 October Reprints of Country Stamps | 4 November Christmas: Ice Sculptures | 18 December England World Cup - Rugby Winners | 
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