Collect GB Stamps: British Design Classics
	The 2009 British Design Classics Stamp Set was issued on January 13 2009. Ten different stamp designs make up the set which are all valid for standard first class letter rate by being inscribed "1st" (no value indicator) rather than displaying a currency value. Many of the stamp designs will appeal to thematic collectors in addition to regular stamp enthusiasts. The iconic shape of the RJ Mitchell designed World War 2 Spitfire fighter aircraft, the sixties chic fashions captured by the Mary Quant mini skirt and even a Penguin Book jacket, anglepoise lamp and a Polypropylene chair are featured. Collectors of Concorde memorabilia will be pleased to see the supersonic airliner included but the stamp the Royal Mail say "remains close to millions of peoples hearts" is the ever popular car simply known to everyone as "The Mini". It was 1959 when the first Mini emerged from the British Motor Corporation plants at Longbridge in Birmingham and Cowley in Oxford. Few people will forget the starring part played by the Mini alongside Maichael Caine in the original Italian Job movie.
In addition to the block of ten stamps an illustrated Prestige Stamp Booklet has been produced featuring write ups by design writer Jim Davies. The booklet features four panes as follows: 1) Machin definitives - four 16p and four 50p - surrounding a label featuring the crown of a Gilbert Scott Phone Box. 2) Four stamps made up with two Routermaster bus stamps, one Spitfire and one Mini stamp. 3) A pane of six stamps including the London Underground Map, K2 Telephone Kiosk, Penguin Books, Anglepoise Lamp, Polypropylene Chair and Mini Skirt stamp. 4) A pane of four stamps including two each of the Concorde stamp from this Issue plus two of the Concorde stamps from the 2002 Airliners Issue.

New GB postage stamps still influenced by Arnold Machin

Years after his passing in 1999, Arnold Machin is still making a huge impact on British stamp design. Perhaps the most interesting use of his iconic Queen's head design is on the latest Post and Go stamps which many collectors believe will prove to be the start of a new generation of postage stamps where services and values are overprinted at the point of sale on pre-printed stamp designs.

It therefore seems fitting that the centenary of Arnold Machin's birth was the subject of Britain's first ever commemorative Post & Go stamps.

British Stamp Auctions Ending Soon

These online stamp auctions will end very shortly - More details

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Printing The London 2012 Olympics Definitive Stamps

Did You Know?

Did you know:  The Penny Black was issued on 6th May 1840 and is generally recognised as the first postage stamp in the world. A few stamps were released to the public on 1st May 1840 by mistake. Covers showing May 1840 use of the Penny Black are very valuable and those pre-dating 6th May are extremely valuable. Another stamp was issued two days later after the Penny Black called the Twopenny Blue. Value aside, it is a similar design to the Penny Black - but obviously coloured blue instead of black - and, although less famous than the 1d black, is actually rarer and more valuable.

Recent Links Added To The Philatelic Directory

The 1840 Penny Black - The Worlds Oldest Postage Stamp

The Penny Black was produced in sheets of 240 employing the Line Engraved print process. The plates used for 1d blacks were numbered 1a, 1b and then plates 2 through to 11. Skilled collectors can benefit from a knowledge of the identification characteristics of scarcer plate printings before scanning the online auctions. Plate 11, for example, had a very short period of use meaning a 1d Black from that plate is many times more valuable than the equivalent stamps printed using the more common plates.

Take a look at the live online penny black auctions ending soon.

British Stamp & Philately Sites From Our Directory

Centenary of the First UK Aerial Post

We wrote some time ago about the first UK Aerial Post in 1911 and how the centenary of the event was approaching. As expected the Royal Mail marked the centenary on 9th September 2011 with a special stamp issue featuring photos of the event and a miniature sheet shown above which is styled on the publicity posters which were used to advertise the original event.

BRITISH PHILATELIC POSTMARK OF THE DAY: BELFAST
	The featured GB philatelic postmark for Wednesday May 22 2013 is from Belfast. Collectors can get this special postmark applied by sending the stamped (minimum 1st Class rate) addressed envelope(s) to: Scotland & Northern Ireland Special Handstamp Centre Royal Mail Rutherglen D.O. Duchess Place Rutherglen GLASGOW G73 1BT You can ask for any date (including public holidays) to be applied to your covers provided you send them to arrive on or before that date. It is advised you send a suitable return envelope also if you want the covers sent back protected rather than individually through the regular mail service.
We feature a different UK philatelic postmark every day so check back again

GB Stamp Set Creates an A-Z of the UK

The Royal Mail has now finished what they announced as "a dramatic 26-stamp, alphabetical odyssey around the UK" featuring stamps showing iconic landmarks from across all four countries that make up the UK. In 2012 Royal Mail completed the series with 14 stamps featuring places like "Station X" at Bletchley Park and the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle. The journey had actually begun when the UK A-Z Part One was issued back in October 2011. This comprised of twelve 1st Class stamps showing landmarks from A to L. The stamps took a fresh look at some of the UK’s most famous sights, ancient to modern and from spiritual to spectacular. Learn more about these stamps