Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks

90th Birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II - stamp issue 21 April 2016

This year marks the 90th Birthday of HM The Queen Elizabeth II.  

Already the longest reigning UK monarch, she is also the oldest reigning monarch in the world, and 90 years is a significant landmark.  The six sheet stamps celebrate with three stamps focusing on her family life, and three honouring her official work for the country. Royal Mail has never issued a stamp featuring The Queen with her father, and this is remedied with the first stamp. An image of her with her children, the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne conveys her family life, while a stamp with the Duke of Edinburgh marks their long partnership. Three other stamps mark The Queen’s official duties: as Head of State for the opening of Parliament; as Head of the Commonwealth where she is depicted with Nelson Mandela; and on a state visit to New Zealand, to represent more than 100 state visits made worldwide by Her Majesty since her accession.

The photograph used for the miniature sheet (and PSB pane) shows Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness Prince Charles The Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales The Duke of Cambridge, and His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.  This represents the line of succession to the throne of the United Kingdom


Setof stamps marking the 90th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
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1st Class
HM The Queen with her father 1930.

HM The Queen attends the State Opening of Parliament 2012.

HM The Queen with Princess Anne and Price Charles 1952.

£1.52 Airmail Europe 1000g:
HM The Queen Visits New Zealand 1977

HM The Queen with the Duke of Edinburgh 1957

HM The Queen with Nelson Mandela 1996
 Queen's 90th Birthday PSB cover.
Queen's 90th Birthday PSB Pane 1.Queen's 90th Birthday PSB Pane 2.
Queen's 90th Birthday PSB Pane 3.Queens 90th birthday prestige book pane 4.


Prestige Stamp Book.

These are studio designs but are believed to represent the actual finished product, apart from the definitives.

Pane 3 - definitives.
2 x 1st class red Machin
2 x 1st class purple Machin
1st class England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland country definitives.

The Machin definitives are shown in detail at the foot of the table.

Pane 4 - miniature sheet
(scan of actual page)

4 x 1st class:
His Royal Highness Prince Charles The Prince of Wales

Her Majesty The Queen

His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge

His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales The Duke of Cambridge
Miniature sheet of 4 stamps for Queen's 90th birthday.
Miniature sheet

A differently cropped version of the photograph which shows the Royal Group off-centre.

By the time the design was revealed it was too late for Royal Mail to act on the suggestion that cropping out the 'spare' chair, would result in a smaller sheet that would be more useful for actually using as postage.

4 x 1st class:

For details see above.
Retail booklet issued for Queen's 90th birthday.

A further Retail Book will be issued on 9 June 2016 containing the other two stamps from the miniature sheet and 4 Machin definitives.
Self-adhesive retail book containing 2 x 1st class stamps from the miniature sheet  and 4 x 1st class purple Machin definitives 

Detail of definitive stamps contained in the prestige book and retail booklet

1st class red from Q90 PSB. 1st class purple from Q90 PSB. 1st class purple from Q90 retail booklet.
1st class red has year code M16L and source code MPIL at top left and top right respectively.

1st class purple from PSB has O16R below the chin and (REI)GP behind the head.

1st class purple from retail booklet has O16R below the chin and (REI)GC behind the head.



Technical details:

The stamps are designed by Kate Stephens and printed by International Security Printers in litho.  Each stamp is 37 x 35mm.    Credits:  HM The Queen with her father c.1930, photograph by Marcus Adams © Camera Press London;  HM The Queen attends the State Opening of Parliament 2012 © Peter MacDiarmid/Getty Images;  HM The Queen with Princess Anne and Prince Charles, 1952 © Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Getty Images;  HM The Queen visits New Zealand 1977 © Anwar Hussein/Getty Images;  HM The Queen with The Duke of Edinburgh 1957 © AP/PA Images; HM The Queen with Nelson Mandela 1996 © Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images;  typographic elements by Mike Pratley

Designed by Kate Stephens (designer of the six special stamps) and written by royal correspondent Robert Hardman, the Prestige Stamp Book features a chronological account of the life and reign of Her Majesty The
Queen.  It is printed by International Security Printers in litho, all panes on gummed paper.

The miniature sheet is again a massive 179 x 74 mm, almost impossible to use even on a c5 envelope.  The stamps are 27 x 37 mm, and the sheet is printed in litho by International Security Printers.


Product range - we will not be stocking these products except for the Retail booklet, stamps from the Prestige Stamp Book, and a very few FDCs of those.

Set of 6 stamps     Miniature Sheet    Presentation Pack        Prestige Stamp Book    Limited Editon PSB*

First Day Covers (2)     Set of 11 Stamp Cards     Retail booklet    Coin Cover   

* A limited edition version of 1926 PSBs will be produced with a different cover and with 22ct Gold applied to both the front cover and to the gold label in the centre of the Definitive pane. There will be special additional packaging for this limited edition PSB.  This product is not aimed at the philatelic market, and is priced at £59.99.


Special Postmarks available on the day of this issue will be shown on Royal Mail's Postmark Bulletin webpage.   


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This page updated 22 May 2016

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