As a taster of what we can expect to come in this year of Pride and Prejudice 200, the Royal Mail has announced that it is to release a set of commemorative stamps to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Pride and Prejudice in 1813.
The last time they issued a set of stamps commemorating Jane Austen was in 1975, to celebrate the bicentenary of her birth. As you know, I adore this set of stamps which were designed by Barbara Brown, and I have written about them a while ago, and you can see my old post, here.
The images for the new set, to be released on the 21st February 2013, are not being previewed except for this image, below, of the 77 pence stamp which illustrates Mr Knightley taking Emma to task after the dreadful picnic on Box Hill:
Royal Mail commemorative stamp illustrating a scene from “Emma”
I have, of course, placed my order for the complete set with my local Post Office, and I will be writing about the full set in February, when they are released.
Update: the lovely Raquel of Jane Austen In Portuguese has just contacted me to tell me she has found a complete set of the stamps:
They are designed by Angela Barrett. The Pride and Prejudice Stamp shows the moment in the Picture Gallery at Pemberley when Elizabeth Bennet contemplates Darcy’s portrait. Here is a link to a gallery of some of Angela Barret’s lovely and very atmospheric illustrations.
13 comments
January 2, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Tycelia Santoro
Anyway for this side of the pond to purchase a collection of the Jane Austen stamps?
January 2, 2013 at 1:48 pm
jfwakefield
I think you can order them from the Royal Mail on-line shop, go here to see.
January 2, 2013 at 4:10 pm
William G Lesso
Will you be giving details on ordering stamps? I would like to send my order now.
W. Lesso
January 2, 2013 at 4:13 pm
jfwakefield
If you follow the link in my reply to Tycelia, that may be able to help you ;)
January 2, 2013 at 6:03 pm
Kathy
I cannot find any information on the Jane Austen stamps at the Royal Mail site. Dickens? Yes. Locomotives? Yes. Dr. Who? Yes.
But not Austen.
January 2, 2013 at 6:19 pm
jfwakefield
Go here to see the release date on the Royal Mail’s site. I fear you may have to wait for the stamps to be released before you can order them online. There does not seem to be the ability to order in advance ( but as I’m not an avid philatalist, do not take my word for it, as i may be mistaken) If you have any queries, why not contact the Rotal Mail directly.I’m afraid I cannot answer for them ;)
January 3, 2013 at 11:15 am
fenifur
apparently sometimes if you phone them they can do ‘special’ things. I know someone in Canada got them to put the special Olympics postmark on some postcards he sent and posted them back to him – yet when I went to the Post Office to ask them to do this they said I had to post them and they wouldn’t do it. I posted them in the right areas of London with olympic stamps on, and they went missing!!! Next time I’ll phone!!
January 2, 2013 at 8:45 pm
Faith
They look great. Will definitely purchase some.
January 2, 2013 at 10:35 pm
cathyallen
These are beautiful, and you already answered all my questions. Thank you, Julie!
January 3, 2013 at 11:13 am
fenifur
As if I don’t have enough stamps I need to buy this year – now I have to buy at least 2 each of these! Would have preferred them to be a little less wishy washy though, and more like, or possibly BE the original illustrations, or the engravings from the 1894 edition. Oh well! :)
January 6, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Praising Emma Thompson « Beverly Farr
[...] The Royal Mail is to issue a set of Jane Austen Commemorative Stamps in February (austenonly.com) [...]
January 8, 2013 at 8:58 am
Gesi
I live in Italy.Where fan i buy the at of commemoratives stamps?
Gesi Ciampa
January 8, 2013 at 10:31 am
jfwakefield
Once they are issued I think you may be able to buy them directly from Royal Mail. If you look at the links in my replies to comments here you will be able to get to their site.