Tolkien Visual Collecting Guide: Tolkien Musing

This stamp set is not solely Tolkien specific, there is only one stamp in the set which is about Tolkien.

Although this page does have information about the whole set, it is mainly focusing on the Tolkien aspects.

The set was release by the GB Royal Mail on 21st July 1998 to celebrate Fantasy in Literature.

It consists of 5 stamps of different values.

The stamp of interest to Tolkien collectors is the 20p stamp celebrating The Hobbit.

The following websites have more details about these stamps.

Official Royal Mail site:

https://rmspecialstamps.com/collections/magical-worlds-classic-fantasy-books-for-children/

Collect GB Stamps site:

https://www.collectgbstamps.co.uk/explore/issues/?issue=230

Mint

Mint Set

Mint Block

Single stamp block

Format Pack Gutter Pairs

Presentation Pack

This is the official Presentation Pack issued for the set

First Day Covers

As this stamp release features more than just Tolkien, I am only going to focus on the Tolkien specific aspects i.e. Tolkien specific Covers and/or Tolkien specific Postmarks.

Postmark summary

https://www.gbps.org.uk/information/downloads/postal-markings/Special%20Event%20Postmarks%20of%20the%20United%20Kingdom%20Volume%204.pdf

Highlighted are the Tolkien specific Postmarks.

Official Cover and Postmark

Official Cover with Oxford Postmark

Official Cover with Birmingham ‘Gandalf’ Postmark

Official Cover with London ‘Smaug’ Postmark

Official Cover with Birmingham ‘Smaug’ Postmark

Official Cover with Sarehole Mill Postmark

Official Cover Hobbit Gutter Pair only with Birmingham Sarehole Mill Postmark

Official Cover Hobbit Gutter Pair only with Birmingham Gandalf Postmark

Official Cover Hobbit Gutter Pair only with Romford Postmark

Benham Set

5 different Cards each with a different stamp and postmark.

Limited Edition 5000

Sarehole Mill Cover and Postmark

Limited 125

hobbit stamp only

Magical Worlds Tolkien Cover with Warrington Postmark

Limited 5000

Benham Tolkien ‘Gold’ Cover with Birmingham’Smaug’ Postmark

22ct gold framed image

Limited 500

Benham Hand Painted Originals with Birmingham “Smaug” Postmark

Cover Type “C”

Painted by Helen Easien Beeken

Limited 50 for this cover type (total 200 whole set, not sure if the other covers are Tolkien related)

2 examples:

Benham Hand Painted Originals with Belfast Postmark

Limited 50

Only slightly Tolkien related, general image.

Benham Hand Painted Originals with Halstead Postmark

Limited 50

Not Tolkien related

Magical Worlds Cover with Birmingham ‘Gandalf’ Postmark

version including a phone card

Selective Other Covers

The following are a selection of some of the other more interesting Covers which are not Tolkien specific.

Official Cover with Daresbury Reading Postmark

Official Cover with Daresbury Autograph Postmark

Official Cover with Aberdeen Postmark

Official Cover with Dillons Newcastle

Stuart Cover with Oxford Postmark

Stuart Cover with Birmingham ‘Smaug’ Postmark

Stuart Cover with Sarehole Mill Postmark

Cotswold Cover with Oxford Postmark

Autographed Editions (signed by Terry Pratchett) Cover and Postmark

Signed by Terry Pratchett

Dillon’s Bookstore Cover and Postmark

Peter Payne with Paradise Place Postmark

Limited 41

GBCovers Children’s Fantasy with Child’s Way Postmark

Limited 186

Barlywink Cover with Upminster Postmark

Yellow Brick Road Cover with Newcastle Postmark

Limited 1000

Dick Whittington with London Postmark

The Railway Children with Keighly Postmark

Belfast Cover with Belfast Postmark

Royal Navel Cover with Newcastle Postmark

Signed Rear Admiral Sir Ronald Forrest

RAF Cover with Hounslow Postmark

Signed by Wing Commander C W Dixon

Limited 568

Scouts International Camp Cover with Blair Atholl Postmark

Manchester United Cover with Manchester United Postmark

Meter Marks

Official Cover with Yellow Brick Road Postmark and Meter Mark

Postcards

This is a set of Postcards depicting the stamps.

When first produced the Tolkien postcard was spelt incorrectly‘Tolkien’, this was corrected with a replacement card.

First Day Postcards with Various Postmark

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Aerogrammes

Documentation (see below) indicates that some specific Magical Worlds Aerogrammes were produced, I have identified the three below, none of which are Tolkien specific, but am unsure if there are any more.