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Welcome
Join the exciting world of Isle of Man Stamps & Coins... Stamp collecting is one of the world’s most popular and enduring hobbies and getting started couldn’t be easier. We have prepared this booklet to enable you to get the most out of this fascinating activity. If you’re new to stamp and coin collecting, returning to the hobby after a number of years or have, perhaps, inherited a collection from a relative, Isle of Man Stamps & Coins are the perfect choice.
Collecting Isle of Man stamps has never been easier! Imagine the delight as every issue arrives on your doostep. It’s easy for you to receive all our issues as they come out by using our standing order account. Or you can ‘pick and mix’ your issues and order when you want. The choice is yours - we will do the rest.
Manx stamps - an introduction... The Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency, centrally situated in the Irish Sea. Owing allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Sovereign Lord of Mann, we have our own Parliament, legal system, and since 1973 our own Post Office.
Isle of Man
WHAT IS “MANX”? United Kingdom
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The word ‘Manx’ relates to a characteristic, inhabitant, or the native language of the Isle of Man. Just as someone born in Ireland and England are called Irish and English respectively, people born in the Isle of Man are called ‘Manx’.
Artwork from the Interceltique stamp issue, 2008.
Bringing you the best
Discovery and enjoyment... Isle of Man Stamp collecting is the perfect way to discover what makes the Isle of Man so special - our talented stamp designers and artists are masters of presenting these miniature ‘works of art’ perfectly whilst the story behind the stamps are explored and written by our knowledgeable group of researchers who know the Isle of Man inside out. Collect Isle of Man stamps and we guarantee you will not only find out facts and snippets about the Isle of Man that you never knew before but you will also be astounded at the wealth of ‘Manx Connections’ around the world.
Isle of Man Post Office was delighted to celebrate the homecoming visit of the Bee Gees, Barry and Robin Gibb. when Chairman Alan Crowe MLC presented them with a framed set of stamps and crown coin celebrating their 50 years in show business. Each was declared a Freeman of the Borough of Douglas, along with their late brother Maurice.
Artist Alan Bean, former NASA astronaut and engineer, provided the images for the historic ‘Man on the Moon’ issue.
Many famous people, notable in the arts, literature, and the sciences, were born in the Isle of Man. Nature thrives throughout the seasons, sport and sporting heroes abound, enterprise is encouraged and individual achievement regularly exceeds expectations for a small country of DID YOU KNOW... i such modest size and The Bee Gees are Manx, population. born in the Jane Crookall This diversity is Maternity Home, reflected in our Douglas, Isle of Man. world-renowned Their mother, Barbara, ran Union Mills Sub stamp issues. Post Office at one time!
JOHN RHYS-DAVIES
LEWIS HAMILTON
PAUL MCCARTNEY
SIR NORMAN WISDOM
VALENTINO ROSSI
Lord of the Rings stamp issue
Formula One world champion stamp issue
Happy memories of the Isle of Man stamp issue
2003 yearbook
Limited edition print
Collecting Isle of Man Stamps & Coins is an experience not to be missed
Sharing our heritage
History of stamps & coins on the Isle of Man British Post Office roots... In 1767 His Majesty’s Postmaster General established a Post Office in the Isle of Man and introduced a mails service to and from the Island. At first Douglas was merely a Sub Office but it rose to Head Post Office status in 1822. Administration of postal services remained under the control of the British Post Office (now Royal Mail) and up to postal independence the stamps used in our Post Offices on the Island were known as regionals - featuring a small portrait of Her Majesty the Queen and a three legs symbol to signify the Isle of Man. Similar stamp designs were used in Wales and Scotland to signify national identity.
Postal independence... On July 5th 1973 the Isle of Man Post Office Authority officially became an independent Postal Administration. Independence heralded the beginning of Isle of Man stamps specifically designed for exclusive use in the Isle of Man – this landmark occasion resulted in a new collecting area for philatelists and Manx stamps soon made their mark with collectors all over the world.
