New issues -
🇬🇧 Royal Mail -
27 November 2025 - The stamps of Queen Victoria - 8 stamps issued in se-tenant strips of 4, 1 miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps and 1 ‘Collectors sheet’ containing 2 x Penny Black designs, 2 x Twopenny Blue design and 1 each of the 8 stamps. There may be further items. This information is derived from offers on an internet auction site and on a posting on a Facebook page. Further details are awaited later in the week. Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901 and this issue may be related to the 125th anniversary of her death. Rating:- *.
?16 December 2025 - 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen - 1 ‘Collectors sheet’ containing 10 x 1st Class Union Flag stamps with the cameo of King Charles III and with attached labels. A seller on an internet auction site is presently offering this item for more than £50. Rating:- 0.
The 'Queen Victoria Stamps' stamps are alright, but the inclusion of the year's TENTH miniature sheet (totally unrelated to the stamps of the late Queen's reign) seems yet another gratuitous indignity to inflict upon completist philatelists.
ReplyDeleteAs for the decision (belatedly) to recognise the meaningful anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, the chosen format and content makes the decision seem grudging, at best.
I suppose purchasers of either of the above will be helping to fund the Christmas party for Tallents House staff.
Oh for the days when the early November issue of the year's Christmas stamps meant a line could be drawn under the year's expenditure on Royal Mail collectibles!
WK replying - Thank you. Given how many expensive products RM has released this year, that should be quite a Christmas party.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that the seller of these sheets works in a post office; apparently there was no embargo mentioned when the stamps/sheets were supplied. (The clue is in the photo of the Monopoly sheet which they also have on offer for well over face. Greedy or what?)
ReplyDeleteWhy the low star rating for Queen Victoria, out of interest? I think they're rather nice!
ReplyDeleteI agree it’s a reasonably appealing issue but set against the background of a Royal Mail new issue programme costing hundreds of pounds in 2025 it is just another excessive issue.
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