The Secret of Life - Discovery of DNA - from Norvic Philatelics

Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks

The Secret of Life - Discovery of DNA : 25 Feburary 2003

Prestige Book - Inner Space.

With these five stamps, Royal Mail commemorates the discovery of the DNA double helix by Francis Crick, James Watson in Cambridge in 1953, and the subsequent work on the Human Genome project.

2nd class 19p
"The End of the Beginning" 1st class 27p
Comparatvie Genetics 'E' rate 37p
Cracking the Code 45p
Genetic Engineering 65p
Medical Futures

The cartoons are the work of The Times newspaper's political cartoonist Peter Brookes, working for designers Williams Murray Hamm. Professor Susan Aldridge split the subject into the five key areas which Brookes translated into cartoons.

The story

Cambridge, England 1953 - Francis Crick and American James Watson discovered that DNA consists of four chemicals (nucleotides), paired with each other repeatedly, forming a double helix: a sort of 'twisted ladder'.
Within the nucleus of all cells, DNA is arranged in packages called chromosomes. Genes are strings of nucleotides dictating how to make protein at a particuar point on a chromosome. Each human cell contains 2 metres of DNA. Although the similarities are greater, each person's DNA has over 1 million small differences.
In 1962 Crick, Watson and Maurice Wilkins were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine.
In 1987 SNA 'fingerprinting' was first used to solve a murder enquiry.
The Human Genome Project is a joint venture by researchers in the UK, China, France, Germany, Japan & the USA to decipher the entire human genome. It is the differences which explain why some people and groups are more likely to catch certain diseases, or inherit genetic disabilities. Research into cancer has already discovered more than 100 genes linked in some specific way with cancerous tumours.

Prestige Book

Royal Mail will also produce a Prestige Stamp Book, entitled Microcosmos, containing 4 panes of stamps. The face value of the book is £6.99, and the panes are shown here on Norvic Philatelics Exclusive FDCs:
Pane 1: as shown below, contains Northern Ireland 1st & 2nd class stamps, with an atom illustration in the margin.
Pane 2: 1st class & 'E' rate Machin definitives, with a label showing DNA Sequencing. The margin shows a fly.

Pane 1

Pane 3 (below): a block of 4 se-tenant, 2nd - 1st / 1st - 2nd with plant hybridisation illustrated by peas.
Pane 4: block of 4 x 'E' stamps with DNA illustration in the margin.

Pane 3

Technical details:
The 50-stamp sheets and the book are printed by Enschede of Holland, all in lithography except for pane 1 in the book.
The Northern Ireland stamps are new as they have not previously been printed by this company.

All images are taken from Royal Mail's Philatelic Bulletin and Postmark Bulletin, and are Copyright 2003 by Royal Mail.

Norvic Exclusive First Day Covers

We have produced two exclusive FDCs for this issue. Cover no 8, priced at £6.95, was used for the set of 5 stamps. This is available with Crick postmark M8391 as shown or with Cambridge postmark E8403 (see row line of table below).
Cover no 9 was used for the panes from the Prestige Book - see above - and was sold only in sets of 4. All PB covers are now sold.

Also available:
Set of 5 stamps - £2.75. Prestige Book - £8.75

The special postmarks announced for use on the issue date are shown below.

Ref L8301
Discovery Walk, London E1 Ref M8310
DNA 1953-2003, Birmingham Ref E8328
Medical Discoveries, Cambridge Ref FD305
Philatelic Bureau Official postmark 'Our fate is in our genes' Ref FD306
'We have discovered the secret of Life', Cambridge official postmark

Ref L8342
William Harvey (1578-1657) Mechanics of Blood Circulation, Harvey Road, London E11 Ref E8329
Cambridge Ref E8330
50th Anniversary of the Discover of DNA, Cambridge Ref W8339
The Secret of Life, Chemistry, Whitchurch Ref L8343
Discovery Walk, London SE1

Ref E8351
H U T K, Bletchley Park Post Office, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Ref E8365
Cavendish Laboratory "We have discovered the secret of life" Francis Crick 1953, Cambridge Ref E8361
'The Eagle', Crick & Watson, Cambridge Public House/Inn Ref E8362
The Secret of Life, Cambridge Ref E8405
50th Anniversary - Harwell, Didcot

50th Anniversary - the Discovery of DNA

Ref L8355
London W1 Ref L8356
London W12 Ref L8357
Harley Street, London W1 Ref S8358
Belfast Ref S8359
Edinburgh

Ref M8391
Crick, Northampton Ref E8403
Secret of Life, DNA & Genome, Cambridge Ref E8404
50th Anniversary - Cambridge
Apologies for the poor image Ref N8398
HMS Ark Royal Commissions 1955, build at Cammmell Laird, Birkenhead, Liverpool Ref L8366
Working to Benefit all People, Genetic Interest Group, London

This page updated 20 March 2003 [7.2.05]

2003 stamp issues 2004

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 HOME


2nd class 19p "The End of the Beginning"	1st class 27p Comparatvie Genetics	'E' rate 37p Cracking the Code	45p Genetic Engineering	65p Medical Futures


Ref L8301 Discovery Walk, London E1	Ref M8310 DNA 1953-2003, Birmingham	Ref E8328 Medical Discoveries, Cambridge	Ref FD305 Philatelic Bureau Official postmark 'Our fate is in our genes'	Ref FD306 'We have discovered the secret of Life', Cambridge official postmark

Ref L8342 William Harvey (1578-1657) Mechanics of Blood Circulation, Harvey Road, London E11	Ref E8329 Cambridge	Ref E8330 50th Anniversary of the Discover of DNA, Cambridge	Ref W8339 The Secret of Life, Chemistry, Whitchurch	Ref L8343 Discovery Walk, London SE1

Ref E8351 H U T K, Bletchley Park Post Office, Bletchley, Milton Keynes	Ref E8365 Cavendish Laboratory "We have discovered the secret of life" Francis Crick 1953, Cambridge	Ref E8361 'The Eagle', Crick & Watson, Cambridge Public House/Inn	Ref E8362 The Secret of Life, Cambridge	Ref E8405 50th Anniversary - Harwell, Didcot

50th Anniversary - the Discovery of DNA
Ref L8355 London W1	Ref L8356 London W12	Ref L8357 Harley Street, London W1	Ref S8358 Belfast	Ref S8359 Edinburgh

Ref M8391 Crick, Northampton	Ref E8403 Secret of Life, DNA & Genome, Cambridge	Ref E8404 50th Anniversary - Cambridge Apologies for the poor image	Ref N8398 HMS Ark Royal Commissions 1955, build at Cammmell Laird, Birkenhead, Liverpool	Ref L8366 Working to Benefit all People, Genetic Interest Group, London

	2003 stamp issues			2004
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	HOME