Postal Museum Commemorative Sheet 13 September 2017

We've mentioned the Postal Museum Commemorative Sheet which was originally scheduled to be issued in firstly in March and then in April this year, but was delayed because of the delayed opening of the Museum.  The sheet's issue date of 13 September 2017 was rescheduled to coincide with Autumn Stampex, but meanwhile the Museum opened in July!

We can now show the design of this long-awaited sheet (click on the image to see a larger version).
Containing 10 labels attached to a mix of 1d black (4), 2d blue (3), and 1d red (3) self-adhesive 1st class stamps, the price is £15.95, and the Royal Mail product code is AV046.

The images on the labels seem to be not in any logical (eg chronological) order, but this is the information provided.

Column 1:
Mail coaches were introduced in 1784 to speed up the movement of mail. The coach in The Postal Museum’s collection takes pride of place in the new exhibition space.

The Postal Museum holds thousands of examples of posters and original artwork for both posters and stamps. Many were designed by the leading artists of their day.

Rowland Hill was an educational reformer, and to help improve literacy he campaigned for reform of the postal service. His efforts led to the introduction of the Penny Black in 1840.

With the coming of the railways, the postal service started using trains to move and sort the mail. This railway van was designed to collect mail without stopping.

From 1933, the General Post Office had its own film unit, which made many ground breaking films, including the highly original A Colour Box (1935), directed by Len Lye.

Column 2:
A more affordable postal service meant a rise in social mail, including this first commercially available Christmas card, designed in 1843

In 1927, an underground driverless railway opened in London to connect sorting offices with railway stations. A section of it is open to the public as part of The Postal Museum.

During the Second World War, the need for lines of communication to remain open was vital. The new exhibition tells the story of some of the individuals who helped to make this happen.

Expansion of the postal service in the mid-19th century changed how people used the post. Letter boxes in a variety of shapes and colours began appearing on British streets.

The new Postal Museum presents a mix of stories, includes hands-on exhibits and displays of original objects.

We assume that the sheet was printed by ISP-Cartor: it's a limited edition of 7500.  We won't be stocking this but can obtain it for customers if required.

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