New issues -
🇬🇧 Royal Mail -
11 September 2025 - Ducks (domestic and wild) - 10 stamps in 2 se-tenant strips of 5 (£12.85) and 1 Collectors sheet containing 10 different stamps with attached labels (£14.05).Designed by Michael O’Shea and lithographed by Cartor and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- *. Quite attractive but another pointless set.
One that got away -
🇬🇧 Royal Mail -
4 September 2025 - 1100th anniversary of the Coronation of Athelstan, the first King of England who ruled from 924 to 939AD. He united the Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex, building on the work of his father, Edward The Elder (son of Alfred The Great) and aunt, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, as well as adding the Viking kingdoms in Northumbria to form a fully United England. He defeated an invasion by a coalition of Scots, Irish Vikings and Strathclyde Britons at the Battle of Brunanburh in 934 and effectively became overlord of the whole of Britain. Though some territory was lost in the north, after Athelstan’s death, his successors, Edmund I and Eadred, eventually restored the lost territories and established a permanently united Kingdom of England.
Extraordinary, isn’t it? that those who choose the subjects to be featured on Royal Mail stamps decide to issue British stamps depicting Peppa Pig, Batman, Peanuts and a forgettable Antipodean rock music band should choose to ignore a pivotal event and figure in English and British history. Well, given what has happened with British stamp issues in recent years I suppose it isn’t surprising at all.
It’s hard to think that a figure with similar historical importance as Athelstan has for England would not be commemorated philatelicly by other countries on such an important anniversary. But that’s the state of things at present.
Regardless, here’s Athelstan as depicted on a playing card from a set depicting English and British monarchs from Alfred The Great to Elizabeth The Great.
Just so you know postage will go up in Oct a new stamp will be needed £3.40 Europe/ww other stamps no increase. The new pdf is on RM website.
ReplyDeletePleasantly surprised that inland (letter) rates are unchanged - esp. after an atypically 'modest' 5p increase in April - and I might now be tempted to buy some of the duck stamps since a pair of 1st class stamps (2x£1.70) will pay for an international letter (£3.40).
DeleteProbably decided that Athelstan was not "Woke enough" as no "Diverse people" were included and he represents a figure for pro English (Right wingers) to venerate and some wokester will accuse the Post Office being racist, unless of course the stamps go all Netflix and show Athelstan as a Black, Jewish or transgender person.
ReplyDelete