Stamp_&_Coin_Mart_2016_01_

http://www.stampandcoin.co.uk JANUARY 2016 31

R

obert Burns lived

from 25 January,

1759, to 21 July,

1796. It is perhaps
      not surprising that
      over the years there
      had been many suggestions for stamps
      in his honour. Between 1955 and 1964
      there were no fewer than seventeen
      questions asked in the House of
      Commons on the matter, with pressure
      strongest in the months before the
      200th anniversary of his birth. The
      reply was always that the Post Office
      was very reluctant to commemorate
      individuals, and anniversaries other
      than those of a royal or postal nature.
      The anniversary passed, but the
      matter was not forgotten, especially
      after William Shakespeare was
      honoured in 1964, under the guise
      of celebrating an event (Shakespeare
      Festival) rather than the man. The
      appointment later that year of Tony
      Benn as Postmaster General, and his
      announcement that he was reviewing
      the stamp-issuing policy, led to renewed
      requests for a Burns stamp. On 12
      February, 1965 Benn announced a
      stamp would be issued in January 1966.
      No fewer than eight Scottish artists
      were invited to submit ideas, resulting
      in forty designs being received by the
      Post Office. Interestingly, the artists
      were advised that they could submit
      ‘non-traditional’ designs, it being stated
      that this was with the Queen’s consent.
      By ‘non-traditional’ was meant designs
      without the Royal portrait, using the
      words ‘UK Postage’, the Crown or
      Royal cypher instead.
      In fact, on seeing the submitted

Despite honouring William Shakespeare in 1964, calls for a stamp to mark the

200th anniversary of Scottish poet Robert Burns initially fell on deaf ears.

Paul Brittain recalls the initial fight for a stamp to honour Scotland’s bard

GB stamps

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designs, the Stamp Advisory

Committee made its first choice

two by Jock Kinneir showing Burns’

signature and ‘UK Postage’. However,

it was not being revolutionary, as it

instructed that the legend be replaced

by the Queen’s portrait. Its second

choice was two designs by Gordon

F Huntley featuring portraits of

Burns. However, in submitting its

recommendations to the Queen, the

Committee decided that Huntley’s

designs be first choice, concerned that

postmarks might spoil the Kinneir

concept. Benn added a further design,

one by AB Imrie, which featured the

portrait of Burns, his signature and

a plough – and the cypher in place

of the Queen’s portrait. The Queen

approved the Huntley designs.

The two designs, issued on 25

January, depicted an adaptation of

the Skiving chalk drawing of around

1798 of Burns, with the Saltaire

cross of St Andrew (4d), and the

Naysmith portrait superimposed on a

background of abstract symbols of his

life: the plough, a scroll and quill, the

rose, a stook of barley, the thistle and

the gable-end of Mossgiel farmhouse

(1s 3d). There were six ‘first day

of issue’ handstamps available, at

Alloway, Ayr, Dumfries, Edinburgh,

Glasgow and Kilmarnock.

During the 1970s to 1990s pictorial

air letters were frequently used to

highlight significant people and events

for both Wales and Scotland (in much

the same way as Smilers sheets are

used today when it is not possible

to have an issue of stamps). One of

the first, issued on 13 January, 1975,

commemorated Robert Burns, with his

portrait on the front of the air letter.

The rear panel illustrated the ‘Wee,

Sleekit, Cow’rin Tim’rous Beastie’,

while the inner section showed ‘The

carlin claught her by the rump’ from

Tam O’Shanter. Special ‘First day

of sale’ handstamps were in use in

Alloway, Ayr, Dumfries, Edinburgh,

Glasgow, Greenock, Kilmarnock

and Mauchline, a similarly designed

handstamp being used at the same

locations on 25 January, 1975.

Come 1966 there was no

hesitation in marking the

bicentenary of Burns’ death, albeit

the date chosen was understandably

Robert Burns Day, 25 January. Four

stamps were issued, the work of

Tayburn design, featuring famous

Burns’ quotations: the opening line

of ‘To a Mouse’; ‘O my Love’s like

a red, red rose’; ‘Scots, wha hae wi

Wallace bled’; and the world famous

‘Should auld acquaintance be forgot’.

Images © Royal Mail Group, courtesy

of the BPMA

Top: a design by Imrie

chosen by Tony Benn

Above: Jock Kinnear’s

designs showing Robert

Burns’ signature, both

with UK Postage and the

Queen’s head

A Burns air letter

featuring a portrait of

Burns. Turn to page 32

for more Burns-related

covers and collectables

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