E-ZINE CONCERNING PHILATELY AND OTHER COLLECTING INTERESTShttp://www.japhila.cz/

ANNIVERSAIRES GALORE IN 2004
FOR ROYAL MAIL SPECIAL STAMPS

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Svaz českých filatelistů  

   Climb aboard and join Royal Mail as it marks 80 years of Special Stamps in 2004, starting with a celebration of classic steam locomotives.

Six beautifully photographed locomotives are featured on the extra-wide 60 x 21mm format stamps, which go on sale on 13 January.  

But unlike The British Empire Exhibition, which prompted the first ever Commemorative Stamp in 1924, Classic Locomotives is both a thematic and an anniversary issue.  

It continues the transport series that began with Buses in 2001, Airliners in May 2002 and Transports of Delight in September 2003, and also marks the 200^th anniversary of the first journey by a steam locomotive, Trevithick's Penydarren locomotive, which took place in February 1804 in Merthyr Tydfil.  

Talking of anniversaries, it’s also the 40^th anniversary of the first Royal Mail ‘Presentation Pack’. Issued in April 1964 to mark the Shakespeare Festival, this was also the first time a Special Stamp issue featured a ‘commoner’ ie The Bard himself.  

David Gentleman designed the first presentation pack and also contributes illustrations to the Classic Locomotives’ pack, the first in a new format (further details in notes to editors).  

Gavin Macrae, Director Stamps and Collectibles, Royal Mail, said: “In a year of anniversaries, it’s apt that we chose steam locomotives to start our special stamp programme.  

“The association of steam and stamps goes back to the 1840s, which not only saw the introduction the Penny Black, but also the arrival of The Steam Age - arguably the greatest achievement in transportation since the invention of the wheel.”  

But achieving this quality proved a tough task for designers Roundel as the issue had to achieve a strong representation of locomotive types in their appropriate heritage railway environments and with good geographical spread.  

Fortunately Roundel’s Mike Denny is a dedicated steam fan and together with photographer John Wildgoose, the pair spent months sourcing the right locomotives on the right tracks - and also in suitable locations to do these great machines justice.  

Five of the six stamps feature locomotives on preserved railways originally owned by the ‘Big Four’ companies The Great Western Railway (GWR), The London, Midland and Scottish (LMS), The London and North Eastern (LNER) and The Southern.

The sixth, Dolgoch (20p), was taken on the narrow gauge Tallylyn Railway, an industrial line built to move slate from the quarries to the main line which, in 1951, became the first railway in the world to be preserved and operated by volunteers.

Issued by Royal Mail or 020 7250 2468 (24 hour)  
Room 108  
148 Old Street  
LONDON  
EC1V 9HQ  
www.royalmail.com   

NOTES TO EDITORS  
Stamp Descriptions  

20p - Dolgoch 0-4-0T. Dolgoch was the first locomotive to pull a passenger train on a heritage railway in the UK and possibly, the world. The stamp shows it on the narrow gauge Talyllyn Railway in  North Wales.  

28p - CR 439 0-4-4. This stamp features the Caledonian Railway tank locomotive pulling a train of Caledonian Railway carriages alongside the shore of the Forth Estuary.  

E Class - GCR 8K 2-8-0. This stamp has the GCR 2.8.0 express goods locomotive in British Railways livery with a rake of ‘windcutter’ wagons. A typical freight train of the 1950s.  

42p  - GWR Manor 4-6-0. This stamp features the Great Western Manor Class ‘Bradley Manor’ with a train of Great Western Railway carriages approaching Victoria Bridge over the River Severn.  

47p  - SR West Country 4-6-2. This stamp shows the ‘air smoothed’ West Country class ‘Blackmoor Vale’ at Horsted Keynes Station. This class of locomotive is famous for pulling ‘The Golden Arrow’ and ‘Bournemouth Belle’ Pullman trains in the 1950s and early 60s.

68p  - BR Standard 4 2-6-4T. This stamp shows a BR Standard Class locomotive of the 1950s leaving Haworth Station. This loco was one of 999 engines built to British Railway designs based on the best practices of the ‘Big Four’ railway companies.

Other stamps to feature locomotives

150^th Anniversary of Public Railways (Aug 1975); 150^th Anniversary of Liverpool and Manchester Railway (Mar 1980); Famous Trains (Jan 1985); Europa – Transport and Mail Services in 1930s (May 1988); The Age of Steam (Jan 1994); Millennium Series, Fire and Light (Feb 2000); 

Images of the Classic Locomotives stamps are available by telephoning Royal Mail on 0207 250 2468 or via E-Mail from press.office@royalmail.com

All products associated with this issue will be available either from Post Officeâ branches or Royal Mail orderline: 08457 641 641. Overseas customers can place orders via the order line +44 131 316 7483 or on-line at www.royalmail.com.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Product Portfolio:

Presentation Pack Number 355: CLASSIC LOCOMOTIVES - Preserving the Steam Age  

Price: £3.55 The fully illustrated presentation pack comprises a full set of six Classic Locomotives stamps. The pack and cover was designed by Delaney Design Consultants and printed by Perivan White Dove and feature original illustrations by David Gentleman.

