GB Stamp.co.uk Articles

Stanley Gibbons Acquires Haworth Stamp Dealing Business

Stanley Gibbons has announced that it has purchased the business of Nigel Haworth, the specialist stamp dealer, who previously traded as M & N Haworth. [...]

HAMPEX 2010 Receives Support from Stanley Gibbons

For HAMPEX 2010 Stanley Gibbons will be providing "goody bags" to all children attending and prizes for the winners of the various junior competitions running throughout the day. The HAMPEX Junior workshop will commence at 10AM Saturday 16th October 2010 and is scheduled to finish at 12.30PM with a light lunch provided. [...]

New GB Stamp Valuation Website Launched

I found an interesting news release in my inbox today advising me about a new website, www.market-movements.com, which is planning to supply up to date market valuation advice for British stamps including First Day Covers. Read on for the full text of the news release. [...]

The New Stanley Gibbons Congress Cup

Philatelic Congress of Great Britain, held in Kenilworth in July, saw collectors from across the world gathering to witness 6 new additions to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists and the re-introduction of the Congress Cup for the best paper presented over the course of the weekend. [...]

Gibbons Stamp Monthly Gets an Autumn Makeover

The best-selling and most widely-read philatelic publication, Gibbons Stamp Monthly, is sporting a new look for the September 2010 edition including a striking new cover design and new page layout. [...]

Wartime Internment Art Features on Isle of Man Stamps

The British Government used the Isle of Man to intern enemy aliens during both World War 1 and 2 and foreign nationals were brought to the island from all parts of Great Britain. [...]

Index List of Early Post Office Numbers in Scotland and Their Locations

During the 19th and earlier part of the 20th century, numeral postmarks used a number (or a combination of letters and numbers) to indicate the place stamp cancellations were made. This article consists of a long list, indexed in Post Office number order (alphanumerics at end), to help stamp collectors and postal history students identify the Scottish cities, towns or villages where items were originally posted. [...]

Timeline of Events in Global Postal History

Based on an article at Wikipedia, this is a rough timeline of various significant events in postal history, including dates relating to postage stamps. My aim is to gradually fill in gaps that exist in terms of British Postal history. [...]

Birds on First Royal Mail Pictorial Post and Go Stamps

Popular garden birds will feature on the new Post & Go pictorial stamps to be made available on September 17th in a small number of Post Office branches and the Edinburgh Philatelic Bureau. Post & Go stamps will be the first of a Birds of Britain series of pictorial stamps planned for issue by self-service Post & Go terminals. [...]

Royal Mail to Stop Using Counties in UK Postal Addresses

County names look set to be dropped from the official postal addresses used in the UK. Royal Mail is consulting on their plans to delete counties Postal Address Finder (PAF) database sold to companies and public bodies. [...]

NPS Seminar on How to Publish a Philatelic Society Journal

On October 13th 2010 two experts on writing and publishing for the philatelic press will take centre stage during a seminar for the National Philatelic Society titled "How to Publish a Society Journal". [...]

The Postal Service Before the Penny Post and GB Stamps

Before postage stamps were issued in Great Britain there was, in fact, a well established and effective British postal system. The biggest difference was the recipient usually paid for any mail delivered rather than the sender. [...]

Meet Experts and Get Discounts at Stanley Gibbons Ringwood Open Day 31st July 2010

The SG Ringwood Open Day takes place on Saturday 31st July between 9am and 1pm and follows a successful first Open Day for the company in April this year. Some tempting offers will be available to vistors including a 10% discount off almost everything in the SG product range just for starters! [...]

New British 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games II Stamp Set

In just a few days the Royal Mail will issue the UK's second set of ten Special Stamps featuring various Olympic and Paralympic events. The stamps will be available from Post Offices and the philatelic Bureau exactly two years before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games is due to take place. [...]

Index List of Early Post Office Numbers In Wales

Following on from the index list we recently published of early english Post Office numbers, this list indexes all the known early welsh post office numbers and locations. [...]

There is More to Collecting Stamps Than Just Stamps

For most of my life I've collected stamps but it's only during my later years that I've taken an interest in the various antique items related to stamps. [...]

Royal Mail Underpaid Penalty Fees Prove a Nice Little Earner

The income Royal Mail collects in penalty fees has rocketed largely due to confusion about precise letter size pricing rules introduced four years ago. [...]

Unissued Royal Mail World Cup Stamp Design Surfaces

Just days prior to the 2010 World Cup kicking off, designs proposed for a Royal Mail postage stamp to be issued if England won the 1970 World Cup were discovered by archivists of The British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA) in London. [...]

Index List of Early English Post Office Numbers And Their Associated Locations

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, numeral postmarks employed a number (or sometimes a combination of letters and a number) to indicate the location of postage stamp cancellation. This article consists of a very long list, indexed in PO number order and followed by the alphanumerics, to help collectors and philatelists identify the cities, towns or villages in England where their stamps were originally posted. [...]

British Postal Museum and Archive Reviews Search Room Opening Hours

The British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA) are considering making changes to the opening hours of their Archive Search Room and want feedback from members of the public. [...]

History and Photo of Channel Islands Victorian Post Boxes

I recently stumbled across this public domain image of the victorian post box still used in Union Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey in the Channel Channel Islands and thought I would share it along with a little information about the history. [...]

Stanley Gibbons Launch DVD Stamp Articles Archive

The GSM Archive Edition 1890-2009 which features over 40,000 pages of useful and interesting philatelic content from various Gibbons publications was launched on 30th June 2010. [...]

BPMA Curator of Philately Douglas Muir to Talk About Bertram Mackennal

Curator of Philately at the British Postal Museum and Archive, Douglas Muir, will be talking about the designer Bertram Mackennal on 7th October 2010. [...]

British Postal Museum and Archive Look Set For Move

In a recent press release the British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA) confirmed that it is in the running for more than £2.5 Million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to establish a new, accessible and permanent home for the extensive collection of the former National Postal Museum which, sadly, is currently in storage on not generally viewable. [...]

Collecting British Exhibition Postmarks

Special event postmarks form a popular basis of many postmark and postal history collections and, since the earliest days, exhibitions have been commemorated by special cancellations and, in my view, they merit collecting in their own right. [...]

A Critical Review of The Royal Mail 2009 Naval Uniforms Stamp Issue

Prior to retirement in 1999, Mike Bishop MBE served in the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence where he spent many years working on the policy side of Royal Navy uniforms and was a member of the Dress and Uniform Committee responsible to the naval authorities for all matters uniform. Since retiring Mike has been researching the history of Royal Navy uniforms and he is currently compiling a detailed chronology on the subject. [...]