When the Twin Towers of the old Wembley Stadium were demolished, it was the end of an era. Now the twin towers have been replaced by the Wembley Arch, visible from 13 miles away.
Royal Mail commemorates the re-opening of Wembley Stadium with a miniature sheet. Problems delayed the stadium completion and therefore the issue of this sheet from 2006. We don't know if the 2006 version, with 68p stamps instead of 78p as shown, was ever printed, but if you find any, we would like to hear from you! Royal Mail seem to have had further problems with the Smilers Sheet (see below). We understand that the version shown below (and the large image linked from it) was printed but not issued. Once again copies sent early to dealers were recalled but there may be copies on the market.
Click here to visit the official Wembley Stadium site.
Smilers Sheet
Alongside the miniature sheet commemorating the opening of the new stadium, Royal Mail is issuing a Smilers Sheet using the 1st class (football) Lion & Shield stamp, with the labels depicting and describing some of the memorable occasions in the history of the old stadium, such as the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, the 1948 Olympic Games, the 1996 World Cup, and the Live Aid concert. Designed by hat-trick Design. The sheet shown here is from a pre-release image and we understand that this although printed (and possibly distributed to some dealers) this is NOT the final design. As far as we know the only change was to the first name of Emil Zatopek which was shown as Emile in the original. We'll show the reprint shortly, meanwhile click on the image for a larger picture in a new window.
Technical details:
The miniature sheet is printed in gravure by De La Rue, size 115(h) x
105mm(w). The A4 size Smilers Sheet is printed by Cartor Security
Printing in lithography.
All images except Norvic Philatelics FDCs are Copyright 2007 by Royal
Mail.
We have two first day covers for the miniature sheet, price
£6.95 each.
1. Illustrated with the outside of the stadium, showing the arch,
cancelled with L10483
2. Illustrated with a cross-section of the old & new stadium,
cancelled with L10495 (Cover illustration courtesy of Wembley National
Stadium Ltd)
3. A set of 4 covers for the Smilers sheet set price £10.95.
Because of the size of the stamps only 10 stamps are included on the
covers, with two covers having 3 stamps and 6 labels each as shown, and
two covers having 2 stamps and 4 labels.
Products issued:
Miniature Sheet mint
Miniature sheet on Royal Mail FDC
Smilers sheet unmounted mint
Special Postmarks
Postmarks available for the day of issue include these, these may
not be to scale. These postmarks cannot be obtained after
the date of issue.
Ref FD707 Philatelic Bureau Official Postmark |
Ref FD708 Liverpool Official Postmark |
Ref FD708NP Liverpool Official non-pictorial Postmark |
Ref L10483 Wembley Middlesex (Arch) |
Ref L10498 The New Wembley Stadium, Wembley Middlesex |
Ref M10502 Wembley Grove, Birmingham |
Ref L10495 An exciting new era, Wembley, Middlesex |
Ref L10496 Legendary venue, Wembley Middlesex |
Ref L10494 Wembley Stadium |
Ref L10081 A glorious past, Wembley (rollable date) |
This page created 23 May 2007
If you have any questions about these stamps or FDCs please email us.
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February 1 Sealife of the British Coast 13 The Sky at Night |
March 1 World of Invention 1 Glorious Wales Smiler Sheet 22 Abolition of the Slave Trade 27 Definitive & Country stamps |
April 23 Celebrating England miniature sheet and Glorious England Smilers Sheet |
May 15 Beside the Seaside 17 Wembley Stadium MS and Smilers |
June 5 Machins 40th Anniversary miniature sheet, PSB & Smilers |
July 3 Motor racing Grand Prix 17 Harry Potter books 26 Centenary of Scouting (Europa) |
August |
September 4 Endangered Species - birds 20 British Military Uniforms (I) |
October 16 60th Wedding Anniversary of HM the Queen |
November 6 Christmas 8 Lest We Forget 30 Glorious Scotland Smilers |
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