Saturday 31 October 2020

Tolkien Musing - 50th Anniversary Stamps

This set of stamps was released by the GB Royal Mail to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the publication of the Lord of the Rings on 26th February 2004.

It consists of 10 1st class stamps featuring pictures by Tolkien himself of scenes from the Lord of the Rings.



This blog entry gives the various items available featuring these stamps.

The following websites have more details on these stamps.

Official Royal Mail site:

Collect GB Stamps website:

* are items in my collection

Mint Blocks
These are different variations of the mint stamps.

Double Sheet


*Single Sheet


Gutter Block


Set with Edges and Traffic Lights
There are different variations of these depending on where from the full sheet the stamps were taken.


*Presentation Pack
This is the official presentation pack issued for the set.






First Day Covers
First Day Covers (FDC) are envelopes with the stamps on, which have been officially Postmarked on the date of issue 26th February 2004.

The envelopes can be of any design, however there is an official Post Office envelope and there are also envelopes produced by other companies and organisations specifically for the release.

The Post Office authorised official postmarks available on the release day from different places around the country specifically for this release.





The following image from the Norvic Philatelics Website shows most of these.


additional:
          

The following are postmarks which were also available on the release day but which are not specific to the release itself:
Stampex Exhibition.

Payne official covers post office way London SW8.

60th Anniversary year 617 squadron The Dambusters Scampton Lincoln.

A postcard from Lords Cricket Ground London NW8.

‘Reach for the Sky’ Cosmo Place London WC1.

Isle of Pabay (Otter).

Congratulations Mount Pleasant London EC1.

“On This Day” Mount Pleasant EC1.

At Kilda A World Heritage Site Western Isles.

NEXPOWA (National Ex-Prisoners Of War Association) Whitehall London SW1.

The Big Match Manchester (shows goalkeeper pub sign).

Arsenal (FC) FA Cup Winners 2003 In Europe Again London N5.

London FC League Cup Record 7 Times Winners Winners 2003 Liverpool.

WWII Operations Cenotaph London (SW1).

Classic Films 76th Anniversary Year First British Talking Film ‘Alfred Hitchcock’ Blackmail 1929-2004 Leicester Sq London (SC2).

Anniversary Year First Flight of Concorde 1969-2004 Filton Bristol.


   


There are also some Permanent and Long Running postmarks which were also available on the day of release and in theory could be used on a First Day Cover for this issue. The Norvic website has a list of these. I have not listed all of these only those I have seen examples of:
Channel Tunnel, Folkestone.



Official Covers

*Official Royal Mail Cover and Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Oxford Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Tolkien Society Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with English Legend Sarehole Mill Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with English Legend Oxford Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Literally Legend Sarehole Mill Postmark


*Official Royal Cover with Eagle and Child Postmark


Official Royal Mail Cover with Enchanted World Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Middle Way Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Ringwould Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Rings End Postmark

Official Royal Mail Cover with Ring Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with King Author Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Battlefield Shrewsbury Postmark


Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Ryde Isle of Wight Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Forest Green Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Crow Bank Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Bishop Stortford Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Arrow Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Treeton Rotherham Postmark


Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Shirehampton Postmark


Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Elphin Postmark


Official Royal Mail Cover with Myth and Magic Holyhead Postmark


*Official Royal Mail Cover with Lord of the Rings Stampex Postmark


Official Royal Mail Cover with Shires Leicester Postmark
This is not a specialist postmark, it is just a normal post office.


*Official Royal Mail Covers with Myth & Magic Postmarks
One stamp and postmark on separate covers, 10 cover set


Cotswold Cover

*Cotswold Cover with Oxford Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with English Legend Oxford Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with Tolkien Society Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with Rings End Postmark


Cotswold Cover with Middle Way Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with Lord of the Rings Stampex Postmark

Cotswold Cover with Literary Legend Sarehole Mill Birmingham Postmark

*Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Holyhead Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Treeton Rotherham Postmark

*Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Elphin Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Crow Bank Postmark


Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Shirehampton Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Forest Green Postmark


*Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Ryde Isle of Wight Postmark

Cotswold Cover with Myth and Magic Battlefield Postmark

Stuart Cover

*Stuart Cover with Official Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Oxford Postmark


