Welcome to members of the International Year of Astronomy’s Philately Task Group
n EXPLORING THE MOON ON STAMPS
On other pages
n THE WORLD’S OLDEST ASTRO-STAMPS
Stamps incorporating an astro theme can be traced back to 1884. Find out what
they look like and where they come from on my World’s oldest astro-stamps pages.
n BRITISH ASTRONOMY ON OTHER NATIONS
External links
See also
my Star Tales pages on myths and legends of the constellations
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For a nation that ranks second only to the United States in the world for
astronomical research, and has a heritage that is second to none, Britain was
initially slow to acknowledge its astronomical achievements via stamps, issuing
only three astro-themed examples in the 1960s and 70s. However, since 1984,
when a four-value set commemorating the centenary of the Greenwich meridian
appeared, British astronomy has been granted its fair share of philatelic
commemoratives.
The stamps are presented below in chronological order and include those issued
by Great Britain, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and the Irish
Republic (Éire). Click on the links to see an enlarged illustration of the stamps, some
background information, and my comments on them.
If you have any opinions on these stamps, let me know by emailing me on
ian @ ianridpath.com
Copyright notice: The stamps shown on these pages are used under the normal rules of fair dealing
for the purposes of critical commentary. The designs are copyright the issuing
authorities.
Content of this page last updated 2010 January
Part I (1966–1999)
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