ROYAL APPROVAL
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Her Majesty The Queen is an avid stamp collector and the Isle of Man Post Office sends a set of all its issues to the Royal Philatelic Collection. Pictured above is our Viking stamp mosaic by George Dereford which has been salvaged from our old Circular Road Headquarters prior to finding a new home in our brand new Stamp HQ in Braddan.
We have to obtain royal approval for all our stamp designs which sets them apart from other countries.
July 5th 1973 - The Isle of Man Post Office goes independent. Queuing outside the main Post Office at Regent Street, Douglas continued all day.
A wealth of history
Isle of Man Coins... As well as its stamps, the Isle of Man also creates acclaimed coin issues. Pobjoy Mint, the Mint appointed by the Isle of Man Treasury, has been striking coins for the Isle of Man for over 25 years and Manx coinage is amongst the most innovative in the numismatic world. Although a British Crown Dependency the Isle of Man has its own coins as well as postage stamps. As Head of State, an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Lord of Mann sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley appears on all Isle of Man coins. Many coins from the Isle of Man have won prestigious awards including the Penny Black, the world's first pearl-black coin that won the 1990 Coin of the Year Award, the 1984 Best Gold Coin, the Isle of Man Gold Angel which, like the ongoing cat collection (the Alley Cat also winning Coin of the Year) is still very popular with both collectors and investors in Gold bullion. Other awards received include the Currency Converter coin winning Most Innovative Coin and the Tutankhamun coin being selected as Most Artistic in a recent competition in Russia. To use a boxing term, the Isle of Man ‘punches above its weight’ in the Numismatic world. Apart from very popular commemorative coins, the Isle of Man issues its own very distinctive circulating coins which are available in uncirculated condition in a full colour pack illustrated with images from the Island. Working with the Pobjoy Mint, the Isle of Man has produced a wide range of innovative and attractive designs. Collectable coins include regular TT and Christmas 50p circulating pieces as well as precious metal issues produced in silver, gold and platinum. All proof collectors coins are struck four times to achieve the sharpest possible impression, then submitted to a microscopic inspection to ensure that only coins of the highest quality are encapsulated and boxed, along with their Certificates of Authenticity, before being supplied to discerning collectors.
Isle of Man Stamps & Coins offers a number of recent coins for sale, mainly in cupro nickel and silver. For a wider range, particularly in gold please visit the Pobjoy Mint website at www.pobjoy.com or call 01737 818182.
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Contact us today
Isle of Man Stamps & Coins
Who are we? What do we do? Personal customer service...
Carlo busy at work!
From postal independence through to the present day our main aim has been to provide the best possible service to our collectors. As a result many account holders are not simply customers but friends of Isle of Man Stamps & Coins. It gives us tremendous pleasure to welcome visitors to our office or to get letters of appreciation from satisfied customers.
Andy Sykes in action, postmarking
The staff of Isle of Man Stamps & Coins pride themselves on providing a very personal service to all our customers. We avoid answerphones preferring to handle your enquiries, no matter how small or complex, in a friendly and efficient manner. Most of the staff have worked in Stamps & Coins for over 15 years, so our knowledge is deep rooted and extensive. In addition, we have a very good network of external contacts within the stamp and coin world which we are happy to share with you.
We collect too... Our recent move to new offices means that we can now display some of our postal history. We have gathered items which were previously on display at our first home Regent Street Post Office and then Circular Road HQ. We hold the items in very high esteem and seeing the wide range of themes featured within our stamp issues - and the differing formats really helps us to appreciate what a wonderful collection you can assemble, whether theme-specific or selected from our new issue programme. From our office we cover all aspects of servicing your account and preparing our issue programme, our small close team can therefore respond very quickly to your needs.
We work for you... DID YOU KNOW...
Founder of the RNLI Sir William Hillary lived on the Isle of Man after marrying his Manx-born wife. It was on the Island that his vision to save ships at sea was born.
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We produce and assemble a select range of value-added products such as the year collections, presentation packs and first day covers. We supply 10,000 customers with their standing order requirements four times per year and once per year for the year collections and album pages. We also supply supplementary orders far in excess of 20,000 per year, despatched to over 130 countries worldwide annually. In addition to stamps and coins we also offer a wide range of albums and accessories to suit most needs.
