Royal Mail is celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Penny Black and the Twopenny Blue by issuing a miniature sheet that includes images of the two stamps, each one appearing twice, with 1st class values. The miniature sheet border features a photograph of the printing presses at Perkins, Bacon & Petch, who printed all the original stamps. The product range includes a Presentation Pack, First Day Cover, Stamp Cards, Press Sheet, Generic Sheet, Retail Stamp Book, Medal Cover and Pin Badge.
The Presentation Pack puts the story of the Penny Black within the wider context of the postal reform of 1840. It traces the developments that led to the reform, outlines the key stages of the public competition organised by the Treasury, describes the introduction of uniform penny postage and details the printing of the Penny Black and Twopenny Blue.
The First Day Cover features a photograph of the ‘Old Original’ die. The filler card offers a succinct summary of the 1840 postal reform, culminating in the issue of the Penny Black on 6 May 1840.
The Stamp Cards show the two special stamps and the complete miniature sheet reproduced at postcard-size in this collectable set of stamp cards.
The Press Sheet contains 15 Miniature Sheets with a serially numbered print run of 1,000
The Generic Sheet designed by Godfrey Design, includes ten 1st class Penny Black stamps and ten 1st class Twopenny Blue stamps. Ten labels, chosen in consultation with Douglas Muir at the BPMA, highlight the milestones in the development of the stamps,
The Retail Stamp Book features six Penny Black anniversary stamps with 1st class values. The Europhilex London 2015 logo and details are featured inside, along with a short description of the Penny Black and its significance.
The Medal Cover tells in detail the story of the creation of the Penny Black. It includes images of the key phases, such as the sketch of the Queen’s head by Henry Corbould, watercolour sketches prepared for Rowland Hill, a sample of an engine-turning pattern and a section of a sheet printed from the first plate.
The Pin Badge features an image of the anniversary Penny Black stamp, with 1st class value and Queen’s head.
Acknowledgements: the Penny Black and the Twopenny Blue anniversary stamps © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2015; ‘Penny Black’, ‘Twopenny Blue’ and devices are registered Trade Marks of Royal Mail Group Ltd.
No comments:
Post a Comment