United Kingdom commemorative stamps 1970–1979

The United Kingdom, known in philatelic circles as "Great Britain", released many commemorative stamps (postage stamps issued to honour or commemorate a place, event or person) in the 1970s.

History

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The first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was introduced in the UK on 6 May 1840. Until 1924, all British stamps only showed the reigning monarch's portrait, except for the 1913 "Sea Horses" design. The first commemorative stamp was issued in 1924 for the British Empire Exhibition, and since the mid-1960s, six to nine sets of commemorative stamps are released each year. PHQ cards, postcard-sized reproductions of commemorative stamps, have also been issued since the mid-1970s.

British commemorative stamps issued between 1970 and 1979
Issue date Issue details Stamps in set Designer(s)
1970
11 February 1970 British Rural Architecture Four David Gentleman[1]
1 April 1970 Anniversaries Five
3 June 1970 Literary anniversaries Five Rosalind Dease
15 July 1970 Ninth British Commonwealth Games Three
18 September 1970 "Philympia 70" Stamp Exhibition Three David Gentleman[1]
25 November 1970 Christmas Three
1971
16 June 1971 "Ulster 1971" Paintings (first decimal commemoratives) Three Stuart Rose[2]
28 July 1971 Literary Anniversaries Three
25 August 1971 British Anniversaries Three
22 September 1971 British Architecture Four
13 October 1971 Christmas Three
1972
16 February 1972 British Polar Explorers Four P.B. Powell
26 April 1972 General Anniversaries Three
21 June 1972 British Architecture, Village Churches Five
13 September 1972 Broadcasting Anniversaries Four David Gentleman[1]
18 October 1972 Christmas Three
20 November 1972 Royal Silver Wedding Two
1973
3 January 1973 Britain's entry into the European Communities Three
28 February 1973 Plant A Tree Year One
18 April 1973 British Explorers Five
16 May 1973 County Cricket 1873–1973 Three Edward M Ripley
4 July 1973 British Paintings Four
15 August 1973 400th Anniversary of the Birth of Inigo Jones Four
12 September 1973 Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference Two
14 November 1973 Royal Wedding Two
28 November 1973 Christmas Six David Gentleman[1]
1974
27 February 1974 British Trees One David Gentleman[1]
24 April 1974 Bicentenary of Fire Prevention Act Four David Gentleman[1]
12 June 1974 Centenary of Universal Postal Union Four Rosalind Dease
10 July 1974 Medieval Warriors Four
9 October 1974 Birth Centenary of Sir Winston Churchill Four
27 November 1974 Christmas Four
1975
22 January 1975 Health & Handicap Funds One Philip Sharland
19 February 1975 Birth Bicentenary of J. M. W. Turner Four
23 April 1975 European Architectural Heritage Year Five
11 June 1975 Sailing Four
13 August 1975 150th Anniversary of the first Steam Train Four
3 September 1975 62nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference One
22 October 1975 Birth Bicentenary of Jane Austen Four
26 November 1975 Christmas Four
1976
10 March 1976 Telephone Centenary Four (8+12p,10p,11p,13p)
28 April 1976 Social Reformers Four (8+12p,10p,11p,13p) David Gentleman[1]
2 June 1976 Bicentennial of American Independence 1776–1976 One (11p) Philip Sharland
30 June 1976 Centenary of National Rose Society Four (8+12p,10p,11p,13p)
4 August 1976 British Cultural Traditions Four (8+12p,10p,11p,13p)
29 September 1976 500th Anniversary of British Printing Four (8+12p,10p,11p,13p)
24 November 1976 Christmas Four (6+12p, 8+12p, 11p,13p)
1977
12 January 1977 Racket Sports Four (8+12p,10p,11p,13p)
2 March 1977 Royal Institute of Chemistry Centenary Four (8+12p,10p,11p,13p)
11 May 1977 Silver Jubilee (8+12p-10p-11p-13p values) Four {full set = 5}
8 June 1977 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, London One (13p) Peter Murdoch
15 June 1977 Silver Jubilee (9p value) One {full set = 5}
5 October 1977 British Wildlife Five (5 x 9p)
23 November 1977 Christmas Six (5 x 7p, 9p) David Gentleman[1]
1978
25 January 1978 Energy Resources Four (9p, 10p, 11p, 13p)
1 March 1978 British Architecture Four + Miniature sheet
(9p, 10p, 11p, 13p)
Stamps: Ronald Maddox;

Mini-sheet: Jeffery Matthews

31 May 1978 25th Anniversary of the Coronation Four
5 July 1978 Horses Four Patrick Oxenham
2 August 1978 Centenaries of Cyclists' Touring Club
and British Cycling Federation
Four Fritz Wegner
22 November 1978 Christmas Four Faith Jacques Archived 19 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine
1979
7 February 1979 Dogs Four
21 March 1979 Spring Wild Flowers Four Peter Newcombe
9 May 1979 First direct elections to European Assembly Four
6 June 1979 Horse Racing paintings Four
11 July 1979 International Year of the Child Four
22 August 1979 Death Centenary of Sir Roland Hill Four
26 September 1979 150th Anniversary of Metropolitan Police Four
24 October 1979 Death Centenary of Sir Roland Hill Miniature sheet
21 November 1979 Christmas Five Fritz Wegner

Other decades

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Acknowledgments

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "David Gentleman's 103 Issued Stamps – 1970–1999". The British Postal Museum & Archive. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  2. ^ James Watson (March 1981). "British Special Stamps: 'Ulster '71' Paintings, 1971". British Philatelic Bulletin. 18 (7): 301.
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