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The end of an era: The final stamps of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II has graced UK stamps for 70 years, but now we’re coming to the end of an era; Royal Mail have released their final commemorative stamp issue with the Queen’s silhouette, celebrating the centenary of the world’s most famous locomotive – Flying Scotsman.
So, before we steam ahead towards the BRAND-NEW Flying Scotsman editions, let’s take a look back at Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic 70-year reign in UK postage…
The beginning of Queen Elizabeth II stamps
1953 marked the beginning of Her Majesty’s Reign and the introduction of the Wildings – a series of definitive postage and revenue stamps featuring Dorothy Wilding’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which were used up until 1967.
The first four stamps to be issued within this series were for Her Majesty’s 1953 Coronation, presented in the colours of Carmine-Red, Ultramarine, Deep Yellow-Green and Deep Grey-Blue.
Commemorative stamps were then introduced during the 1950s and early 1960s. However, the Postmaster General, Tony Benn, proposed a new criteria outlining what could appear on them. From 1965, it was decided that all GB stamps had to include a small silhouette of the Queen based on the coinage head of Mary Gillick, which then became the standard.
Two once-in-a-lifetime tributes
And now, Royal Mail have issued twelve commemorative editions featuring Flying Scotsman.
Not only are they the official UK stamps to mark the centenary of the world’s most famous locomotive, but they will also be the last to show the Queen’s silhouette after 70 years – marking two incredible moments in British history!
These nostalgic editions portray the steam locomotive travelling through North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Berwick-on-Tweed and London’s Victoria Station. Inspired by poster artwork from the 1920s and 1930s, Royal Mail’s spokesman David Gold intends for them to evoke “the golden age of steam travel”.
Your chance to celebrate both!
To pay tribute to such monumental moments in history, a limited-edition coin and stamp cover has been released, comprised of The Royal Mint’s Official UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 in Brilliant Uncirculated Quality along with Royal Mail’s BRAND-NEW Flying Scotsman stamps.
But considering these are the last UK stamps to feature Queen Elizabeth II, we are predicting insatiable demand – and we have already seen sell-outs at The Royal Mint for the Flying Scotsman coin range.
All steams ahead! Click here to secure one for your collection now >>
Celebrate 100 years of the world’s most famous steam locomotive!
When I think of the world’s most famous steam locomotive, only one name springs to mind – Flying Scotsman.
And as we approach the 100th anniversary since it was introduced to the railway, we can reflect on its remarkable history with The Royal Mint’s BRAND-NEW UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 coin.
But first, let’s travel back an entire century to see where it all began…
Doncaster, 1923
Built in Doncaster 100 years ago, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway. It went into service on 24 February 1923 and was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as part of the A1 class – the most powerful locomotives used by the LNER at the time.
In 1928, Flying Scotsman was redesigned with a revised corridor. This meant the crew could take over service without the locomotive having to stop, reducing the journey time from London to Edinburgh by eight hours!
As a result, Flying Scotsman hauled the first-ever non-stop service from London to Edinburgh on 1 May 1928.
By 1934, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive in the UK to reach 100mph on rails. It was also the first locomotive to circumnavigate the globe in 1989 – both remarkable feats at the time!
Flying Scotsman retired in 1963 but returned to the tracks in 2022, hauling a limited number of steam excursions just prior to its 100th anniversary.
The UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 Coin
In celebration of 100 years since the world’s most famous steam locomotive took to the tracks, The Royal Mint have released a very special £2 commemorative coin.
Depicting a nostalgic side-on view of the locomotive during one of its many rail journeys, the coin features a thoughtfully crafted design by John Bergdahl.
What’s more, your £2 comes available in Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver Proof, Silver Piedfort or Gold Proof quality!
And interestingly, it has been more than two decades since The Royal Mint last released a colour-printed UK £2 commemorative coin. So, this range marks a special moment for the £2 coin, as it includes a colour-printed Silver Proof AND Silver Proof Piedfort edition!
But with just limited numbers available, you must act now to secure yours!
Your shortcut to becoming a Queen Elizabeth II stamp collector…
Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne on 6th February 1952. During her remarkable 70-year reign, she celebrated seven jubilees and was the first British monarch to receive a Platinum Jubilee. As our country’s longest reigning monarch, Her Late Majesty’s legacy cannot be overstated.
And today, a handful of collectors will be given a rare and unique opportunity to reflect on her most remarkable milestones with an exclusive ready-made collection. But considering how sought-after her commemoratives have become, this is why you don’t want to miss out…
Extraordinary demand for Her Majesty’s collectables
Queen Elizabeth II’s influence on the collecting world has been immeasurable. And nearly six months after her sad passing, we are still witnessing excessive demand for commemoratives of her reign.
In fact, her signed Christmas cards are being sold for thousands on the secondary market, and her official UK coins are now selling out years later!
So, here’s your opportunity to get ahead of the crowd and take a shortcut to becoming an official UK stamp collector with one click of a button…
The Official UK Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stamp Collection
This traditional piece is essential for any collection. At a time more poignant than ever to collect Her Majesty’s commemoratives, this is the perfect way to preserve her extraordinary legacy…
Comprised of the official UK stamps from her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee, this complete collection takes you on a journey through the most remarkable milestones of our longest reigning monarch.
Housed in a luxury folder preserving the stamps’ pristine condition, your collection dedicates an entire historical retelling of each Jubilee to all the special UK stamp sets released for each celebration in 1977, 2002, 2012 and 2022.
A shortcut to getting your stamp collection started
We are offering to do the hard-work for you by giving away this rare shortcut to becoming a serious stamp collector.
What’s more, this collection is the key to saving you precious time and pennies. So, take the shortcut and own the entire collection with one click of a button!
And considering Queen Elizabeth II collectables are scarcer than ever, this is the easiest way to secure the entire range of Jubilee stamps in one complete collection. But with just a handful of collections available, make sure you don’t miss out on securing such a unique traditional piece…