Dear Friends Thank you!
On 1st June 2023 I celebrated 42 years working for the Isle of Man Post Office, pretty much the entire time in Stamps & Coins. It has been the best job anyone could ever wish for as a career!
As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary on 5th July I want to pay tribute to all of my colleagues past and present in all areas of the Post Office who have played a part; and continue to do so, in making our aspirations come to fruition for the benefit of our collectors and all stakeholders. I hope you enjoy seeing some photos from the previous 50 years further on in this special newsletter.
Recently, journalist Richard West MBE came to our office to prepare our issue text and articles for various philatelic publications around the world. He asked me to recall stories about the last 50 years, during which each issue has its own tale to tell and I am sure that’s the same for you when you view topics in your album. I would be thrilled to hear about your philatelic memories.
Today I was in ‘thank you cards and letter writing mode’, I cannot even begin to explain the joy I get from sticking a stamp onto an envelope and going to post it.
I know how many hearts and minds have gone into the final 36mm x 36mm square stamp for my enjoyment and the recipients all over the world, long may that continue. A well-used phrase but one I believe in - always better by letter… With all good wishes and sincere thanks
STEAM RAILWAY 150 ISSUE DATE CELEBRATIONS
To mark the issue of the 150th Anniversary of the Isle of Man Steam Railway stamp issue, a number of First Day Covers travelled the return trip from Douglas to Port Erin with our issue text author Barry Edwards. Sending them off on their way was the Isle of Man Steam Railway team and our General Manager Maxine Cannon.
As part of our celebrations, we were thrilled to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Corlett on board the much loved Pie & Mash Train service from Douglas to Port Erin. Mr. Corlett took part in our competition to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Isle of Man Steam Railway stamp issue release. Thank you to all staff members at the Isle of Man Steam Railway and Isle of Man Transport for their help and support.
Maxine and all the team at Stamps & Coins
KING CHARLES III POST BOX
Ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III we were delighted to present a parcel box at Postal Headquarters bearing the cypher of His Majesty Lord of Mann. This box is the first on the Island to display King Charles’ cypher and adds to IOMPO’s current range of historical boxes, featuring royal cyphers back to Queen Victoria in 1840.
THE ISLE OF MAN’S SPECIAL DELIVERY TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE
Local postman Paul Timson has hand delivered a bespoke gift made for Their Majesties King Charles III - Lord of Mann – and Queen Camilla, to Buckingham Palace, on behalf of the people of the Isle of Man.
Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) was asked by the Cabinet Office to make the special delivery, which took place on Wednesday (17th May) and was made possible through a collaboration effort between Isle of Man Post Office, the Cabinet Office, Isle of Man Airport, Loganair and London City Airport.
The gift is a handcrafted wooden bowl, inlaid with peregrine falcons made from recycled silver. Designed and made by Manx artists, it reflects the Monarch’s life-long passion for the environment and traditional craftsmanship – whilst referencing the Island’s rich heritage, language and culture.
The gift started its journey at Government Offices in Douglas to Postal Headquarters, Isle of Man Airport and London City Airport before reaching its final destination at Buckingham Palace in London. On arrival at the Palace, Paul had special permission to be able to travel through the gates and make the personal delivery to the Royal Household Mailroom.
Paul Timson, postman of IOMPO, said: “The day was an amazing experience which I’ll never forget. A huge thank you to the Cabinet Office, Isle of Man Airport, Loganair, London City Airport and IOMPO for making it possible and ensuring everything ran smoothly from the start to the finish of a very special delivery journey.”
Isle of Man Post Office is happy to present this landmark set of stamps celebrating the 150th anniversary of this much loved national institution that has been such a familiar part of Manx life for a century and a half.
Barry Edwards writes…
The Isle of Man Railway Company was registered in 1870 with a capital of £200,000. Tenders were invited in 1872 to construct a 3’0” gauge railway from Douglas to Peel and Port Erin. The contract was awarded to Messrs Watson & Smith of London.
The line opened to Peel on 1st July 1873, large crowds turned out to watch the train clatter past at speeds of up to 25 mph, speeds not seen on the Island before!
Meanwhile, the Port Erin line proved a more difficult task and opened without ceremony on the 1st August 1874. The Manx Northern Railway Company was registered in 1877, to build a line from Ramsey to St Johns. The construction contract was awarded to J. & W. Grainger of Glasgow. The Foxdale Railway Company was formed in 1882, leasing itself to the Manx Northern Railway for 50 years, before construction started.
The Foxdale Railway went into voluntary liquidation in 1891, leaving the Manx Northern to complete the remaining lease. By 1904, The Manx Northern was itself in trouble and both were purchased by The Isle of Man Railway, for £67,000.
After the outbreak of War, the railway operated trains over a specially constructed line linking Peel with Knockaloe, serving a Prisoners of War (POW) camp for 20,000 people.
World War II brought more work for the railway, the Knockaloe camp had been demolished but, hotels were requisitioned to house POW’s while training camps at Jurby and Castletown put passenger numbers above peacetime.
On 7th July 1963 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited the Island and travelled from Douglas to Kirk Braddan by train.
The railway lost £8,000 in 1965, the cancellation of all winter maintenance, meant no trains in 1966. The Marquis of Ailsa provided relief and agreed to lease the line for 21 years with an opt-out clause after five years. The railway re-opened on 3rd June 1967. However, there were mounting losses and the season was cut short, the last train from Ramsey running on the 6th September
and the last from Peel the next day. The two lines never reopened.
The Tourist Board assisted in keeping the Port Erin line open for three years. The Marquis took the five-year option, and in 1971 the Tourist Board offered support for a further three years, Her Majesty the Queen travelled from Castletown to Douglas on the 2nd August 1972.
The centenary of the opening of the Peel line was celebrated on 1st July 1973. The future of the railway was discussed in Tynwald in 1974, resulting in assistance being offered to operate between Port Erin and Castletown from 1975 onwards.
Trains returned to Ballasalla for 1976, and to Douglas for 1977, the line being purchased by the Government the same year.
The 125th anniversary was celebrated on the 1st July 1998 with a special train, celebrations for the Port Erin line took place on the 1st August 1999. HRH Prince Edward and his royal party travelled from Douglas to Santon to attend the Santon Fayre on 7th July 2001.
A new Director of Public Transport arrived in 2009 and some interesting initiatives followed. Special trains operated for Hop-tu-Naa, Blow away the Cobwebs, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Rush Hour on the Railways was launched in 2011, an event that has now established itself as the official curtain raiser to the season. The dining train was next, officially launched in late 2013, and was a huge success from the start.
The 2020 season started on 3rd March to convey a coach party from Douglas to Port Erin, the full timetable beginning on 6th March. Sadly, the onset of Covid-19 changed everything and on 19th March, all services were withdrawn until further notice.
An air corridor with Guernsey, and the school holidays approaching, the railway re-opened on 23rd July, and continued until the beginning of November.
The 2021 season was also interrupted by the Covid situation, 2022 seeing a return to normal.
A Set Mint ACI31 CTO ACI81 £10.26
B Presentation Pack ACI41 £11.01
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Design: ................................. Isle of Man Advertising
Text & Photographs: ......................Barry Edwards & ........................................... Barry Edwards Collection
Printer: ............................................................. Cartor
Process: ......................................... Offset lithography
Colours: .................................................................... 4
Paper: .................................... PVA Gummed 110 gsm
C First Day Cover ACI91 £10.96
D Sheet Set Mint ACI66 CTO ACI67 £102.60
Perforations: .......................................... 13.5 per 2cm
Stamp Size: ........................................ 42mm x 28mm
Format: ....................................................Sheets of 10
Date of Issue: ...................................... 25th May 2023
Limited Editions: ............... Presentation Pack 1500; ................................................... First Day Cover 1750
Isle of Man Post Office is delighted to present a set of seven stamps in celebration of our fiftieth anniversary on 5th July 2023.
