King’s stamps still in the post over eco fears
All stock with the Queen’s image must be sold first to reduce environmental impact, orders palace
THE first stamp featuring King Charles III will be a highly sought after addition to any collector’s album.
But those hoping to get their hands on it soon may well be disappointed.
Under instructions from Buckingham Palace, the new stamp, pictured below, will not be widely circulated until current stocks, featuring Queen Elizabeth II, have been exhausted.
Royal Mail said the move was to minimise the “environmental and financial impact” of the change of monarch.
Often referred to as the every day stamp, the “definitive” release features the monarch’s head and value of the stamp on a plain coloured background. Royal Mail could not confirm how many stamps bearing the late Queen’s image had yet to be sold but confirmed their use was likely to extend past the Coronation on Saturday May 6.
Private buyers, however, will be able to purchase the new stamps online from April and can register their interest from today.
Historically, it has been commonplace for stamps and coins featuring the effigies of different monarchs to co-circulate.
The image of the King is an adapted version of the portrait created by Martin Jennings, a British sculptor, for the Royal Mint. The new 50p coins, featuring the head of King Charles II facing to the left on the obverse side of the coin, entered circulation on Dec 8 2022.
The picture, which has been digitally re-lit making it suitable for use on definitive stamps, appears alongside a printed barcode separated by a simulated perforation line. Royal Mail transitioned to stamps with barcodes last year, to connect “physical stamps to the digital world” as part of a modernisation drive.
The colours for all four value stamps remain the same – plum purple for first class, holly green for second, marine turquoise for first class large letters and dark pine green for second class large.
King Charles becomes the seventh monarch to appear on a definitive stamp. The first was Queen Victoria who appeared on the penny black in 1840, followed by Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Queen Elizabeth II and now King Charles III.
It has been traditional for artists to work on both coins and stamps, or for the coinage designs to be adapted for use on definitives. Arnold Machin’s 1960s representation of the Queen became a symbol of the United Kingdom around the world.
Simon Thompson, chief executive officer of the Royal Mail, said: “Ever since the penny black was issued in the reign of Queen Victoria, British stamps have carried the image of the reigning monarch.
“Uniquely, British stamps do not have the country of origin printed on them as the image of the monarch is sufficient.
“So today is a hugely important milestone for Royal Mail and the country as we reveal the image of the new King Charles definitive.”
The new first class stamp will form part of an exhibition of Britain’s definitive releases at London’s Postal Museum, offering a “unique chance” to see a sheet of King Charles’s stamps before they are in public circulation.
With stamps bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth II remaining valid for use, the next few years may see two monarchs heads on our letters, something which has not been seen for many years.