Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - stamp issue 20 October 2015 & 17 December 2015

Royal Mail will publish a stamp issue on 20 October 2015 to mark the release of the latest instalment in the Star Wars series of films.

December 2015 will herald a massive global phenomenon with the much anticipated release of Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens due for release in Britain on 17th December 2015 followed by the USA one day later on the 18th December.


The series has strong British connections, with the franchise starting with Star Wars itself which was filmed at Elstree Studios, near London. Many of the other films were also filmed in Britain and Episode VII – the Force Awakens is no exception having been filmed at Pinewood Studios, London and on location at the Forrest of Dean in Gloucester.  The stamps celebrate some of the most iconic characters from the franchise and were chosen following insight from Disney and LucasFilm regarding the fan’s favourite characters. The Minisheet will focus on the vehicles.

Star Wars Darth Vader stamp.  Star Wars Yoda Stamp. Star Wars Obi WanKanobe stamp. Star Wars Stormtrooper Stamp.
Star Wars HanSolo Stamp. Star Wars Rey Stamp. Star Wars Princes Leia stamp. Star Wars Emperor Palpatine stamp.
Star Wars Luke Skywalker stamp. Star Wars Boba Fett stamp. Star Wars Finn Stamp. Star Wars Kylo Ren stamp.
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All 1st Class

From upper left to lower right:

Darth Vader, Yoda,
Obi-Wan Kanobi, Stormtrooper;

Han Solo, Rey,
Princess Leia, The Emperor (Palpatine);

Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett,
Finn, Kylo Ren.


 

     Star Wars vehicles miniature sheet.


Miniature sheet
(192 x 74 mm)

All 1st class

Resistance X-Wing Starfighter, Millennium Falcon,
Tie Fighter,
X-Wing Starfighter
First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter
At-At Walkers

Stamp dimensions:
X-wing starfighters (2): 60mm x 21mm, landscape
AT-AT walkers: 41mm x 30mm, landscape
TIE fighters (new): 27mm x 37mm, portrait
TIE fighters (classic): 35mm x 37mm, portrait
Millennium Falcon: 60mm x 30mm landscape
Star Wars Generic Sheet.



Generic Smilers Sheet.

This is printed on self-adhesive paper by International Security Printers and contains 20 x 1st class stamps

6 x Yoda,
6 x Darth Vader,
4x Han Solo
4 x Stormtrooper

with labels showing film stills from the Lucasfilm archives.

These 4 stamps are therefore essential for a complete collection, although they will not be accorded SG catalogue status individually.
Buy them here

The 4 stamps also join the Royal Mail Smilers service enabling customers to buy personalised sheets of single-design stamps.

Yoda smiler sheet. Darth Vader smiler sheet.

Han solo smiler sheet. Stormtrooper Smiler sheet.

Prestige Stamp Book - issue date 17 December 2015

Star Wars PSB Pane 1. Star Wars PSB Pane 5.

Star Wars PSB pane 3. Star Wars PSB pane 3.

A Prestige Stamp Book will be issued on 17 December 2015.  It will be "a 26 page booklet that explores the unique British contribution throughout the Star Wars phenomena. The book contains all 12 Mint Stamps and the 6 Miniature Sheet Stamps across 5 panes."

Panes 1 and 5 show the Star Wars characters.  These pane have ordinary gum.

Panes 2 and 3 show the vehicles on the miniature sheet - these are self-adhesive and we expect that they will face each other.

Pane 4 is the definitive pane.
This is also self-adhesive and contains
2 x 1st class security Machins
2 x 2nd class security Machins
4 x 1st class Union Flags.

The Machins are expected to have security features - slits and code MPIL M15L.

The Union Flag stamps are not expected to have security features.

All panes are printed in litho by
International Security Printers.

A special limited edition PSB with silver holographic cover will also be available from Royal Mail, priced at £120.

See www.royalmail.com/starwars



Star Wars PSB pane 4 . We will produce first day covers for the

1st & 2nd class stamps, and

for the Union Flag stamp if

it is a new stamp.

These stamps and the FDC are not
expected to be available until after Christmas.

The series began in 1977 and so far there have been two trilogies of movies. December 2015 will see the theatrical release of the Episode 7 - The Force Awakens, which has been filmed at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, using British expertise in cast and crew, and the two further episodes in this final trilogy will be filmed in the UK.

The producers of the new movies decided to return to a British studio and crew whose expertise and professionalism contributed to the success of the earlier films. The new film, The Force Awakens, will reunite the three US principle actors from the original trilogy, reprising their iconic roles, as well as the robots R2-D2 and C-3PO and the alien Chewbacca. New characters will be introduced, many of which are played by British actors and include Daisy Ridley and John Boyega (both cast as leads).

