10 FEBRUARY 2016 http://www.stampandcoin.co.ukStamp update
Stamp sheet participants
The following Commonwealth postal administrations featured
on the sheet are: Antigua and Barbuda, Ascension Island,
Bahamas, Barbados, British Antarctic Territory, Cook Islands,
Falkland Islands, Grenada, Isle of Man, Kenya, New Zealand,
Nevis, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts, St Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, South Georgia and South
Sandwich Islands, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Tristan da Cunha,
Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, and Zambia.A stamp sheet featuring stamps from 27 postal
administrations within the Commonwealth has been
produced to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the
Commonwealth Secretariat and the role as HM The
Queen as Head of the Commonwealth.
The unique product was issued on 27 November when
the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting opened in Malta, attended by the Queen,
Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of
Cornwall. The unique sheet also coincides with the
Queen becoming the longest reigning monarch and the
175th anniversary of the Penny Black.
The project was the brainchild of Maxine Cannon, General
Manager of Isle of Man Stamps & Coins, Isle of Man Post Office.
Maxine said: ‘It is unprecedented for 27 independent postal
administrations to come together and produce a sheet of stamps.
The principle of the sheet is that, like the Commonwealth, each
participating nation is equal. Participating postal administrations
include Kenya, New Zealand, Antigua, Barbados, Tanzania, St
Kitts, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos, Ghana, Grenada, Zambia, Tuvalu,
Sierra Leone, Falkland Islands, Cook Islands and Tristan da Cunha.
‘It’s been a delight to work with our colleagues in all corners of
the Commonwealth to bring the stamp sheet, the first of its kind in
postal history, to life. It is also an honour that it has been endorsed
by the Commonwealth Secretariat.’
The unique sheet of stamps has been months in the planning
and through the Commonwealth Countries Postal Administration
(CCPA) Office in London, Isle of Man Stamps & Coins invited allofficial postal administrations to join them in commemorating the
milestone anniversary. A total of 27 postal administrations agreed
to participate and each of the stamps are valid for postage in the
country of issue. The entire project has been coordinated by Isle of
Man Post Office including design and packaging and all orders will
be despatched from the Isle of Man.
The stamp sheet was printed by stamp security printers BDT
International based in Eire and its Managing Director Conor
Dalglish said: ‘Since 1976 it has been the pleasure of our family
business to print postage stamps for an ever increasing number
of Commonwealth Postal Administrations. It is therefore a great
honour to be involved in the print management of this historic
sheet of stamps – a world first.’
Before the sheet was issued, Maxine Cannon presented a framed
set of the Commonwealth sheet of stamps to the Secretary-General
Kamalesh Sharma in Malta, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting opening on Friday. Meanwhile each Head of
Government received a personal gift pack from the Chairman of Isle
of Man Post Office, Graham Cregeen MHK, Member of the House
of Keys, Tynwald Parliament Isle of Man.
The Commonwealth sheet is priced at £20 and can be ordered via
the Isle of Man PO website: http://www.iomstamps.comUnique stamp sheet
features stamps of
27 countries
Sign up for the free Stamp & Coin Mart e-newsletter and receive news direct to your inbox every month. Sign up at: http://stamp.cm/esign-upThe sheet features stamps from 27 countries, all of which
are valid for postage in the respective nationCommonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma
pictured with Maxine Cannon, General Manager Isle
of Man Stamps & Coins of Isle of Man Post Offi cep09 Stamp update.indd 10 21/12/2015 09: