Norvic Philatelics

Scotland: St Andrew's Day - 30 November 2006

Royal Mail will be issuing a new series of miniature sheets 'The Four Countries of the United Kingdom' focusing specifically on Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Each sheet will consist of three new stamps and one existing country definitive and will be issued on the respective Saint's Day. The first minisheet in this series, focusing on Scotland, will be issued on St Andrew's Day 30th November 2006, and will be supported with the usual range of stamp products.

Miniature sheet of stamps Celebrating Scotland.

The sheet contains two definitive-size stamps, one being the existing 1st class Lion, and the other being a redesigned Scotland flag (Saltire) also 1st class. The two 72p stamps are 24x60mm (ie 3x the size of the definitives) and show St Andrew and Edinburgh Castle.

The stamps in detail:

1st Class - Regional definitive Scotland - Lion of Scotland
Issued in 1999 as part of Country Definitives issue, designed by Tayburn with photography by Julyan Rawlings.

72p - St Andrew
For Scots at home and abroad, St Andrew's Day is an opportunity not only to celebrate their patron saint but also their national identity. On November 30 every year, across the globe from Scotland to North America and Australia, from Gambia and Mongolia to Papua New Guinea, dinners and ceilidhs are held in honour of the fisherman from Galilee who became Jesus's first disciple.
St Andrew, who is also patron saint of Greece and Russia, was crucified for his beliefs by the Romans in Patras, part of modern Greece.

72p - Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fo rt ress, Edinburgh Ca stle; and the neoclassical New Town (both of which have been World Heritage sites since 1995).
Edinburgh Castle stands on an immense rock dominating the famous Princes Street and Scotland's capital city. It has withstood the turbulence of events in Scottish history, but not without partial destruction and centuries of neglect which persisted until the mid-19th century. Today it houses the Honours of Scotland (the crown jewels) and is the location of the Edinburgh Tattoo, a hugely popular tourist attraction.

1st Class - Regional definitive Scotland
Scotland's Saltire flag, representing the X - shaped crucifix on which St Andrew is said to have died, is among the world's oldest.
Popular myth states that the white cross on a blue ground commemorates a shape which appeared in the clouds to the Pictish king Angus in the early ninth century, when his kingdom was under attack by Northumbrian ruler Athelstan. Despite being heavily outnumbered, with this saintly support, Angus's men routed the invading army.


Technical Details:

Sheet design: Silk Pearce. Illustrations of Saltire and St Andrew by Peter Crowther, background/border illustration by Mary Evans Picture Library.

The 123x70mm sheet is printed by De La Rue Security Print in gravure. The definitive stamps are perforated 15x14 and the larger stamps 14½x14.

All stamp and postmark images are copyright 2006, Royal Mail.


First Day Covers

Our exclusive FDC for this sheet shows three of the many favourite places in Scotland: Loch Tummel, Loch Rannoch and Oban.
It comes with a choice of postmarks L10303 or S10304 - Price £6.75.

Norvic Philatelics first day cover for the Celebrating Scotland miniature sheet issued on St Andrew's Day 30 Bovember 2006.

Also available
Royal Mail FDC with any postmark shown here - Price - £3.95
Miniature sheet - mint or vfu - Price £3.00
Set of five stamp cards (PHQ cards) unused - £1.80
Serviced cards with 5 different postmarks (1st class stamp on front of MS card) - £5.25 Presentation Pack - £3.55


Special Postmarks available on the day of this issue. (These are not available from the Post Office after 30 November.)
Postmark with text as below. Postmark with text as below. Edinburgh operational postmark. Edinburgh SHC postmark. postmark showing Edinburgh Castle. postmark showing Edinburgh Castle.
Ref FD643 - Official Bureau postmark: "We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilization" - Francois Voltaire. Ref FD644 - St Andrews First Day postmark: "To the memory of Scotland and St Andrew yet!" Ref S6040 - Edinburgh operational datestamp Ref S4185 - Edinburgh SHC postmark Ref S4653 - Edinburgh permanent postmark Ref L10303 - Saint Andrews Day, Edinburgh
postmark showing Thistle against Saltire (flag of Scotland). Postmark showing Edinburgh Castle. Postmark showing Saint Andrew. Postmark showing fish marked with Saltire. Postmark showing bagpiper.
Ref S10304 - Saint Andrews Day, St Andrews Fife. Ref S10301 - Celebrating Scotland, Edinburgh Ref S10302 - Celebrating Scotland, St Andrews Ref S10299 - Celebrating Scotland, St Andrews Ref M10296 - Four Countries Series: Scotland, Saint Andrews Birmingham

This page updated 19 November 2006

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2006 stamp issues
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January
10
Animal Tales Joint issue with USA
Paddington Bear Smilers
February
7
British Journey - England
23 Bicentenary of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
March
1
Welsh Assembly MS
7 Fun Fruit 'n' Veg Smilers
21 Ice Age Animals
28 New definitives and country stamps
April
18
80th Birthday of HM The Queen
May
25
Smilers Sheet for Washington 2006 Stamp Expo
June
6
World Cup (Soccer) & Smilers Sheet
20 Modern Architecture
July
4
Generic Smilers Sheet - pictorial definitives
18 150th ann National Portrait Gallery
August
1 & 15
New PIP definitives for new postage rate structure
31 Miniature sheet: Year of the Three Kings 1936
September
12
New PIP definitives
21 Victoria Cross
October
3
Sounds of Britain (Europa)
17 Smilers Booklet and Generic sheet
November
7
Christmas
9 Lest We Forget
14 Belgica 2006 Smilers Sheet
30 St Andrew's Day

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