From the very beginning British talent has featured strongly among both the acting and production talent including David Prowse, Darth Vadar; Alec Guiness and Ewan McGregor, Obi Wan Kenobi; Anthony Daniels, C3PO; Kenny Baker, R2D2; Iain McDairmid, Emperor Palpatine; Christopher Lee, Count Doku; Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca; and many others including Liam Neeson, Peter Cushing and Terence Stamp. The British connection also extends behind the camera with world leading British talent and from Costume to Special Effects. Disney’s decision to base production in the UK is a major contributor to the British Film Industry. Not only is it providing employment and exposure for British acting talent, it also employs the British technical expertise of Pinewood studios from set design and cinematography to costume design. In the field of digital special effects,

London is already a world centre, and the effects for the new Star Wars film have been created by the London office of Industrial Light and Magic (Lucasfilm’s effects company). The UK is the third largest market in the world for the Star Wars films, and the new stamps both reflect the passion of the British public for the movies, and celebrate the major British contribution to the film series and the global success of the British film industry.

Technical details:

The 35mm square stamps are designed by Interabang using illustrations by Malcolm Tween, and printed in lithography on ordinary gummed paper by International Security Printers in two sheets of 60 stamps. 
The 192 x 74 mm miniature sheet is designed by GBH and printed in lithography on self-adhesive paper by International Security Printers.  The sizes of the stamps are shown above.

Acknowledgements: 
Images on the individual stamps are
©  & TM Lucasfilm.   All stamp images © Royal Mail 2015 - no reproduction permitted without agreement from Royal Mail.  This website © Norvic Philatelics 2015. 

Product range - all available to pre-order on Royal Mail's website

Set of 12 stamps*   Miniature Sheet§      Presentation Pack containing all stamps plus miniature sheet    Set of 19 Stamp Cards    

First Day Covers (2)      Generic Smilers Sheet of 10 stamps*      Prestige Stamp Book (17 December 2015)

Battles Coin Cover (with the 9 classic characters); Vehicles Medal Cover (with miniature sheet); Characters Medal Cover (all 12 stamps)

'Stamp Sets' in a presentation card like a presentation pack. (a) Characters - all 12; (b) Vehicles -MS; Yoda; Darth Vader; Han Solo; Boba Frett - the last four containing 10 stamps each.

* Also available mounted in frames.   § Also mounted in a frame, miniature sheet and the 6 separate stamps from it.

We have stocks of the stamps from the Generic Sheet and the Prestige Book, and first day covers of these stamps only.


Special Postmarks available on the day of this issue will be shown here. 

These postmarks cannot be obtained after the date of issue.  These images are not be to scale.

Official FD postmark for star wars stamps.
Official Star Wars Postmark of Elstree. Official non-pictorial FD postmark for Star Wars.
Postmark showing planets and stars.
Postmark in style of Star Wars film credits.
Ref FD1524TH
Official Bureau postmark showing The Imperial Crest.
(applied in red)
Ref FD1524PL
Elstree official first day of issue postmark showing the Alliance Starbird, also known as The Phoenix. (applied in blue)
Ref FD1524NP
Elstree non-pictorial official first day of issue postmark
Ref L13628 - Elstree Borehamwood Ref W13634 Good vs. Evil, Bristol

3 Postmarks for Star Wars stamps.

Postmark for Star Wars stamps.
Postmark showing view from Starfighter.

Postmark showing plants and rocket.
Ref L13621 Science Fiction
Elstree, Borehamwood
Ref L13622 London W2
Ref L13639 Science Fiction
Empire Way, Wembley
(in use for period shown)
Ref M13629 - Leicester
Ref W13664
Science Fiction, Wells
Postmarks for Star Wars stamps.
Star Wars vehicle postmark.
Star Wars vehicle postmark.
Ref L13461
Studios Road,
Shepperton
Ref L13642
Elstree
Borehamwood
Ref L13643 Ealing, London W5
Replaces L13623 previously shown.
Ref L13644
Star Wars, Hothfield, Ashford
Ref N13660 Star Wars
Shuttlewood, Chesterfield
Postmark showing film reel.
<<<<<

Ref L13640

Pinewood Road, Iver

Postmarks on the line below

are for the
 
Star Wars Prestige Boook

Issued 17 December

Postmarks showing Star Wars characters.
Empire Way postmark.
Postmark showing a planet.
Postmark showing Star Wars logo.
Ref L13676
Star Wars,
Pinewood Road, Iver
In use on dates shown
Ref L13677
Star Wars
Elstree, Borehamwood
In use on dates shown
Ref L13678
Empire Way Wembley
Ref L13679
Leicester Square
London WC2
Ref W13682
Star Wars
Sithney, Helston


This page updated 16 November 2015

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