Richard West MBE writes…Memories are made of stamps: for Maxine Cannon, General Manager Stamps and Coins, 40 years with the Isle of Man Post Office has brought a wealth of stamps and a mountain of memories. She shares some of those thoughts and memories, many evoked by the stamps reproduced on this set of six that marks the 50th anniversary of Isle of Man Post Office.
Where better to start than with the 15p ‘Inauguration’ stamp of 1973? The striking design showing a Viking landing on Mann, epitomising the strength and determination of the Manx people, attributes that have motivated Maxine over the 40 years.
Some stamp issues need special licences – and great determination to see the project to fruition. To mark the 1,000th anniversary of Tynwald in 1979, Odin’s Raven, a two-thirds scale replica of a 9th century Viking ship, sailed from Trondheim in Norway, arriving at Peel, Isle of Man, on 5th July, Tynwald Day. There was great excitement when the boat landed, demonstrating the strong bonds with the people of Norway. Covers were carried on board but quickly sold out: sadly Maxine missed out. Many buildings in Douglas are beautiful, such as the Gaiety Theatre and Villa Marina highlighted on four stamps in 1987. The 1994 definitives had the theme of ships, one being the Royal Yacht Britannia, when the yacht visited Douglas with the now King Charles III on board. It was an honour for Maxine to present the stamps to the ship’s company. The new millennium provided the opportunity for something different: a miniature sheet issued on 31st December 1999, and cancelled 23.59, 00.00 and 00.01. A party that night at the Regent Street Post Office in Douglas included a buffet, Bee Gees music, and postmen cancelling covers.
Some of those who fought in the First World War for our freedom featured on a set in 2000 titled Mann at War. It is through such stamps that future generations can learn of their bravery. One of those was George Kneale: a shrine at the family home includes a letter he wrote, much more poignant than an email or text will ever be.
Michael Noakes, artist and portrait painter, spent much of 1999 with HM Queen Elizabeth II, making sketches, paintings and drawings of her daily life. A selection was used on stamps for the Golden Jubilee in 2002. Noakes was a real character who Maxine visited at Buckingham Palace to view an album of his portraits.
The television programme Time to Remember inspired the set issued in 2005 for which Islanders were invited to a tea party, bringing memorabilia and sharing memories. However, one Islander with a wealth of memories, Hilary Guard, preferred not to come along. Then, to everyone’s surprise, attended the launch of the stamps, the first time he had taken part in anything for years.
Anniversaries of the first manned Moon landing in 1969 resulted in meeting with Alan Bean, the fourth man to walk on the Moon and one of the nicest people you could meet. Particularly exciting was to be able to launch the 2019 stamps at the Space Center Houston.
Nigel Parkinson, cartoonist for D. C. Thomson & Co Ltd, specially created a comic strip for A Beano Christmas set in 2018. The unique original artwork, telling of Dennis’s visit to the Island, adorns a wall in Maxine’s office.
However, it is that set from 2020, Carry Us Through, that carries the most powerful message: ‘Words will carry us through’. For Maxine letter writing is still key, giving great pleasure to both sender and receiver. Stamps can bring people closer together - that’s why Maxine and the team takes great pride and care in how the world sees the Isle of Man through stamps.
Richard West MBE
Richard has been a stamp collector since he was eight years old, being Editor of the monthly Stamp Magazine from 1972 until 1999.
He is a member of the Royal Mail Stamp Advisory Committee, is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, and has been heavily involved for many years with encouraging the young to collect, including being an international judge.
He was honoured with the MBE for services to philately in 2012.
