1991 Europas
Europe in Space was the theme for the 1991
Europa stamps issued by members of the Conference of European
Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). Great
Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man each produced
their own sets, as did Éire. All are shown below.
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1991 Europe in Space (GB)
These four stamps, joined in two pairs,
honour the work of European astronomers at the Roque de los
Muchachos Observatory on La Palma in the Canary Islands, where
the UK plays a major role. Contributing to the pan-European
spirit behind the issue, the stamps were designed by a Belgian
artist, Jean-Michel Folon. According to the Royal Mail, they
were meant “to set minds wondering about the mysteries of
space”. The 22p pair is intended to convey the idea of
looking out into space while the 37p pair supposedly suggests
someone looking back at us. An eye on each stamp symbolizes the
exploration of space. The abstract nature of these stamps will
have intrigued and baffled in equal measure.
Stanley Gibbons nos. 1560–1563
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1991 Europe in Space (Guernsey)
For its 1991 Europas, the Channel Island of
Guernsey linked events in space with local happenings on the
island. Looking back to 1846, the first stamp recalls Queen
Victoria’s visit to Guernsey in the same year as the
discovery of the planet Neptune. The second stamp commemorates
a visit by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Sark (a
smaller island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey) and the launch of
Sputnik 1, both in 1957. Events in 1961 recalled on the third
stamp were the maiden voyage of the ferry Sarnia and Yuri
Gagarin’s first manned spaceflight in Vostok 1. Finally,
1969 was the year in which Guernsey became a separate postal
administration and issued its own stamps, and also the year of
the first Moon landing.
Stanley Gibbons nos. 520–523
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1991 Europe in Space (Isle of Man)
The Isle of Man also combined the space
theme with local views on its two pairs of stamps, joined to
form a composite image. On the 17p pair we see a satellite
communicating with fishing boats in Douglas harbour. To the
left is the launch of an Ariane rocket while on the upper pane
is a space probe (looks to me like Voyager) and a Shuttle
re-entry. The 26p pair shows two more satellites, this time
communicating with Ronaldsway airport and Manx Radio. Also
shown is a Shuttle launch and the International Space Station.
Stanley Gibbons nos. 474–477
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1991 Europe in Space (Jersey)
The Channel Island of Jersey produced four
stamps illustrating different aspects of the uses of space. The
first, headed Earth Resources, shows the Landsat 5 satellite
scanning Jersey with its Thematic Mapper. On the second, headed
Oceanography, the European ERS-1 satellite is seen scanning the
seas around Jersey, while in the third, headed Meteorology, the
European Meteosat weather satellite is seen looking down on the
Earth, The final stamp, headed Communication, shows the large
European Olympus satellite linking the globe.
Stanley Gibbons nos. 545–548
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1991 Europe in Space (Éire)
Ireland deserves a special mention for its
1991 Europas, which depict the Giotto space probe approaching
Halley’s Comet and the Hubble Space Telescope. Ireland
contributed to both these missions through its part in the
European Space Agency. Among all the 1991 Europas, there were
few better than these two realistic and skilfully drawn stamps.
Stanley Gibbons nos. 804–805