Isle of Man Stamps & Coins - Exceeding all your expectations!
Some of the many designers and contributors that help with our stamp issues: Stacey Smith, Eddie Cassidy, Robert Kelly, Carola Rush, Kerry Kemp, Yvonne Cresswell, Dave MacDonald, Peter Hearsey, Stan Basnett, Keith Woodcock, Pete Jones, Jeremy Paul, Nigel Kemp, Emma Cooke.
What you say about Isle of Man Stamps & Coins... Mrs Ben-Yoseph wrote...
“I am very pleased that you issued Internment Camp Art as a stamp issue in September 2010. I joined your Philatelic Bureau following enquiries I made regarding the internment of my father on the Isle of Man during 1940. He ran a sock darning business while interned and his logo was your 3 legged symbol which he darned onto socks!” “The Isle of Man is the perfect collecting country for people like myself who want to have a basic stamp album but also to branch out into other collecting themes such as stationery, special handstamps, slogans and postal history via the secondary market. It is relatively young in postal terms which makes it easy to source and build up a very interesting and varied collection. The staff have such a deep knowledge across many topics and are always willing to help me to further my particular interests for which I am very grateful”. D. Plant, Staffs Thank you so much for sending the back issues of the newsletter. I've been away for a few days and came back to find them awaiting me, I so look forward to reading them. There was also the order I placed, which included the sheet for the Isle of Man Railways and Tramway. This is absolutely delightful. I have very happy memories of holidays on the Island, when we certainly made the most of the various forms of transport! A. Polden, Bucks “I have collected Manx stamps since Postal Independence in 1973. In all of this time, I have never failed to be amazed at the wide range of subjects covered and by the sheer quality of their designs and presentation. Even now, I look forward to the latest releases which always give an insight into life on the Island.” John Nottingham
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How to order...
Join our mailing list today to enter a monthly prize draw. FREE starter pack.
We have an account to suit you... Standing Order Account... Don’t miss a single new issue – open a standing order account - all items are supplied post-free with a complimentary newsletter each time we make a despatch. You can even sign up for direct debit via a credit or debit card and we take care of ensuring your account is funded for all your requirements.
Collector Account... Join our mailing list for regular updates by post or email then place your order as and when you please.
DESPATCH OF ORDERS
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We endeavour to despatch all orders within 7 working days. All items are sent by first class post, (or Special Delivery if your order value is over £70) at no extra cost to you.
Telephone Orders... +44 (0) 1624 698430 If you prefer to buy over the phone we have a dedicated customer services DID YOU KNOW... i team that will be glad to help and provide assistance. If you frequently buy Isle of Man stamp products and wish to set up a regular order or subscription our helpdesk will be happy to guide you through the process. Archibald Knox, famous Manx artist, designed for Liberty’s of London.
Subscriptions or regular orders ensure you don’t miss out on the chance to buy some of our most collectable products.
visit our website
KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE
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24 Hour Stamp Shop Our fully secure online shop is always open! All our current products are available to view and buy and the site includes an archive of issues which have gone off sale and an area detailing our services to the collector.
FREE magazine with EVERY order.
In our news section you can keep up to date with all that’s happening within Isle of Man Stamps & Coins and the Isle of Man Post Office in general. We are always pleased to hear from our collectors - emails at stamps@iompost.com are regularly reviewed during working hours and we pride ourselves on our prompt service. You can order from us with complete confidence, we accept most major credit cards and PayPal.
DID YOU KNOW...
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As a department of the IOM Government we are very security conscious - all registration, logon and account updating pages related to ordering are protected with Verisign security over the secure HTTPS protocol.
Stay In Touch facebook.com/isleofmanstampsandcoins For all the latest news and comments. Basking Sharks frequent the waters around the Isle of Man.
twitter.com/iomstampscoins Exchange quick and frequent messages.
