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 20½p 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