*Stuart Cover with English Legend Oxford Postmark


*Stuart Cover with English Legend Sarehole Mill Birmingham Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Literally Legend Sarehole Mill Postmark

*Stuart Cover with Tolkien Society Sarehole Mill Birmingham Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Lancaster Postmark

Stuart Cover with Middle Way Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Myth and Magic Treeton Rotherham Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Myth and Magic Crow Bank Wallsend Postmark

*Stuart Cover with Myth and Magic Battlefield Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Myth and Magic Forest Green Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Myth and Magic Holyhead Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Myth and Magic Elphin Postmark


*Stuart Cover with Myth and Magic Ryde Isle of Wight Postmark


Benham Myth and Magic Covers

*Myth and Magic Cover with Battlefield Shrewsbury Postmark
Limited 5000


Myth and Magic Cover with Arrow Postmark


Myth and Magic Cover (Andy Serkis Signed) with Battlefield Shrewsbury Postmark
Signed by Andy Serkis




Myth and Magic Masterpiece Cover with Ryde Isle of Wight Postmark


Myth and Magic Masterpiece Cover with Forest Green Postmark


Myth and Magic Masterpiece Cover (Signed) with Ryde Isle of Wight Postmark
*Signed by Andy Serkis.


*Signed by Orlando Bloom.


Myth and Magic Epic Tale Cover and Coin with Elphin Lairg Isle of Man Postmark
Limited Edition of 4000.
Includes a Cupro Nickel Crown Coin, Isle of Man legal tender.




Myth and Magic Epic Tale Cover and Coin with Rings End Guyhirn Wisbech Postmark
Limited 1000


Myth and Magic Epic Tale Cover and Coin with Rings End Guyhirn Wisbech Postmark
Signed by Brian Sibley




Myth and Magic Epic Tale Cover (Christopher Lee Signed) with Elphin Lairg Isle of Man Postmark
Signed by Christopher Lee.
Includes a Cupro Nickel Crown Coin, Isle of Man legal tender.


*Myth and Magic Location Covers and Postmark
Each stamp has own cover and Franking.
Limited Edition of 5000.



*Myth and Magic Folkestone Stamp Cards with Treeton Postmark





Special Covers

*Tolkien Society Covers with Tolkien Society Sarehole Mill Birmingham Postmark
The set is over 2 covers.
Limited Edition of 500.

Norvic Covers
2 cover sets, one with Ringwould Deal Kent Postmark, one with Sarehole Mill Birmingham Postmark

*Mates Laurentiu Art
Limited 50


*Lori Snowden Art
Limited 50


*Benham Myth and Magic Gold Cover with Holyhead Postmark
Limited 500


With 2003 Isle of Man Return of the King Movie first day Stamp


*Benham Pilgrim Cover with Spellbrook Postmark
Limited 100 (unsure if 100 with this postmark only or all postmarks)
Two Covers


Benham Pilgrim Cover with Shirehampton Postmark
Limited 100 (see previous)
Two Covers


*Benham Pilgrim Cover with Crow Bank Postmark
Limited 100 (see previous)
Two Covers


*Regency Covers and Bristol Postmark
5 covers
Artist Paul Gregory
Limited 100
                

    

*Oxford Eagle and Child Cover 1 and Postmark
Produced by M Brazier
Limited 20


*Oxford Eagle and Child Cover 2 and Postmark
Limited 20


Oxford Eagle and Child Cover 3 and Postmark
Limited 20




Bradbury Enchanted World Cover with Lancaster Postmark
Sovereign Series No 38
2 covers

Unsigned
Limited 1000



*Signed by artist Anne Sudworth
Limited 500




Signed by Ian McKellen
Limited 175





*Ring Cover with Ring Postmark
GBCovers
Limited 85

*Benham Hand Painted Originals
Each individual cover was hand painted and signed by Jennifer Toombs (famous stamp artist).
Limited, but unsure of how many 50 or 100 (see examples below).
All examples seen with Myth and Magic Treeton Rotherham postmark (unsure if produced with any others).
Cover was featured in this bbc article about the author https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-13210659
These are 2 different examples:
    
