Understanding British Stamps

In addition to the issue of postage stamps, Royal Mail also issues a number of related products. These are grouped in the British Stamp Organiser as follows (dates indicate the year in which they were first introduced):
 

• Postage Stamps
  • Commemoratives (1924)
  • Definitives (1840)
  • Channel Islands Occupation Issues (1941), Regionals (1958) and Country Pictorials (1999)
  • Postage Dues (1914) and To Pay Labels (1971)
  • Post and Go Stamps (2009)
  • Miscellaneous
• Miniature Sheets (1978)
• Stamp Sheets (2000)
• Stamp Books (1904)
• Prestige Stamp Books (1969)
• PHQ Cards (1973)
• Presentation Packs (1964) – earlier privately produced issues are known
• First Day Covers (1924) – earlier issues are known on plain envelopes

Royal Mail stamp issues are becoming increasingly complex in nature with many issues combining both commemorative and definitive stamps and quite often with country pictorials thrown in for good measure. It is therefore no longer possible to categorise issues in the same well-ordered manner as was the case in years gone by. Particular note should be made of the following:
 

Stamp Books & Prestige Stamp Books:

This section includes all the Prestige Stamp Book panes listed and illustrated separately. Stamp Books initially only consisted of definitive stamps. This has now changed with the introduction of Stamp Books containing Christmas and Greetings stamps. Retail Books and the later Prestige Stamp Books contain a mixture of definitive and commemorative stamps, and sometimes regionals or country pictorials.

 

Miniature Sheets:

These have all been grouped together irrespective of whether they contain commemorative or definitive stamps (or both).

More about what's included in the Organiser