A Set (Europa) Mint ACJ31 CTO ACJ81 £11.00
B Presentation Pack ACJ41 £11.75
C First Day Cover ACJ91 £11.70
D Sheet Set Mint ACJ66 CTO ACJ67 £66.00 (not illustrated)
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Text: Richard West MBE
Design: ..................................................... EJC Design
Printer: ............................................................. Cartor
Process: Offset Lithography
Colours: ........................................................4 Colour
Paper: ................................... PVA Gummed 110 gsm
E Europa Cover ACJ95 £6.50 (not illustrated)
F Europa Sheetlet Mint ACJ62 CTO ACJ63 £7.68
G Special Edition of 50 Collectors Printers Pane ACJ43 £100.00 Anniversary edition of only 50
H PO50 Collectors Sheetlet FREE GIFT TO STANDING ORDER CUSTOMERS ACJ64 £8.88 (not illustrated)
Free gift
Perforations: 13.0719 x 12.99
Stamp Size: ........................................ 52mm x 40mm
No. of Stamps: ............................ 7 including Europa
Format: 6 stamps per sheet
Date of Issue: ........................................ 5th July 2023
150th Anniversary of the Isle of Man Steam Railway
6th May Sheetlet & Cover with stamps in folder)
HM King Charles III and HM Queen Consort Camilla (Set of 8 only)
Portraits of King Charles III (Set of 4 only)
HM King Charles III and HM Queen Consort Camilla
Portraits of King Charles III Presentation Pack
HM King Charles III and HM Queen Consort Camilla
First Day Cover - ACO92 £11.18
Portraits of King Charles III First Day Cover - ACO94 £5.82
Coronation Day Commemorative Sheet
The Accession of HM King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Coronation Collection
The Accession of HM King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Coronation Day Special Cover -
HM King Charles III, Lord of Mann, Coronation Coin Philatelic Numismatic Cover -
- £22.50
Standing Order Dispatch Date: 15.03.23
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Isle of Man Stamps & Coins, Isle of Man Post Office, PO Box 10M, Douglas, ISLE OF MAN, British Isles, IM99 1PB Telephone: +44 (0)1624 698430. Opening hours Mon - Fri 9am - 4:45pm
Isle of Man Stamps and Coins reserves the right to limit the supply of all product lines should the occasion arise where demand exceeds supply. The decision and allocation of available stock rests solely with Isle of Man Stamps and Coins.
COINS & BANKNOTES
Avidly collected across the world, Isle of Man coins and bank notes display our Island’s rich and varied history. The Isle of Man has a unique constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom, enabling it to mint its own currency – the Manx Pound.
We are official suppliers of Isle of Man Treasury Coins and Banknotes and a member of the International Bank Note Society.
of Man Bank Notes (Uncirculated, presented within folder)
Celebrate and remember the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla with our outstanding range of special limited edition collectables.
The Accession of HM King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Coronation Collection
ACO43 £39.99
The ultimate collectable from the historic coronation of HM King Charles III and HM Queen Camilla. Contains the limited edition coronation cover and sheetlet, created in collaboration with Stanley Gibbons and 4 portrait stamps from the Accession Collection. All displayed in a beautiful album filled with photography from the historic day and text by international best-selling author and award-winning journalist Robert Jobson.
HM King Charles III, Lord of Mann, Coronation Coin Philatelic Numismatic Cover
ACO97 £35.00
This Philatelic Numismatic Cover (PNC) is a limited edition of 250. This special cover features the portrait and cypher stamps from the Accession of HM King Charles III and HM Queen Consort Camilla collection and incorporates a 50p coin, with the King’s effigy from the Isle of Man Treasury 2023 Coronation of King Charles III Lord of Mann coin set. Each edition is hand numbered and confirmed with a certificate of authenticity, hand signed by the President of Tynwald, The Hon Laurence David Skelly MLC.
The Accession of HM King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Coronation Day Special Cover
ACO95 £17.50
The special cover features 8 stamps of HM King Charles III and HM Queen Camilla from the Accession Collection. Enclosed is a filler card with issue text written by international best-selling author and award-winning journalist Robert Jobson, Royal Correspondent for the Evening Standard.
