The Evolution of Commemorative

StampsThree sets of stamps were produced in the 1920's

British Empire Exhibition (Dated 1924)

British Empire Exhibition (Dated 1925)

9th U.P.U. Congress, London

A decade in which only a few stamp sets (5) were produced but they celebrated significant events:

Victory in World War IISilver WeddingThe London Olympics

The 1950's saw an increase in stamp sets to 7 including sets on Castles, World Scout Jubilee, The Festival of Britain and the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The 1960's saw a sudden increase in stamp sets to 56. The traditional Royal Family and Sports sets supported by sets on the subjects of literature, architecture, transport and the post office.

However, the 1966 World Cup Final Victory over Germany has

1920's

1930's

1940's

1950's

1960's

A slow start

A Silver Wedding A War & The Olympics

World Cup Winners

Kneel for the Queen

Seasons Greetings

The Georges

The 1930's saw the first usage of stamps sets to commemorate the Royal Family.

Only two sets of stamps were produced to celebrate George V Silver Jubilee on 7th May 1935 and the Coronation of George VI on the 13 May 1937

The 1970's saw a move towards an annual set of Christmas related stamp

Final Victory over Germany has to be a leading contender for stamp set of the decade.

2000's

1990's

1970's

1980's

2010's

The Natural World

Diversity

A Nation of animal Lovers

Past Present & Future

The 1980's marked an additional growth in stamp sets to 89 but also saw a significant diversification in the subject matters.

As an example a set of stamps was issued on the 6th March 1984 on British Cattle!

The 1990's showed a softer side to the stamp sets with 9 sets relating to Nature. The total number of sets had now grown to 110. For the first time since the 1920's the Royal family and Christmas didn't dominate.

The UK's love of animals shows through in the 00's with 8 sets related to animals. Cats and Dogs key to this number. Total number reached a heady 118.

The 2010's sets showed a renewed interest in the past, present and future. Set numbers total 60 up until the end of 2014.

This looks like being a useful source of revenue for the Royal Mail as it believes there are over 2.5 million stamp collectors in the UK.

A set for Doctor Who in 2013 showed a move towards attracting both stamp collectors and fans of the TV show

Christmas related stamp sets with 10 sets in total.

Total set numbers had climbed again to 69.

Credits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain_commemorative_stamps_1924%E2%80%931969

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