1984 Centenary of
Greenwich Meridian
The UK’s first complete set of
astronomy-related stamps was issued in June 1984 to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Greenwich Meridian
as Longitude Zero for the Earth. Created by Sedley Place
Design, the four stamps are bold and attractive.
On the 16p stamp the meridian is
superimposed on an Apollo 11 view of the Earth from space,
while the 201/2p stamp (yes, we still had half pennies in those days)
shows the meridian overlying part of an old navigation chart.
The 28p stamp shows the Old Royal Observatory from the air,
with the meridian line running through the building containing
Astronomer Royal Sir George Airy’s transit telescope and
heading off through Greenwich park towards what is now the site
of the Millennium Dome. A diagram of Airy’s transit
telescope itself, which defines the Greenwich meridian,
features on the 31p stamp.
Stanley Gibbons nos. 1254-1257