This is a list of British postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail postal service of the United Kingdom, normally referred to in philatelic circles as Great Britain. This list should be consistent with printed publications,Stanley Gibbons Simplified Catalogue of Stamps of the World 2009Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue 2009 and cite sources of any deviation (e.g., magazine issue listing newly found variations).
Queen Victoria
Line engraved
One Penny Black issued on 1 May for use from 6 May 1840 Penny Black VR official Penny Blue proof impression, never used Two Penny Blue contemporary issue with the Penny Black One Penny Red issued in 1841 to replace the Penny Black (the first issue with perforations from 1848) Prince Consort Essay Two Penny Blue printed in a new ink. The design has the addition of white * lines above and below the inscriptions Halfpenny Rose Red issued in 1870 for the reduced postcard and newspaper rate Three Halfpence Red introduced in 1870 for the reduced printed matter rate
Embossed Sixpence embossed, 1847–54 Ten Pence embossed, 1847–54 One Shilling embossed, 1847–54
Surface printed 4d, 6d, 1s, 1855–57 (no corner letters) 3d to 1s, 1862–64 (small white corner letters) 3d to 10d, 1865–67 (large white corner letters) 3d to 2s, 1867–80 (large white corner letters – new watermark) High value definitives, 5s to £5 1867–83 Low value definitives, 1873–80 (coloured corner letters) Low value definitives, halfpenny to 5d 1880–81 Penny Lilac 1881, the most issued Victorian stamp High value definitives, 2/6 to £1 1883–84 Lilac and Green low value definitives 1883 Jubilee issue postage stamps 1887–92
King Edward VII Definitives halfpenny to £1, 1902 (printed by De La Rue & Co.) Definitives halfpenny to 4d, 1911 (printed by Harrison and Sons) Definitives d to £1, 1911–13 (printed at Somerset House)
King George V Definitives halfpenny, 1d, 1911–12 "Mackennals" (designed by Bertram Mackennal) Definitives halfpenny, 1d, 1912 "Mackennals" (lion shaded) Low value definitives, 1912–24 (halfpenny to 1s) High value definitives, 1913–18, "Seahorses" Postage due stamps, 1914 (halfpenny to 1s) British Empire Exhibition Postage Stamps (first commemorative issue) Universal Postal Union Congress, London 10 May 1929 (halfpenny to twopence halfpenny and £1) Low value definitives, 1934–36 (halfpenny to 1s) High value definitives, 1934, "Seahorses" (re-engraved) Silver Jubilee 7 May 1935 (first issue to commemorate a royal event)
King Edward VIII Edward VIII postage stamps
King George VI
Low value definitives (original dark colours) Low value definitives (pale colours) Low value definitives (changed colours) High value definitives (original square format) High value definitives (rectangular format) 1951 Coronation 12 May 1937 (first issue to include the Queen's portrait as well as the King's) Centenary of the postage stamp 6 May 1940 Victory 11 June 1946 Silver wedding 26 April 1948 (first issue to commemorate a personal Royal occasion rather than a state event, £1 value was the first British stamp designed by a woman, Joan Hassall, and the issue is notable for the omission of the words 'postage' and 'revenue'). Channel Islands Liberation 10 May 1948 Olympic Games 29 July 1948 Universal Postal Union (UPU) 10 October 1949 Festival of Britain 3 May 1951 (archived)
Queen Elizabeth II (pre-decimalisation)
1952–1954 Low value definitives known as Wildings, 5 December 1952, 31 August 1953, 15 October 1954
1953 Coronation, 2 June
1955 Castles high value definitives, 1 September, 23 September, reprinted 1958, 1963, 1967
1957 World Scout Jubilee Jamboree, 1 August 46th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, 12 September Low value Wilding definitives with graphite-lines, 19 November (first graphite-lined issue)
1958 Sixth British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Cardiff, 18 July
1959 Low value Wilding definitives with phosphor bands, 18 November (first phosphor issue)
1960 Tercentenary of Establishment of General Letter Office, 7 July First Anniversary of European Postal and Telecommunications Conference, 19 September
1961 Centenary of Post Office Savings Bank, 28 August European Postal and Telecommunications (C.E.P.T.) Conference, Torquay, 18 September (first issue printed in more than two colours) Seventh Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, 25 September
1962 Note: Issues between 1962 and 1966 inclusive are available in two varieties – with, and without, phosphor bands (which fluoresce in ultra-violet light). These were introduced to help sorting machines distinguish between first and second class letters automatically and the early examples with phosphor bands (up to the 1965 Salvation Army issue) are worth several times those without.
