Ice-age animals (British Postage Stamps)
Encyclopedia
This set of five stamps
was issued by the Royal Mail
on 21 March 2006. It was the fourth set of British
commemorative stamps issued in 2006 (excluding the Welsh Assembly building
miniature sheet
). Other products launched as well as mint stamp
s were first day covers
, presentation packs
and stamp cards
series started in 2001.
format. They are based on illustrations by Andrew Davidson
, using the process of wood engraving
.
The scenes the stamps depict:
The face value of the set was £2.99.
comprises a set of the five Ice Age animals stamps. The pack was designed by Jason Godfrey and written by expert paleobiologist
Dr Adrian Lister. The Pack is printed by Walsall Security Printers.
The first day cover envelope
features a prehistoric skeleton
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
was issued by the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
on 21 March 2006. It was the fourth set of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
commemorative stamps issued in 2006 (excluding the Welsh Assembly building
Welsh assembly building (British Postage Stamps)
The Royal Mail celebrated the opening of the new Welsh Assembly building with a new miniature sheet. The building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 .-Stamp Details:...
miniature sheet
Miniature sheet
A souvenir sheet or miniature sheet is a small group of postage stamps still attached to the sheet on which they were printed. They may be either regular issues that just happen to be printed in small groups , or special issues often commemorating some event, such as a national anniversary,...
). Other products launched as well as mint stamp
Mint stamp
In philately, a mint stamp is a stamp which is in its original state of issue, is unused, has never been mounted and has full gum, if issued with gum. The term applies equally to postage stamps and revenue stamps.- Variations :...
s were first day covers
First day of issue
A First Day of Issue Cover or First Day Cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority. Sometimes the issue is made from a temporary or permanent foreign or...
, presentation packs
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...
and stamp cards
Reason for issue
The issue was a continuation of the Royal Mail's animalAnimal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
series started in 2001.
Stamp Details
These stamps were issued in a slight landscapePage orientation
Page orientation is the way in which a rectangular page is oriented for normal viewing. The two most common types of orientation are portrait and landscape...
format. They are based on illustrations by Andrew Davidson
Andrew Davidson (illustrator)
Andrew Davidson is a British artist who has provided illustrations to publications, including Ted Hughes' novels, The Iron Man and The Iron Woman.-External links:*...
, using the process of wood engraving
Wood engraving
Wood engraving is a technique in printmaking where the "matrix" worked by the artist is a block of wood. It is a variety of woodcut and so a relief printing technique, where ink is applied to the face of the block and printed by using relatively low pressure. A normal engraving, like an etching,...
.
The scenes the stamps depict:
- 1st class - Sabre-tooth tiger (Homotherium latidens)
- 42p - Giant Deer (Megaloceros giganteus)
- 47p - Woolly Rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis)
- 68p - Woolly MammothWoolly mammothThe woolly mammoth , also called the tundra mammoth, is a species of mammoth. This animal is known from bones and frozen carcasses from northern North America and northern Eurasia with the best preserved carcasses in Siberia...
(Mammuthus primigenius) - £1.12 - Cave BearCave BearThe cave bear was a species of bear that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene and became extinct at the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum about 27,500 years ago....
(Ursus spelaus)
The face value of the set was £2.99.
- Designed by Howard Brown
- Stamp Size 37 x 35mm
- Printed by Joh Enschedé Security PrintJoh. EnschedéRoyal Joh. Enschedé is a printer of security documents, stamps and banknotes based in Haarlem, Netherlands. Joh. Enschedé specialises in print, media & security. The company hosts the Museum Enschedé and has branches in Amsterdam, Brussels and Haarlem....
- Print Process LithographyLithographyLithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
- Number per sheet 25/50
- Perforations 14 x 14.5
- GumPostage stamp gumIn philately, gum is the substance applied to the back of a stamp to enable it to adhere to a letter or other mailed item. The term is generic, and applies both to traditional types such as gum arabic and to synthetic modern formulations...
PVAPolyvinyl acetatePolyvinyl acetate, PVA, PVAc, poly, is a rubbery synthetic polymer with the formula n. It belongs to the polyvinyl esters family with the general formula -[RCOOCHCH2]-...
Other items
The Presentation PackPresentation 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...
comprises a set of the five Ice Age animals stamps. The pack was designed by Jason Godfrey and written by expert paleobiologist
Paleobiology
Paleobiology is a growing and comparatively new discipline which combines the methods and findings of the natural science biology with the methods and findings of the earth science paleontology...
Dr Adrian Lister. The Pack is printed by Walsall Security Printers.
The first day cover envelope
Envelope
An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card....
features a prehistoric skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...