Norvic Philatelics - Great Britain New stamps and special postmarks

London 2010 Festival of Stamps : Miniature Sheet & Prestige Stamp Book - 8 May 2010

Every 10 years London hosts an international stamp exhibition, but this time it's different.  The London 2010 Festival of Stamps is a year long celebration of stamps, stamp design and postal heritage. The second sheet showcases the first commemorative stamps issued by Great Britain (the two 1924 British Empire Exhibition stamps) and the two top values of the 1913 definitive series, the 10/- blue and £1 green Seahorse designs.  

As in 1990 one special stamp will also be a double-headed Machin, this time showing the profile head of King George V behind that of Queen Elizabeth II.  This will be issued on 6 May.

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	The Empire Exhibition stamps are 1st class, and the Seahorse stamps are £1 each.
	Publicity Images from Royal Mail. The brown stamps in Pane 1 are incorrectly shown as 1st class instead of £1 from an early draft design. Pane 1 is litho by Cartor; Panes 2 & 3 are printed in intaglio by Joh Enschede Stamps. Pane 4 is self-adhesive: this is clearly another poor mock-up. Royal Mail confirmed at our Spring Briefing that PSB Pane designs would end at the rouletting at the binding edge. Whilst the designs of panes 1 & 3 here do that, the background design on pane 2 especially will probably be redrawn so that the whole of the medallion is to the right of the rouletting. Time will tell.

Technical details:
Designed by Sedley Place, the sheet is printed by Joh. Ensschedé Stamps in intaglio and lithography, with phosphor bars, perf 15 x 14. Sheet dimensions: 115mm x 89mm;  stamps size: 34 x 45 and 34 x 60mm

1st Class definitives – original British Empire Exhibition stamp designed by Harold Nelson based on engravings by JAC Harrison; 
£1 definitives – original ‘Seahorse’ stamp designed by Bertram Mackennal based on engravings by JAC Harrison

The Prestige Stamp Book, with text by Douglas Muir, is desgned by Sedley Place.  The book and pane 1 is printed by Cartor Security Printing, the intaglio panes are by Joh. Ensschedé Stamps, and the self-adhesive Machin pane is printed by Walsall Security Printers.

All stamp and postmark images are copyright 2010, Royal Mail.  Postmarks will be added here nearer the time of issue.

Products available - miniature sheet, first day cover, prestige stamp book, stamp cards, Press Sheet, and a presentation pack containing both miniature sheets. 

Additional products: George V British Rarities Stamp Ingot Cover, George V Commonwealth Rarities Stamp Ingot Cover,

		Far left: Press Sheet of 9 miniature sheets. Left: Presentation Pack contaning both miniature sheets and illustrated descriptive text. Below: Cover of prestige stamp book (panes shown above).

Special Postmarks available on the day of this issue are shown here.   These images may not be to scale.

		Postmark will be like this
Ref FD1023 - Official Bureau postmark depicting Seahorses.	Ref FD1024 - London N1 first day of issue postmark showing British Empire Exhibition 1924 Lion emblem.	Ref FD1024NP - London N1 non-pictorial official Postmark	Ref L11719 - International Festival of Stamps, Islington, London N1	Ref L11723 - International Festival of Stamps, Islington, London N1
Ref L11725 - International Festival of Stamps, Islington, London N1	Ref L11724 - International Festival of Stamps, London N1	Ref L11722 - London	Ref L11621 - British Empire Exhibition 1924, Wembley, London	Ref L11728 - The King's Stamps First Day of Issue, London N1
				Postmarks similar to 11729 are in use for every day of the show, ie from 8 - 15 May inclusive.   There are no 'theme' days as have occurred in the past and therefore no themed postmarks, other than for the Britain Alone new stamp issue on 13 May.
Ref M11740 - George St, Birmingham	Ref L11726 - London SW1	Ref L11720 - Wembley	Ref L11729 - Festival Logo