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The end of an era: The final stamps of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II has graced UK stamps for 70 years, but now we’re coming to the end of an era; Royal Mail have released their final commemorative stamp issue with the Queen’s silhouette, celebrating the centenary of the world’s most famous locomotive – Flying Scotsman.
So, before we steam ahead towards the BRAND-NEW Flying Scotsman editions, let’s take a look back at Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic 70-year reign in UK postage…
The beginning of Queen Elizabeth II stamps
1953 marked the beginning of Her Majesty’s Reign and the introduction of the Wildings – a series of definitive postage and revenue stamps featuring Dorothy Wilding’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which were used up until 1967.
The first four stamps to be issued within this series were for Her Majesty’s 1953 Coronation, presented in the colours of Carmine-Red, Ultramarine, Deep Yellow-Green and Deep Grey-Blue.
Commemorative stamps were then introduced during the 1950s and early 1960s. However, the Postmaster General, Tony Benn, proposed a new criteria outlining what could appear on them. From 1965, it was decided that all GB stamps had to include a small silhouette of the Queen based on the coinage head of Mary Gillick, which then became the standard.
Two once-in-a-lifetime tributes
And now, Royal Mail have issued twelve commemorative editions featuring Flying Scotsman.
Not only are they the official UK stamps to mark the centenary of the world’s most famous locomotive, but they will also be the last to show the Queen’s silhouette after 70 years – marking two incredible moments in British history!
These nostalgic editions portray the steam locomotive travelling through North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Berwick-on-Tweed and London’s Victoria Station. Inspired by poster artwork from the 1920s and 1930s, Royal Mail’s spokesman David Gold intends for them to evoke “the golden age of steam travel”.
Your chance to celebrate both!
To pay tribute to such monumental moments in history, a limited-edition coin and stamp cover has been released, comprised of The Royal Mint’s Official UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 in Brilliant Uncirculated Quality along with Royal Mail’s BRAND-NEW Flying Scotsman stamps.
But considering these are the last UK stamps to feature Queen Elizabeth II, we are predicting insatiable demand – and we have already seen sell-outs at The Royal Mint for the Flying Scotsman coin range.
All steams ahead! Click here to secure one for your collection now >>
The story of the 1-a-minute Coronation sell-out
With a bank holiday weekend, star-studded concert, street parties across the nation and sell-out collectibles, the Coronation of King Charles III will be THE royal celebration of a lifetime.
Coin collectors don’t need telling twice how important this event is. The first Coronation for 70 years is going to be massive.
And the evidence of this came just under a week ago.
100 “Mint Masters” Coronation Sets launched at 9am on Wednesday 22 February. Just before 10:40am we saw a complete sell out.
1 set sold EVERY MINUTE until they were all allocated.
Why did it sell out so quickly?
Approved by King Charles III, the sell-out Mint Masters Set features three Silver £5 coins, issued specially for the Coronation.
Each coin depicts a key element of the Coronation. You have the King’s cypher, the Coronation Carriage and the Imperial State Crown.
A Golden Celebration
Unusually, the Mint Masters Set is reverse-plated in 24 Carat Gold, meaning the coins are struck from Fine Silver but feature additional gold plating.
The obverse designs have been left unplated, making the Coronation elements really stand out.
Design Royalty
Each coin in the Mint Masters Set features designs from one of the best in the business, a man synonymous with royalty on coinage.
Timothy Noad has worked as a professional calligrapher, illuminator and heraldic artist for over thirty years, acquiring an international reputation for his elegant and meticulous work.
A prolific designer of British coins and medals, Tim is the artist behind five One Pound coins and three Crowns commemorating royal occasions.
In 2022, he achieved the unique distinction of having his designs chosen for three Gold Sovereigns, The Queen’s Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals.
For the Mint Masters Set, he’s designed the Coronation Carriage and Imperial State Crown.
The end result is one of the best-looking sets you’ll see for the Coronation. Sure to be treasured pieces for the lucky 100 collectors that secured them before the quick sell-out.
If you’re interested…
But there’s good news! If you’re quick, you can get your hands on the Fine Silver Coronation £5 Coin Set. Limited to 995, the coins in this set feature 24 Carat Gold plating on the reverse designs.
Judging by the speed of the Mint Masters Set sell-out, these won’t be available for long so you’ll have to act fast.
Secure a set for your collection now >>
Celebrate 100 years of the world’s most famous steam locomotive!
When I think of the world’s most famous steam locomotive, only one name springs to mind – Flying Scotsman.
And as we approach the 100th anniversary since it was introduced to the railway, we can reflect on its remarkable history with The Royal Mint’s BRAND-NEW UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 coin.
But first, let’s travel back an entire century to see where it all began…
Doncaster, 1923
Built in Doncaster 100 years ago, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway. It went into service on 24 February 1923 and was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as part of the A1 class – the most powerful locomotives used by the LNER at the time.
In 1928, Flying Scotsman was redesigned with a revised corridor. This meant the crew could take over service without the locomotive having to stop, reducing the journey time from London to Edinburgh by eight hours!
As a result, Flying Scotsman hauled the first-ever non-stop service from London to Edinburgh on 1 May 1928.
By 1934, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive in the UK to reach 100mph on rails. It was also the first locomotive to circumnavigate the globe in 1989 – both remarkable feats at the time!
Flying Scotsman retired in 1963 but returned to the tracks in 2022, hauling a limited number of steam excursions just prior to its 100th anniversary.
The UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 Coin
In celebration of 100 years since the world’s most famous steam locomotive took to the tracks, The Royal Mint have released a very special £2 commemorative coin.
Depicting a nostalgic side-on view of the locomotive during one of its many rail journeys, the coin features a thoughtfully crafted design by John Bergdahl.
What’s more, your £2 comes available in Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver Proof, Silver Piedfort or Gold Proof quality!
And interestingly, it has been more than two decades since The Royal Mint last released a colour-printed UK £2 commemorative coin. So, this range marks a special moment for the £2 coin, as it includes a colour-printed Silver Proof AND Silver Proof Piedfort edition!
But with just limited numbers available, you must act now to secure yours!