National Productivity Year, 14 November
1963 Freedom from Hunger, 21 March Centenary of the Paris Postal Conference, 7 May National Nature Week, 16 May Ninth International Lifeboat Conference, Edinburgh, 31 May Red Cross Centenary Congress, 15 August Opening of COMPAC (Trans-Pacific Telephone Cable), 3 December
1964 Shakespeare Festival, 23 April Note: First commemorative set to feature in an illustrated Presentation Pack, including mint stamps, with descriptive notes and protective covering. Also first set for which there was an official Post Office issue illustrated First Day Cover envelope and first set to commemorate a person from history. 20th International Geographical Congress, London, 1 July Tenth International Botanical Congress, Edinburgh, 5 August Opening of Forth Road Bridge, 4 September
1965 Winston Churchill Commemoration (2 stamps, 4d & 1/3), 8 July 700th Anniversary of Simon de Montfort's Parliament (2 stamps, 6d & 2/6), 19 July Salvation Army Centenary, (2 stamps, 3d & 1/6), 9 August Centenary of Joseph Lister's Discovery of Antiseptic Surgery, (2 stamps), 1 September Commonwealth Arts Festival (2 stamps), 1 September 25th Anniversary of Battle of Britain (8 stamps + 4d values as block of 6), 13 September Opening of Post Office Tower (2 stamps), 8 October 20th Anniversary of UNO and International Cooperation Year (2 stamps), 25 October International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Centenary (2 stamps), 15 November
1966 Burns Commemoration, 25 January 900th Anniversary of Westminster Abbey, 28 February Landscapes, 2 May World Cup Football Championship, 1 June British Birds, 8 August England's World Cup Football Victory, 18 August British Technology, 19 September 900th Anniversary of Battle of Hastings, 14 October Christmas 1966, 1 December (the first Christmas issue)
1967 European Free Trade Association (EFTA), 20 February British Wild Flowers, 24 April British Paintings, 10 July Sir Francis Chichester's World Voyage, 24 July British Discovery and Invention, 19 September (last watermarked issue) Christmas 1967, 18 October and 27 November Also this year, in two issues, the first Machin definitives (4d, 1s, and 1/9 in the first issue); the remaining values were issued later in 1967 (3d, 9d, and 1/6) and on two dates in 1968.
