Isle of Man – Europa – Ceramic Art – Mercury cover – 1976
| FDC image | No image uploaded |
|---|---|
| FDC reverse image | No reverse image uploaded |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Country code | IM |
| Issue title | Europa – Ceramic Art – Mercury cover |
| Date of issue | 28 July 1976 |
| Withdrawal or invalidation date | Not specified |
| Sold out | 5p stamps: 20 November 1976; 10p stamps: December 1976 |
| Stamp type | Commemorative stamp |
| Stamp subtype | Thematic issue |
| Theme or subject | Europa; Manx ceramic art; pottery |
| Text credit | |
| Designer or artist | J. Nicholson |
| Printer | Courvoisier |
| Printing process | Photogravure |
| Colours | Multicoloured |
| Paper and gum | Granite paper; gum not specified |
| Perforation | 11½ |
| Stamp dimensions | |
| Issue format | Sheets of nine (3 × 3), with the three designs of each denomination arranged se-tenant horizontally and vertically |
| Number of stamps | 6 |
| Cover type | Standard cover |
| Cover producer | Mercury |
| Cover reference | |
| Limited edition | No |
| Edition limit | N/A |
| Copy number | N/A |
| Cachet or cover design | Illustrated ceramic jug and teapot beneath green EUROPA 1976 lettering, with the Mercury logo and First Day Cover wording. |
| Addressed | |
| Postmark type | First-day-of-issue postmark |
| Postmark location | Douglas, Isle of Man |
| Postmark date | 28 July 1976 |
| Postmark inscription | FIRST DAY OF ISSUE / 28 JUL 1976 / DOUGLAS / ISLE OF MAN |
| Postmark notes | The supplied reference photograph shows two circular Douglas first-day strikes. These details describe the pictured example. |
| Postmark image |
No postmark image uploaded
|
| Signed | No |
| Signed by | N/A |
| Signature details | N/A |
| Information sheet included | Yes |
| Information materials | |
| Information sheet title | |
| Information sheet image | No image uploaded |
| Information sheet reverse image | No reverse image uploaded |
| Information sheet notes | |
| Certificate of authenticity included | No |
| Certificate of authenticity image | N/A |
| Certificate of authenticity reverse image | N/A |
| FDC owned | No |
| Condition | |
| Collection Comment | Wanted cover. The supplied photograph is retained as a private reference illustration. |
The six stamps were issued on 28 July 1976 for Europa, with ceramic art as their subject. They were designed by J. Nicholson and printed by Courvoisier using photogravure, in multicolour on granite paper, perforated 11½.[1]
This Mercury cover is wanted for the collection. The reference example has the 5p strip above the 10p strip. From left to right, the upper strip shows the Laxey Jug, Barroose Beaker and souvenir teapot; the lower strip shows the Knox Urn, Cronk Aust Food Vessel and Sansbury Bowl.[2]
Sheet arrangement and catalogued strips
Each denomination was printed in sheets of nine (3 × 3). The three designs occur se-tenant both horizontally and vertically, with three examples of each design in a sheet.[1]
The catalogued strips of three are IM-SG-84a (SG84–86, 3 × 5p) and IM-SG-87a (SG87–89, 3 × 10p). They are combinations of the six individual stamps, rather than additional designs. The six rows below count the individual stamps on the cover once each.[1]
Sales information
The catalogue records 256,400 sold of each 5p design and 262,900 of each 10p design. The 5p stamps sold out on 20 November 1976; the 10p stamps sold out in December 1976. The latter date is recorded only to the month. These figures describe individual stamp designs, not first day covers.[1]
Related covers
- Isle of Man – Europa – Ceramic Art – Official cover – 1976
- Isle of Man – Europa – Ceramic Art – Stuart cover – 1976
Stamps on this cover
| Image | Identifier | Face value | Subject | Format | Other catalogues | Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No image | IM-SG-86 | 5p | Laxey Jug | Stamp within a se-tenant strip | Constituent of the strip recorded at IM-SG-84a.
| |
| No image | IM-SG-84 | 5p | Barroose Beaker | Stamp within a se-tenant strip | Constituent of the strip recorded at IM-SG-84a. Inscribed BARROOSE BEAKER.
| |
| No image | IM-SG-85 | 5p | Souvenir teapot | Stamp within a se-tenant strip | Constituent of the strip recorded at IM-SG-84a.
| |
| No image | IM-SG-89 | 10p | Knox Urn | Stamp within a se-tenant strip | Constituent of the strip recorded at IM-SG-87a.
| |
| No image | IM-SG-87 | 10p | Cronk Aust Food Vessel | Stamp within a se-tenant strip | Constituent of the strip recorded at IM-SG-87a.
| |
| No image | IM-SG-88 | 10p | Sansbury Bowl | Stamp within a se-tenant strip | Constituent of the strip recorded at IM-SG-87a.
|
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Stanley Gibbons.Channel Islands and Isle of Man 2022 Edition Stamp Catalogue(31st combined edition).Stanley Gibbons.2022.Section: Isle of Man.p. 202.Catalogue system: Stanley Gibbons.Catalogue number(s): 84–89, 84a and 87a.ISBN: 978-1-911304-89-0.Place of publication: Ringwood. Details transcribed from the catalogue by the collector.
- ↑ Europa Ceramic Art 1976 — Mercury cover(Reference photograph).Photograph supplied by the collector to illustrate a wanted cover; not an owned collection scan.