Birds on stamps is a common theme in philately and a popular subject for topical stamp collectors.
Birds started appearing on stamps by 1845 in Switzerland with Basel Dove, and after, by 1875, when Japan issued a series of stamps bearing stylized illustrations of three species. The first United States bird stamp was a registry stamp issued in 1911, depicting an eagle with wings outspread. The UK issued its first in honor of "Nature Week" in 1963. As of 2003, over 10,000 bird stamps had been issued around the world.
A new set of trail-blazing stamps will be issued this week with illustrations of familiar British garden birds specially created by foremost bird artist Robert Gillmor.
The Garden Birds Post & Go stamps are the first in the Birds of Britain series of pictorial stamps issued by Post & Go terminals, a self service facility which allows customers to weigh their letters and packets, and pay for and print postage labels.
The six stamps are available from 17 September in 30 Post Office® branches across the UK and from Royal Mail, Tallents House, Edinburgh. The stamp set costs £2.46 and is mounted on card with details about each of the birds and illustrations of their eggs.A second set in the Birds of Britain series being available from all Post & Go terminals from next year.
Robert Gillmor said: “It is exciting to have my work on British stamps. It is very interesting that my stamps will appear on people's letters and parcels using the latest technology, especially as my artwork was created using a 161-year-old printing press.”
Melanie Corfield, Royal Mail's head of external relations, said: “Birds have long been one of the most popular thematic subjects and for this first set of pictorial post and go stamps we wanted to celebrate the beauty and variety of the UK's birdlife, starting with the birds that are frequently seen in gardens.
“To assist our selection, we referred to the results of the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch to choose six of the most commonly seen birds, which best reflect the wide range of species gracing both rural and city skies.”
Robert Gillmor had his first illustrations published when he was 16. He is an ornithologist, artist, illustrator, author and editor, and a founder member of the Society of Wildlife Artists. Robert used the linocut method to add layers of colour to his work, and printed it using a printing machine that is more than 160 years old.
