Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – ½p to 2p – 1973
| FDC image | 
|
|---|---|
| FDC reverse image | N/A |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Country code | IM |
| Issue title | Pictorial definitives — ½p to 2p |
| Date of issue | 5 July 1973 |
| Withdrawal or invalidation date | 31 December 1978 (general withdrawal from sale); 15 May 1979 (SG12 in booklets); 30 June 1983 (SG15 retained for postal orders)
|
| Stamp type | Definitive |
| Stamp subtype | Country pictorial |
| Theme or subject | Manx landscapes, landmarks, wildlife and heritage |
| Text credit | |
| Designer or artist | J. Nicholson |
| Printer | Courvoisier |
| Printing process | Photogravure |
| Colours | Multicoloured |
| Paper and gum | Granite paper; thick shiny gum on printing (a) |
| Perforation | 11½ |
| Stamp dimensions | |
| Issue format | Sheets of 50 (5 × 10) |
| Number of stamps | 4 |
| Cover type | Official first day cover |
| Cover producer | Isle of Man Post Office Authority |
| Cover reference | |
| Limited edition | No |
| Edition limit | N/A |
| Copy number | N/A |
| Cachet or cover design | Map of the Isle of Man and surrounding coasts, showing sea and air connections; inscribed ISLE OF MAN DEFINITIVE ISSUE and OFFICIAL FIRST DAY COVER |
| Addressed | No |
| Postmark type | First-day-of-issue postmark |
| Postmark location | Douglas, Isle of Man |
| Postmark date | 5 July 1973 |
| Postmark inscription | FIRST DAY OF ISSUE; -5 JUL 1973; DOUGLAS; ISLE OF MAN |
| Postmark notes | Black circular handstamp. The separate postmark image is a detail from this cover. |
| Postmark image |
|
| Signed | No |
| Signed by | N/A |
| Signature details | N/A |
| Information sheet included | Yes |
| Information materials | Single-sided printed information card |
| Information sheet title | Isle of Man Definitive Postage Stamps |
| Information sheet image | 
|
| Information sheet reverse image | N/A |
| Information sheet notes | The accompanying card describes the 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 designs and the common border. Its reverse is blank. |
| Certificate of authenticity included | No |
| Certificate of authenticity image | N/A |
| Certificate of authenticity reverse image | N/A |
| FDC owned | Yes |
| Condition | Not specified |
| Collection Comment | Owned, unaddressed copy. The reverse of the envelope is blank. The information-card scan is shared with the other three official covers. |
This owned official first day cover bears the ½p, 1p, 1½p and 2p Isle of Man pictorial definitives, SG 12–15, issued on 5 July 1973.[1]
The series accompanied the establishment of the independent Manx postal administration. The Post Office identifies John Nicholson as the designer and Courvoisier of Switzerland as the printer.[2]
The stamps were printed by photogravure on unwatermarked granite paper, perforated 11½, in sheets of 50 (5 × 10). Catalogue printing (a) has thick shiny gum.[1]
The unaddressed envelope has a map cachet illustrating sea and air connections with the surrounding coasts. Its four stamps are cancelled with a black circular Douglas first-day handstamp dated 5 July 1973. The separate stamp and postmark images are details from this copy.[3]
A single-sided information card accompanies the cover. Although supplied with this copy, its individual design descriptions concern the 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 stamps. It also describes the ring-chain border common to the definitive series.[4]
General withdrawal of the stamps was on 31 December 1978. The ½p in booklets remained available until 15 May 1979; the 2p was retained for postal orders until 30 June 1983. These dates concern stamp sales, rather than postal invalidation or sale of the physical cover.[1]
Stamps on this cover
| Image | Identifier | Face value | Subject | Format | Other catalogues | Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
IM-SG-12 | ½p | Castletown | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973
| |
|
IM-SG-13 | 1p | Port Erin | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973
| |
|
IM-SG-14 | 1½p | Snaefell | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973
| |
|
IM-SG-15 | 2p | Laxey | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973
|
Related first day covers
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 2½p to 4p – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 5p, 6p, 7½p and 9p – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – ½p to 3p – Cotswold cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 3½p to 9p – Cotswold cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 – Cotswold cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – ½p to 3p – Mercury cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 3½p to 9p – Mercury cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 – Mercury cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 4½p and 8p – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 4½p and 8p – Cotswold cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 4½p and 8p – Mercury cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 4½p and 8p – Stuart cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 5½p and 7p – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 5½p and 7p – Cotswold cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 5½p and 7p – Mercury cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 5½p and 7p – Stuart cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 11p and 13p – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 11p and 13p – Cotswold cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 11p and 13p – Mercury cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 11p and 13p – Stuart cover – 1975
- Isle of Man – Inauguration of Postal Independence – 1973
- Isle of Man – Inauguration of Postal Independence – Mercury cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Inauguration of Postal Independence – Cotswold cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Inauguration of Postal Independence – Mercury cover (Manx cat stamp) – 1973
- Isle of Man – Last day of British Postal Services – Decimal regionals – GPO cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Last day of British Postal Services – Decimal regionals – Cotswold cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Last day of British Postal Services – Decimal regionals – Thames cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Last day of British Postal Services – British Paintings illustrated cover – 1973
- Isle of Man – Last day of British Postal Services – British Paintings – GPO cover – 1973
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Stanley Gibbons.Channel Islands and Isle of Man 2022 Edition Stamp Catalogue(31st combined edition).Stanley Gibbons.2022.Section: Isle of Man — Independent postal administration.pp. 197–198.Catalogue system: Stanley Gibbons.Catalogue number(s): 12–15.ISBN: 978-1-911304-89-0.Place of publication: Ringwood.
- ↑ Isle of Man Post Office.“50th Anniversary Exhibition at the Manx Museum”. Isle of Man Post Office. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
- ↑ Isle of Man pictorial definitives — ½p to 2p official first day cover(First day cover).Reference: Scan of the cover.Copy held in the collection.
- ↑ Isle of Man Definitive Postage Stamps(Information card).Reference: Scan of the information card.Card accompanying the owned official covers; printed issue date: 5 July 1973. Reverse blank.