Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – 2½p to 4p – 1973
| FDC image | 
|
|---|---|
| FDC reverse image | N/A |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Country code | IM |
| Issue title | Pictorial definitives — 2½p to 4p |
| Date of issue | 5 July 1973 |
| Withdrawal or invalidation date | 31 December 1978 (general withdrawal from sale); 15 May 1979 (SG17–18 in booklets); 31 December 1985 (SG18 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 shared postmark detail is from the official ½p to 2p cover and illustrates the same design and date. |
| 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 2½p, 3p, 3½p and 4p Isle of Man pictorial definitives, SG 16–19, issued on 5 July 1973.[1]
The stamps belong to the first definitive series of the independent Manx postal administration. They were designed by J. Nicholson and printed by Courvoisier using photogravure on unwatermarked granite paper. Perforation is 11½ and the sheet format is 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. The four stamps are cancelled with a black circular Douglas first-day handstamp dated 5 July 1973.[2]
A single-sided information card accompanies the cover. Its individual design descriptions concern the 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 stamps, rather than the four denominations on this envelope. It also describes the ring-chain border common to the definitive series.[3]
General withdrawal of the stamps was on 31 December 1978. The 3p and 3½p in booklets remained available until 15 May 1979; the 3½p was retained for postal orders until 31 December 1985. 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-16 | 2½p | Tynwald Hill | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973
| |
|
IM-SG-17 | 3p | Douglas Promenade | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973; ordinary border colour, not the later SG 17a error
| |
|
IM-SG-18 | 3½p | Port St Mary | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973; ordinary border colour, not the later SG 18a error
| |
|
IM-SG-19 | 4p | Fairy Bridge | Stamp | Printing (a); inscribed 1973
|
Related first day covers
- Isle of Man – Pictorial definitives – ½p to 2p – 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): 16–19.ISBN: 978-1-911304-89-0.Place of publication: Ringwood.
- ↑ Isle of Man pictorial definitives — 2½p to 4p 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.