Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks
Christmas: 7 November 2017
Royal Mail’s Christmas stamps feature secular and religious imagery in
alternate years. This year’s set has two distinct themes, with eight
featuring depictions of the Madonna & Child and four including the two
winning designs from a children’s Christmas stamp design
competition. As usual the low value stamps are in
standard and large letter definitive size and self adhesive.
There is also conventionally-gummed miniature sheet containing all Madonna
and Child stamps, and booklets of 12 x 1st and 12 x 2nd stamps (two of
each).
There are two Smilers Generic sheets. The conventional one has
Madonna & Child stamps, with 8 each of the 2nd and 1st class, and one
each of the other stamps. This means that once again there will be only one
set litho-printed stamps in each sheet. 10 of each of the 1st
and 2nd class competition design stamps are included in a second
sheet. I have no indication as to whether any of these are available
in the Smilers Personalisation service.
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Madonna & Child designs:
Virgin and Child (detail) attributed to Gerard David © Museo del
Prado,
Madrid, Spain/ Bridgeman Images;
The Madonna and Child (detail) by
William Dyce, Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II 2017;
Virgin Mary with Child (detail) attributed to Quinten Massys,
Royal
Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Spain © Erich
Lessing;
The Small Cowper Madonna (detail) by Raphael © National Gallery of
Art, Washington DC, USA /Bridgeman Images;
The Sleep of the Infant Jesus
(detail) by Giovanni Battista Sassoferrato, Musée du Louvre,
Paris, France © Erich Lessing;
Saint Luke Painting the Virgin (detail) by Eduard Jakob von
Steinle, Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
2017.
Competition Winners:
2nd class: Arwen Wilson (9), Family of Snowpeople.
1st class: Ted Lewis-Clark (10) Father Christmas in the sky. |
The standard Generic Smilers Sheet has no text on the labels, only a
winter's scene all in white/grey.
It contains 8 of each of the 2nd class and 1st class values, and 1 of each
of the airmail values.
A second Generic Smilers has 10 each of the 1st class and 2nd class
Competition Winners.
Booklets
Initial supplies of booklets contain 6 Madonna stamps and 6 Competition
stamps. Royal Mail have also produced booklets of 12 Madonna stamps in
each value to be used as 'reserve stock' in case their prediction of usage
of the mixed booklets is low. All are available from Tallents
House and will be distributed on their standing order service.
[Product codes: 1st mixed - UB408; 2nd mixed - UB409; 1st Madonna - UB410;
2nd Madonna UB411]
All booklets seen have been printed on SBP2 paper with the text arranged
LUSU LISI
Technical details:
The Madonna and Child stamps were designed by Royal MailLtd based on
initiral concept ideas by Kate Stephens (original artists shown
above). Children's Comptition: Ted Lewis-Clark and Arwen Wilson for
Royal Mail Ltd. Miniature sheet: border designed by Supple Studio
featuring typography by John Stevens.
The self-adhesive stamps are 24 x 28mm, perf 14.5 x 15 in sheets of 25/50
with phosphor bands as appropriate, and are printed by De La Rue Security
Print, in gravure. The gummed Miniature Sheet and booklets are
printed by International Security Printers in gravure. The generic
sheets are printed by International Security Printers in litho. The
miniature sheet is 179 x 74mm.
Products issued, available from Royal Mail:
Set of 12 stamps, miniature sheet, 2 x generic Smilers sheets, Booklets
of 12 x 1st & 12 x 2nd, each containing 6 Madonna & Child and 6
Competition winners, Booklets of 12 x 1st & 12 x 2nd containing
Madonna stamps only.
First day covers (set of 12 or MS) --
Presentation pack -- Stamp
cards (set of 13)
Special Postmarks
Special postmarks available for the day of issue
were shown in Royal Mail's Postmark Bulletins (download
here)
This page created 26 October 2017
