England Winners stamp
Encyclopedia
The England Winners stamp was a fourpenny commemorative stamp
issued in 1966 to mark England's victory in the 1966 World Cup. The stamp was issued on the orders of the then Postmaster General Edward Short and created by a new printing of the lowest value of the three British 1966 World Cup stamps with the words ENGLAND WINNERS added.
s unable to obtain stock for their customers. A speculative bubble developed with copies of the stamp selling for many times their original cost, and people buying whole sheets of stamps as an investment. The Evening Times in Scotland reported that "It may well be that stamps will turn out to be the investment of 1966. Outstanding example, of course, was last month's issue of the fourpenny England Winners stamp. The price went up to 2s 6d on the day of issue. An eventual price of 15s to £1 is being talked of..."
Whole sheets of stamps are still regularly found for sale which are believed to be from stock bought for investment in 1966. According to James Mackay
, a forgery of the stamp exists.
and printed by Harrison & Sons
. 12,452,640 stamps were sold. Unlike the original, the new stamp had no phosphor bands. The stamp was printed on chalk-surfaced paper and perforated 14 (horizontal) x 15 (vertical). It had a watermark
of Multiple Crowns sideways.
No official presentation pack
was produced for this stamp. Privately produced packs exist.
Commemorative stamp
A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp, often issued on a significant date such as an anniversary, to honor or commemorate a place, event or person. The subject of the commemorative stamp is usually spelled out in print, unlike definitive stamps which normally depict the subject along with the...
issued in 1966 to mark England's victory in the 1966 World Cup. The stamp was issued on the orders of the then Postmaster General Edward Short and created by a new printing of the lowest value of the three British 1966 World Cup stamps with the words ENGLAND WINNERS added.
Availability
The stamp was issued on 18 August 1966 in England, Wales, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man but not in Scotland or Northern Ireland. It was available in Scotland from 22 August 1966. Following a question asked in the British Parliament, a government minister explained that while British special stamps (commemorative stamps) were normally available throughout the United Kingdom, the government had felt that "...it was not appropriate for this particular stamp to be put on general sale in other countries which had also competed in this World Cup." In other words, it would not have been diplomatic to sell a stamp celebrating an English victory in Wales or Scotland whose teams had been knocked out of the competition.A speculative bubble
Stocks of the stamp quickly ran short with queues forming at Post Offices and stamp dealerStamp dealer
A stamp dealer is a company or an individual who deals in postage stamps and philatelic products. It also includes individuals who sell postage stamps for day to day use or official stamps for use on court documents.-Stamps on Approval Basis:...
s unable to obtain stock for their customers. A speculative bubble developed with copies of the stamp selling for many times their original cost, and people buying whole sheets of stamps as an investment. The Evening Times in Scotland reported that "It may well be that stamps will turn out to be the investment of 1966. Outstanding example, of course, was last month's issue of the fourpenny England Winners stamp. The price went up to 2s 6d on the day of issue. An eventual price of 15s to £1 is being talked of..."
Whole sheets of stamps are still regularly found for sale which are believed to be from stock bought for investment in 1966. According to James Mackay
James A. Mackay
James Alexander Mackay was a prolific Scottish writer and philatelist whose reputation was damaged by a criminal conviction for theft and repeated accusations of plagiarism. In an obituary by John Holman, Editor of the British Philatelic Bulletin, Mackay was described as a "philatelic writer...
, a forgery of the stamp exists.
Technical details
The stamp was designed by David GentlemanDavid Gentleman
David Gentleman is an English artist-designer. He studied illustration at the Royal College of Art under Edward Bawden and John Nash. He has worked in various media - watercolour, lithography, wood engraving - and at scales ranging from the platform-length murals for Charing Cross underground...
and printed by Harrison & Sons
Harrison and Sons
Harrison and Sons Limited was a major worldwide engraver and printer of Postage stamps and Banknotes.The company was established in 1750 by Thomas Harrison and it obtained its first Post Office contract in 1881. The company won the contract to print the single colour United Kingdom Edward VII...
. 12,452,640 stamps were sold. Unlike the original, the new stamp had no phosphor bands. The stamp was printed on chalk-surfaced paper and perforated 14 (horizontal) x 15 (vertical). It had a watermark
Watermark
A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
of Multiple Crowns sideways.
No official presentation pack
Presentation Pack
A Presentation Pack is a folder, produced for philatelists and stamp collectors, that contains a full set of a new stamp issue.- Format :A Presentation Pack normally consists of a cardboard folder with notes about the stamps, a holder for the stamps and a clear sleeve on the outside...
was produced for this stamp. Privately produced packs exist.