1968 British Bridges, 29 April (synthetic PVA gum used from this issue) British Anniversaries, 29 May British Paintings, 12 August Christmas 1968, 25 November
1969 British Ships, 15 January First Flight of Concorde, 3 March Anniversaries, 2 April British Architecture (Cathedrals), 28 May Investiture of The Prince of Wales, 1 July Gandhi Centenary Year, 13 August British Post Office Technology, 1 October Christmas 1969, 26 November
1970
British Rural Architecture (4 stamps), 11 February Anniversaries (5 stamps), 1 April London 6 at 4d (Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada, 6 stamps) May – rare, only four known in existence Literary Anniversaries (5 stamps), 3 June Decimal Currency: Machin design of 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 (4 stamps), 17 June Ninth British Commonwealth Games (3 stamps), Edinburgh, 15 July Philympia 1970 stamp exhibition (3 stamps), 18 September Christmas 1970 (3 stamps), 25 November
Queen Elizabeth II (decimal currency) 1971 Decimal Currency Machins: p, 1p, p, 2p, p, 3p, p, 4p, 5p, 6p, p, and 9p (12 stamps), 15 February "Ulster '71" Paintings (3 stamps), 16 June Literary Anniversaries (3 stamps), 28 July Decimal Currency Machin: 10p small format (1 stamp), 8 August British Anniversaries (3 stamps), 25 August British Architecture: Modern University Buildings (4 stamps), 22 September Christmas 1971 (3 stamps), 13 October
1972 British Polar Explorers (4 stamps), 16 February General Anniversaries (3 stamps), 26 April British Architecture: Village Churches (5 stamps), 21 June Broadcasting Anniversaries (4 stamps), 13 September Christmas 1972 (3 stamps), 18 October Royal Silver Wedding (2 stamps), 20 November (first issue with "all over" phosphor)
1973 British Entry into European Communities, 3 January British Trees (1st Issue), 28 February British Explorers, 18 April County Cricket 1873–1973, 16 May Artistic Anniversaries, 4 July 400th Anniversary of the Birth of Inigo Jones (architect and designer), 15 August 19th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, 12 September Royal Wedding, 14 November Christmas, 28 November
1974 British Trees (2nd issue), 27 February Bicentenary of the Fire Prevention (Metropolis) Act, 24 April Centenary of Universal Postal Union, 12 June Medieval Warriors, 10 July Birth Centenary of Winston Churchill, 9 October Christmas, 27 November
1975 Health and Handicap Funds, 22 January Birth Bicentenary of J. M. W. Turner (painter), 19 February European Architectural Heritage Year, 23 April Sailing, 11 June 150th Anniversary of Public Railways, 13 August 62nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, 3 September Birth Bicentenary of Jane Austen (novelist), 22 October Christmas, 26 November
1976 Telephone Centenary, 10 March Social Reformers, 28 April Bicentenary of American Revolution, 2 June Centenary of Royal National Rose Society, 30 June British Cultural Traditions, 4 August 500th Anniversary of British Printing, 29 September Christmas, 24 November
1977 Racket Sports, 12 January Centenary of Royal Institute of Chemistry, 2 March Silver Jubilee, 11 May Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1977, London, 8 June British Wildlife, 5 October Christmas, 23 November
1978 Energy Resources, 25 January British Architecture: Historic Buildings (4 stamps + MS), 1 March 25th Anniversary of Coronation, 31 May Horses, 5 July Centenaries of Cyclists Touring Club and British Cycling Federation, 2 August Christmas, 22 November
1979 Dogs, 7 February Spring Wild Flowers, 21 March First Direct Elections to European Assembly, 9 May Horseracing paintings and Bicentenary of The Derby, 6 June International Year of the Child (4 stamps), 11 July Death Centenary of Sir Rowland Hill (4 stamps and Minisheet including all four stamps), 22 August 150th Anniversary of Metropolitan Police, 26 September Christmas 1979, 21 November
1980
Centenary of Wild Bird Protection Act (4 stamps), 16 January 150th Anniversary of Liverpool and Manchester Railway (5 stamps + strip of 5), 12 March London 1980: International Stamp Exhibition (1 stamp and Minisheet), 9 April London Landmarks (5 stamps), 7 May Famous Authoresses (4 stamps), 4 July 80th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (1 stamp), 4 August (first issue to commemorate a Royal birthday) British Conductors (4 stamps), 10 September Sport Centenaries (4 stamps), 10 October Christmas 1980 (5 stamps), 19 November
1981 Folklore (4 stamps), 6 February International Year of the Disabled (4 stamps), 25 March Butterflies (4 stamps), 13 May 50th Anniversary of the National Trust for Scotland (5 stamps), 24 June Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer (2 stamps), 22 July 25th Anniversary of Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme (4 stamps), 12 August Fishing Industry (4 stamps), 23 September