Post & Go Stamps 2012: Sheep Breeds 24th February 2012
Post & Go stamps are issued by self-service machines located in many Post offices around the country. Purchasers can select any one of six different domestic or overseas mail services to be printed on the stamps. Collectors packs featuring a set of six stamps valid for the inland 1st Class service will be available from the Royal Mail website or the Royal Mail eBay shop.
These Post & Go stamp designs are credited to Kate Stephens, based on illustrations by Robert Gillmor. The set of six 56mm x 25mm stamps are printed in gravure by Walsall Security Printers and feature two phosphor bars.
The stamps will feature the following sheep breeds:
Welsh Mountain Badger Face: An ancient sheep breed mentioned as far back as the Domesday Book. The breed has two varieties, the Torddu - meaning "black-belly" in Welsh - and Torwen - or "white belly".
Dalesbred: Recognised by its distinctive black face and white marks on both sides of its nose, this breed has a reputation as a hardy sheep suited to conditions in northern Britain.
Jacob: The Jacob is believed to have descended from Syrian sheep grazing more than three thousand years ago. It has distinctive speckled fleece and horns.
Suffolk: Boasting a distinctive black head and legs, with virtually horizontal ears, the Suffolk was originally the product of crossing the Southdown and Norfolk Horn breeds.
Soay: One of the oldest breeds of domesticated sheep in northern Europe the Soay is small and hardy with curved horns.
Leicester Longwool: The Leicester Longwool is a large sheep with a thick curly fleece first bred by Robert Bakewell more than two centuries ago.
Post & Go Collectors Pack
This issue sees an important change to the stamps issued for philatelic purposes. Until now the packs have been filled with Post & Go stamps overprinted in Gravure but, as the image shows, the pack's orientation has been changed to accomodate vertical strips of the six different Post & Go stamps dispensed by the Hytech machines which readers may be familiar with following their use at Stampex.
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