Christmas 2009

View FDCs for this issue

2nd Class

03.11.2009
Christmas

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Stamp Issue:

Click on link to view all first day covers for 'Christmas' 2009

Christmas

Date:

3rd November 2009

Click on 2009 to view an overview of all items on our website for 2009

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Themes:

Animals
Arts

Christmas
Churches & Cathedrals

Music
Religion

Stamp Types:

Commemoratives
Stamp Books
Generic Sheets
Miniature Sheets

Royal Mail provided background information for this issue

click on titles to view details.

Reason and inspiration

Royal Mail’s policy for Christmas stamps is to alternate religious and secular themes. The 2008 Christmas stamps celebrated Pantomimes, and so in 2009 a religious theme is featured.

The new stamps show characters from the nativity as depicted in stained glass windows from the Pre-Raphaelite era.

Since 2006 all Christmas stamps are standard definitive size except for the 1st and 2nd Large stamps where the 1st and 2nd images are repeated on the wider format stamps. And to provide choice for customers, the popular 1st and 2nd Class Madonna and Child stamps will also be available. All Christmas stamps are self-adhesive.

Stamp design and background

Designer Andrew Ross trawled through hundreds of photographs of stained glass windows before deciding upon the final selection of images. Once selected Andrew had the windows photographed by Phil Sayer before cropping the images to produce the set. The stamps show the Madonna and Child (1st Class), an Angel (2nd), Joseph (56p), a Wise man (90p) and a Shepherd (£1.35).

Stamp by Stamp

2nd Class – Angel

The Angel shown here is a detail taken from a stained glass window designed by William Morris. The window is from the Church of St James, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria.

1st Class – Madonna and Child

Designed by Henry Holiday the Madonna and Child are taken from a detail from window from the Church of Ormesby St Michael, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

2nd Class Large – Angel

The different format of the Large stamp allows for a different crop of the Morris and Company window.

1st Class Large – Madonna and Child

The different format of the Large stamp allows for a different crop of the Madonna and Child window.

56p – Joseph

Joseph is taken from a detail of another Holiday window, this time from the Parish Church of St Michael at Minehead, Somerset.

90p – Wise Man

From the Church of St Mary the Virgin at Rye in East Sussex the Wise Man was designed by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones.

£1.35 – Shepherd

Another Henry Holiday design the shepherd is taken from a detail from a window at St Mary’s, Upavon, Wiltshire.

Mint Stamps - Technical Details:

Feature	Type/Detail
Number of stamps	Seven
Design	Osbourne Ross
Photography	Phil Sayer
Acknowledgements	Angel with Mandolin by William Morris, from the Church of St James, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria; Madonna and Child by Henry Holiday, from Ormesby St Michael, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; Joseph by Henry Holiday, from the Parish Church of St Michael, Minehead, Somerset; Wise Man by Edward Burne-Jones, from St Mary the Virgin, Rye, East Sussex; Shepherd by Henry Holiday, from St Mary’s Church, Upavon, Wiltshire
Stamp format	Standard: portrait Large: landscape
Stamp size	Standard: 20mm x 24mm Large: 30mm x 24mm
Printer	De la Rue Security Print
Print process	Gravure
Number per sheet	50
Perforations	Kiss die-cut simulated perforations
Phosphor	bars
Gum	Self adhesive

The images on this website (excluding postmark images) are also included on the latest edition of Stamp Organiser, a user friendly computer program for you to record details of your collection of British stamps, first day covers, stamp books, presentation packs and PHQ cards - Stamp Organiser.

Released with

Set of Stamps

Miniature Sheet

Generic Sheet

Christmas 2nd Class

Christmas 1st Class

Presentation Pack: 433

PHQ Cards: 329

Postmarks