Norvic Philatelics
Robert Burns, one of the world's greatest poets, and Scotland's national bard, was born 250 years ago into a farming family at Alloway in Ayrshire in 1759.
The brilliance Burns displayed as a child did not reach a wider public until 1786, when at the age of 27, "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" was published. Considered to be one of the greatest poetical collections ever written, it gained appeal not solely with Edinburgh society, but also with those from the same tough background as himself.
Despite his early death aged 37, Burns had already secured a place in history and to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth, Royal Mail is issuing two new Special Stamps in a Miniature Sheet to coincide with the annual Burn's Night celebrations that mark his genius, held not just in Scotland, but globally from South Africa to Canada.
The miniature sheet contains the four Scotland country definitives in a se-tenant block, and two new 1st class stamps. The stamp on the left features the title of the poem A Man's a Man for a' that with a detail from a copper plate engraving from a painting by James Sargent Storer Robert Burns turning up a mouse in her nest with his plough, while the stamp on the right is the famous portrait of the poet by Alexander Nasmyth. The background shows an engraving of Burns' birthplace in Alloway by James Sargent Storer.
Technical
details:
All 6 stamps and the sheet are designed by
Scottish design company, Taburn. The sheet is printed by Joh.
Enschede Stamps in gravure. Dimensions: the definitives are 20 x
24mm, the new Burns stamps 35 x 35mm, and the sheet 146mm x 74mm.
Although the 50p stamp is shown as blue, I think this is just a
poor image, and it will be the normal colour.
All stamp and postmark images are copyright 2008/09, Royal Mail.
Products
for this issue
Miniature sheet
Presentation Pack
First day cover
Stamp cards - set of 3 for the two Burns stamps and the MS
Press sheet of 21 miniature sheets
Special
Postmarks available on the day of this issue are shown here.
These
images may not be to scale..
|
|
|
|
|
| Ref FD903 - Official Tallents House postmark | Ref FD904 O My luve is like a red, red rose, Alloway |
Ref FD904N Alloway, Ayr FD postmark |
Ref S11222 Robert Burns 250th Anniversary, World Federation Limited, Kilmarnock | Ref M11219 Robert Burns, Burns Close, Redditch |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ref S11224 250th Anniv of the birth of Robert Burns, Alloway, Ayr. |
Ref S11225 The Birth of Robert Burns, Dumfries Scotland |
Ref S11223 250th Anniv of the birth of Robert Burns, Edinburgh |
Ref S11226 The Birth of Robert Burns, Alloway, Scotland |
Ref S11231 Robert Burns 250th Anniversary, Alloway, Ayr |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ref S11227 Robert Burns, Alloway, Ayr. |
Ref S11225 The Royal Bank of Scotland Philatelic Society, Should Auld Aquaintance Be Forgot, Robert Burns, Alloway, Ayr. |
Ref S11230 Robert Burns, Alloway, Ayr |
Ref S11233 The Birth of Robert Burns, Alloway, Scotland |
Ref F11239 320th Ann of the Battle of Killiecrankie |
This page updated 17 March 2009
If
you wish to know when this page is updated, please use the
'ChangeDetection' facility next to the stamp image. If you have any
questions about these stamps please email
us.
NB:
all emails will be
acknowledged in 1-2 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement
please email us from a different address (eg hotmail, gmail).