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Lasting gifts to treasure
Gifts for everyone... Isle of Man Stamps & Coins has something for every taste... First Day Covers and Special Covers Postmarked with a unique handstamp to prove its authenticity, the first day cover is the classic gift for all types of stamp collector or budding enthusiast. Why not start a collection for someone today!
Presentation Packs Stamps don’t just mark special occasions, they represent artistic achievements in their own right. Presentation packs are tailor-made to showcase each stamp issue, they contain a full set of mint stamps, neatly protected by a plastic sleeve, with associated text crammed with useful facts and background information. Accessible and easy to collect and store, it’s no surprise that presentation packs are highly popular as gifts.
Yearbook This illustrated hardback book is produced to the highest standard of quality. Beautifully designed, and including every single special stamp issue released during the year, it makes a truly special gift. This handsome volume includes the detailed story behind the stamps. With dozens of carefully selected and often exclusive illustrations, the reader is taken deeper into each and every stamp issue.
Commemorative Folders Our commemorative folders combine informative text with exemplary design and can contain special sheets of stamps, postcards and/or coins. We hope you will agree that our folders offer extra interest, great value and collectability. Written by experts in their field and designed and produced with great care they are bound to please.
Isle of Man Stamps & Coins - Exceeding all your expectations!
MANX NATIONAL ANTHEM (ARRANE ASHOONAGH DY VANNIN.) O LAND of our birth, O Gem of God's earth, O Island so strong and so fair; Built firm as Barrule,
Isle of Man Factfile Capital: Douglas Population: 80,058 (2006 Census) Land Area: 572 sq. km/ 221 square miles Location: The centre of the Irish Sea 50 km (31 miles) from Ireland and 50 km (31 miles) from the U.K. Longest River: Sulby (17 km/ 10.5 miles) Highest Peak: Snaefell (621 m/ 2036 feet) Head of State: Her Majesty the Queen Status: An internally self-governing dependent territory of the Crown which is not part of the United Kingdom Parliament: Tynwald Currency: Manx pounds and pence (equivalent to GB pounds)
Thy throne of Home Rule Makes us free as thy sweet mountain air
Coat of Arms of the Isle of Man: The Coat of Arms of the Isle of Man (more correctly referred to as the Arms of Her Majesty in right of the Isle of Man) were granted by Her Majesty by Royal Warrant dated 12th July 1996. The Raven is a bird of legend and superstition and there are a number of places on the Island which include raven in their names. The Island has a strong Viking element in its history and Odin, the Norse God, was, according to mythology, accompanied by two ravens. During the Millennium Year of 1979, a replica of a Viking longship was sailed from Norway to the Isle of Man by a mixed Norwegian and Manx crew. The longship, which is now preserved on the Island, is called 'Odin's Raven'. Motto: The motto 'Quocunque Jeceris Stabit', which translates literally as ‘whithersoever you throw it, it will stand’, continues to feature on the Coat of Arms. This motto has been associated with the Isle of Man since about 1300.
Languages: English and Manx Gaelic
Tynwald Day, St. Johns
Flag: The Three Legs of Man: The three legs symbol seems to have been adopted in the Thirteenth Century as the armorial bearings of the native kings of the Isle of Man.
Call today +44 (0) 1624 698340
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Join the exciting world of Isle of Man Stamps & Coins Snapshots of the Isle of Man
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Groudle Glen
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The Mull Circle
View from Snaefell
The Grandstand
John Nicholson, artist and designer of Manx stamps and currency. Peel
Isle of Man Stamps & Coins • PO Box 10M • Isle of Man Post Office Douglas • Isle of Man • IM99 1PB • British Isles
Email stamps@iompost.com Phone +44 (0)1624 698430 Fax +44 (0)1624 698434
www.iomstamps.com OUR GUARANTEE OF SATISFACTION TO YOU... If you are not completely satisfied with any aspect of our product we are happy for you to return the items to us for a complete refund, exchange or alternative product without question, providing the matter is brought to our attention within one month of the date of invoice. For standing order despatches we are happy to exchange or refund up to two months from the invoice date.
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