    

other Tolkien images in same series
    


Phil Stamp Covers with Sarehole Mill and Oxford Postmarks
Limited 100
    

    

*David Roberts Cover with Literary Legend Sarehole Mill Birmingham Art Pallet Postmark
Westminster Pallet Series
Limited 450
Signed by artist


*A Westminster Mercury Literary Legend Cover with Literary Legend Sarehole Mill Birmingham Postmark
With Silver Library 50p Proof Coin
Limited 500




*Stampex Cover and Postmark


*Stampex Cover with Lord of the Rings Stampex Postmark

*Scott Covers Achilleos Cover (Signed by Chris Achilleos) with Middle Way London Postmark
Limited 250.
Signed by artist Chris Achilleos.


*Sheridan Cover with King Arthur Postmark
Limited: 95


*Covercraft Machin Collectors Cover with MCC Spring Philatex Postmark
Limited 9 - very rare



Douglas Earl Hague Signed Scott Cover with Middle Way London Postmark
Note from the producers
     

*Signed by Douglas Earl Hague
Limited: 250
Not sure how specific to Tolkien the cover is.

Also produced unsigned.
Limited: 20


Peter Payne Cover with Lord of the Strings Postmark
Limited 20


Royal Naval Cover George Cross 56th Anniversary Postmark
J L Lynch
Signed
Limited: 60


*Westminster Ray Mears Signed Cover with Literary Legend Sarehole Mill Birmingham Postmark
Part of the Autographed Editions series
Signed by Ray Mears
Not sure how specific to Tolkien the cover is.


British Forces Cover with ? Postmark


Liverpool League Cup with with League Cup Postmark




Ealing 100 Film Series Cover with Classic Films Postmark
This cover is not Tolkien specific at all and is really part of the Ealing Film series.
No 23 in the series, I’m not sure if the others in the series feature the Lord of the Rings stamps.
Produced by Cambridge Stamp Centre.
Limited to 20.


Channel Tunnel Cover with Channel Tunnel Folkestone Postmark
This cover is not Tolkien specific at all and is really part of the Channel Tunnel event.
Not sure if there are more in the set.
I believe this is a special Franking which is always available.




Buckingham Mixed Sets
8 covers with extra different Isle of Man Movie Stamp and Postmark on each set.


Buckingham Signed Covers
With extra Isle of Man Movie Stamp and Postmark
*Christoper Lee signed - with Ringwould Deal Kent Postmark
    

Ian McKellen signed - with Rings End Guyhirn Wisbech Postmark
Limited 400
2 variations shown
    


Dermal Cover with Oxford Postmark
Only has half a set of stamps.
I believe these covers were produced by a company as promotional items and sent to their clients.

Letter sent with the cover

Great Ormond Street Cover with Peter Pan Set and Single 50th Stamp with Myth and Magic Treeton Postmark

Meter Marks
These are pre-paid markings for a specific company.
An envelope doesn’t have to have stamps when these are used, however sometimes these are produced incorporating the stamp release.
These are examples I have found.

*Official Cover with Harper Collins Meter Mark and Literally Legend Oxford Postmark


Official Cover with Harper Collins Meter Mark and Tolkien Society Postmark


Official Cover with King Edwards School Meter Mark and Tolkien Society Postmark


*Official Cover with British Publishing Meter Mark and Tolkien Society Postmark


Official Cover with Exeter College Meter Mark and Generic The Shires Leicester Postmark


Official Cover with The Society of Authors Meter Mark and Generic The Shires Leicester Postmark


Official Cover with British Film Institute Meter Mark and Generic The Shires Leicester Postmark


Cotswolds Cover with The Society of Authors Meter Mark and Generic Oxford Postmark


Postcards
These are postcards featuring the stamps.



*First Day Postcards with Oxford Postmark


*First Day Postcards with Myth and Magic Location Postmark
Each stamp has own cover and postmark.


Magazines/Leaflets

*Bulletin Magazine
January 2004 - Volume 41 No 5






Stamp Preview Leaflet
February 2004 - issue 111


Promo Poster
A4 (S&C359A4) and A3 (S&C372A3) versions identical apart from size



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