The pack was written by pop impresario, former owner of The Flying Scotsman, and self-confessed ‘steam nut’ Pete Waterman, technical data on the trains was written by Phil Atkins of the National Railway Museum, York.

Royal Mail issued its first presentation pack in 1964, designed by David Gentleman. A big steam fan, Gentleman has also illustrated this pack and the First Day Cover envelope.

New Pack Design Information

In 2002 and 2003 Royal Mail conducted major customer research to determine what collectors felt about the existing pack, and to test new designs of pack.

The new presentation pack features an integrated brochure that is 215mm by 390mm deep with the transparent strip affixed to the bottom - the stamps are therefore integrated into a product that could take on more displayable qualities, and is far easier to open out and fold back.

When folded, both packs are exactly the same dimensions and hence can still be held in albums and any other storage systems.

Mini-Sheet

Price £2.43   The miniature sheet is the fourth to be issued as part of the occasional thematic issues based on transport which began with Buses in April 2001, continued with Airliners in May 2002 and Transports of Delight in September 2003. The sheet features the livery of the train companies represented on each stamp, which run along the bottom of each image.

The sheet is printed by De La Rue, designed by Roundel and is 190mm x 68mm.

Stamp Sheets

Special sheets of either 24 or 48 stamps are available for the Classic Locomotive issue.

Royal Mail has added the issue title and some small decorative elements from stamp designers Roundel.

These elements include colour indicators (the ‘traffic lights’ which run down the outside of a sheet) depicted in the shape of puffs of steam, the logos of the train companies featured on the stamps and a small steam train design.

Coin Cover

Price £13.95  Features a £2 coin, celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the steam locomotive, all six stamps, and a unique cancellation. The cover is designed by stamp designers Roundel and also contains four-pages of information instead of the standard two pages.

The reverse design of the coin is by Robert Lowe and features imagery of a steam engine by Richard Trevithick, inventor of the first steam locomotive.

The cover goes on sale from 13 January and is printed Zenith Print and Packaging Ltd. The postmark location will be Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil.

First Day Cover Envelope

Price: 25p. The First Day Cover Envelope was designed by Delaney Design Consultants, illustrated by David Gentleman and printed by Smurfit Print UK. The filler card was also designed by Delaney Design Consultants and printed by Perivan White Dove.

Stamp Cards

Six postcards bearing an enlarged image of each of the Classic Locomotives stamps go on sale from 13 January, priced 30p each.

Postmarks

Two different pictorial ‘first day of issue postmarks’ are available for every new stamp issue (pictured below).

Further details about British postage stamps and philatelic facilities may be obtained from: Royal Mail, FREEPOST, Edinburgh EH12 9PE  

Unstamped Royal Mail First Day Cover envelopes (price 25p) will be available from Post Officeâ branches and philatelic outlets approximately one week before issue. Collectors who hand in or post covers at main Post Officeâ branches will receive the pictorial YORK first day postmark.

Alternatively, collectors may send stamped covers of the first day of issue to the British Philatelic Bureau, Tallents House, Edinburgh, quoting reference FD0401 (Tallents House) or to any Special Handstamp Centre quoting reference FD0402 (alternative postmark).

PROFILY:

LADISLAV FISCHMEISTER - František Beneš   
ENRICO STANKO VRÁZ & JOSEF KOŘENSKÝ, Břetislav Janík   
FRANCOIS FOURNIER - geniální padělatel ke škodě sběratelů, Břetislav Janík   
ARŠÍK "KDE DOMOV MůJ?", Peter Hoffmann, Švédsko   
JOSEF HERČÍK A 1. grafická společnost   
ONDRÁČEK Miloš, český grafik a rytec  
MISTŘI PERA: Pierre MAHÉ & Jean Baptista Phillip Constant MOENS   
DÍLA NĚMECKÝCH tvůrců na československých poštovních známkách
LEXIKON českých a slovenských autorů a rytců poštovních známek
KDO JE DĚVČÁTKO Z POŠTOVNÍ ZNÁMKY?, Karel Černý
MISTR JOSEF HERČÍK, IN MEMORIAM
DÍKY, PANE MOENSI
BOHUMIL HEINZ  
FILIP DE FERRARI - Pan Filatelista - Pan Ferrari 

KONTAKT:

Inet since 17.05.1999 
Last edit: 05.01.2004
ISSN 1211-8945
© 1999-2004 BRETISLAV JANIK
EDITOR & BOARD / VYDAVATEL & REDAKČNÍ RADA