Isle of Man – Tourist Trophy Motorcycle Races (1st issue) – 1974
| FDC image | 
|
|---|---|
| FDC reverse image | N/A |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Country code | IM |
| Issue title | Tourist Trophy Motorcycle Races (1st issue) |
| Date of issue | 29 May 1974 |
| Withdrawal or invalidation date | 28 May 1975 (SG 46–49 withdrawn from sale)
|
| Stamp type | Commemorative stamp |
| Stamp subtype | Sport |
| Theme or subject | Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races; motorcycle racing; riders and machines |
| Text credit | |
| Designer or artist | J. H. Nicholson, R.I. |
| Printer | Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd. |
| Printing process | Lithography |
| Colours | Multicoloured; six colours |
| Paper and gum | White gummed paper, code TR4; gum composition not specified |
| Perforation | 13 × 13½ |
| Stamp dimensions | 46 × 31.5 mm |
| Issue format | Four stamps, each issued in sheets of 50, comprising two panes of 25 (5 × 5) |
| 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 | Tourist Trophy figure of Mercury on a winged wheel, against a green Auto-Cycle Union emblem, with “ISLE OF MAN TOURIST TROPHY RACES” and the Isle of Man Post Office Authority name. |
| Addressed | Yes |
| Postmark type | Circular first day of issue handstamp |
| Postmark location | Douglas, Isle of Man |
| Postmark date | 29 May 1974 |
| Postmark inscription | FIRST DAY OF ISSUE / 29 MAY 1974 / DOUGLAS / ISLE OF MAN |
| Postmark notes | One circular strike extends across the central junction of the four stamps. |
| Postmark image |
|
| Signed | No |
| Signed by | N/A |
| Signature details | N/A |
| Information sheet included | Yes |
| Information materials | Double-sided information card |
| Information sheet title | The Tourist Trophy Motor Cycle Races |
| Information sheet image | 
|
| Information sheet reverse image | 
|
| Information sheet notes | Contains historical background, descriptions of the four stamp subjects and technical details. The reverse continues the rider descriptions and gives the production information. |
| Certificate of authenticity included | No |
| Certificate of authenticity image | N/A |
| Certificate of authenticity reverse image | N/A |
| FDC owned | Yes |
| Condition | |
| Collection Comment | Owned. Addressed official cover with a blank reverse and a double-sided information card. The original cover bears a “By Air Mail” label. The recipient’s name and address are concealed in the published image for privacy. The original cover is addressed. |
The Isle of Man issued the first Tourist Trophy Motorcycle Races stamp issue on 29 May 1974. It comprised four commemorative stamps, catalogued as SG 46 to SG 49, depicting riders and machines associated with the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races. Stanley Gibbons lists a first day cover for the issue.[1]
Owned cover
The collection holds an addressed official first day cover produced by the Isle of Man Post Office Authority. Its cachet depicts the Tourist Trophy figure of Mercury on a winged wheel against a green Auto-Cycle Union emblem. The four stamps are cancelled by one circular Douglas first day of issue handstamp dated 29 May 1974. The original cover bears a “By Air Mail” label; its reverse is blank.[2]
The cover is accompanied by a double-sided information card entitled The Tourist Trophy Motor Cycle Races. It describes the origins of the races and trophy, the four stamp subjects and the production details.[3]
The signature reproductions printed within the stamp designs are facsimiles and do not constitute signatures added to this cover.
Stamp subjects
The designs combine racing scenes, portraits and facsimile signatures:
- 3p — Stanley Woods on a Moto Guzzi, commemorating his 1935 Senior TT victory.
- 3½p — Freddy Frith on a Norton, commemorating his 1937 Senior TT victory.
- 8p — Max Deubel and passenger Emil Horner with a BMW sidecar machine, commemorating their 1961 500 cc Sidecar TT victory.
- 10p — Mike Hailwood on a Honda, commemorating his 1961 125 cc TT victory.[3]
Design and production
The stamps were designed by J. H. Nicholson, R.I., and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd. The catalogue identifies the process as lithography and records multicoloured stamps perforated 13 × 13½.[1]
The information card describes the process as Delacryl and specifies six colours, a stamp size of 46 × 31.5 mm and white gummed paper, code TR4. The gum composition is not specified.[3]
Each denomination was issued in sheets of 50 stamps, comprising two panes of 25 arranged 5 × 5. The imprint is in the right-hand corner of the bottom margin.[1]
Plate numbers
For all four values, the catalogue records plate numbers 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, each ×6.[1]
Additional combinations are recorded for the 3p and 8p stamps:
| Stamp | Additional plate combinations |
|---|---|
| 3p | 1A (×4)–2A–2A; 1B (×4)–2B–2B; 1C (×4)–2C–2C; 1D (×4)–2D–2D |
| 8p | 1A–1A–2A–1A (×3); 1B–1B–2B–1B (×3); 1C–1C–2C–1C (×3); 1D–1D–2D–1D (×3) |
These combinations are catalogue production records; they have not been identified from the individual stamps on this cover.[1]
Sales and withdrawal
Stanley Gibbons records the following quantities sold:
| Stamp | Face value | Quantity sold |
|---|---|---|
| IM-SG-46 | 3p | 578,045 |
| IM-SG-47 | 3½p | 816,235 |
| IM-SG-48 | 8p | 334,760 |
| IM-SG-49 | 10p | 403,177 |
These figures refer to individual stamps, not first day covers. All four stamps were withdrawn from sale on 28 May 1975.[1]
Stamps on this cover
| Image | Identifier | Face value | Subject | Format | Other catalogues | Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
IM-SG-46 | 3p | Stanley Woods, 1935; Moto Guzzi, Senior TT | Stamp | Quantity sold: 578,045 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 28 May 1975.[1]
| |
|
IM-SG-47 | 3½p | Freddy Frith, 1937; Norton, Senior TT | Stamp | Quantity sold: 816,235 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 28 May 1975.[1]
| |
|
IM-SG-48 | 8p | Max Deubel and Emil Horner, 1961; BMW, 500 cc Sidecar TT | Stamp | Quantity sold: 334,760 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 28 May 1975.[1]
| |
|
IM-SG-49 | 10p | Mike Hailwood, 1961; Honda, 125 cc TT | Stamp | Quantity sold: 403,177 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 28 May 1975.[1]
|
Related issue
The catalogue cross-refers to the later Tourist Trophy issue, SG 63, SG 64, SG 65 and SG 66.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Stanley Gibbons.Channel Islands and Isle of Man 2022 Edition Stamp Catalogue(31st combined edition).Stanley Gibbons.2022.Section: Isle of Man.p. 199.Catalogue system: Stanley Gibbons.Catalogue number(s): 46–49.ISBN: 978-1-911304-89-0.Place of publication: Ringwood.
- ↑ Tourist Trophy Motorcycle Races official first day cover(First day cover).Isle of Man Post Office Authority.Owned specimen, illustrated at cover scan and postmark detail.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Tourist Trophy Motor Cycle Races(Information card).Owned double-sided card, illustrated at front scan and reverse scan. The card gives the stamp issue date as 29 May 1974; a separate publication date is not stated.