Stamp news round-up: November 2015 stamp collecting news from Stamp & Coin Mart

Our monthly round-up of stamp collecting news, including festive stamps, a new Post & Go issue and ABPS show news.

Royal Mail reveals 2016 stamp schedule

It's that time of year that collectors across the UK await - the announcement of Royal Mail's special stamp schedule for the coming year. We have full details in our special feature - with some landmark anniversaries commemorated, including the Great Fire of London, the death of Shakespeare, and 500 years of Royal Mail.

Christmas stamps from around the world

It might seem like we’ve only just said goodbye to the summer, but Christmas is quickly approaching and a host of philatelic bureaux around the world have revealed their seasonal stamps. As revealed in our regular ‘Around the Islands’ feature, in the December issue of Stamp & Coin Mart, Jersey and Guernsey have opted to show stained glass windows on their festive stamps, with a definite religious theme. New Zealand have also gone for stained glass, ‘ranging in design from the traditional to the contemporary’.

Royal Mail re-tell the familiar nativity story across six designs and there’s a more jovial nativity scene in Lichtenstein’s set of four (pictured left), which celebrate Christmas carols.

Canada have gone for some animal magic on their secular stamps, with three designs showing a bull moose wearing a red scarf and hat; a beaver sporting a flat cap and chewing on some holly; and a polar bear in a red cap, scarf and sweater, respectively. Aland and Greenland have taken similar routes; Greenland’s single issue shows three polar bears looking towards a star, and Aland’s Christmas seals show two birds and two reindeer flying through the air on skis. 

Fur and feathers on new Post & Go

Royal Mail have chosen popular stamp collecting themes for their latest set of Post & Go stamps, with four 1st Class Winter Fur & Feathers stamps.

Issued on 16 November, the set features illustrations by Robert Gillmor of animals the mountain hare, redwing, red fox and red squirrel, all of which can be seen during the British winter. The self-adhesive stamps are designed by Osborne Ross and printed by International Security Printers using the gravure process.

ABPS exhibits to be showcased in Stamp & Coin Mart

Stamp & Coin Mart are pleased to announce that they will be working with the Association of British Philatelic Societies (ABPS) on a new-look ‘Reader’s Stamps’ article, beginning in the January issue of Stamp & Coin Mart.

Meanwhile, the ABPS are looking forward to another busy year of stamp exhibitions in 2016. Spring Stampex, taking place between 17 and 20 February 2016, will play host to a full national exhibition with all classes and the ‘Seven Nations Challenge’, an invited competitive exhibition comprising four entries, in different classes, from each of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom and the USA. For more information, visit the ABPS website.

Don't miss your FREE Star Wars stamp cards

The December issue of Stamp & Coin Mart comes with a fantastic limited edition free gift, courtesy of Royal Mail. While stocks last, we are offering a set of Star Wars postcards which reproduce Royal Mail's Star Wars stamps at postcard size. This is the first in a free part giveaway, and you can reserve your copy of the magazines today.

For all the latest stamp and coin news, new issues and expert in-depth features, don't miss Stamp & Coin Mart, available on newsstands and from our website.