Isle of Man – Historical Anniversaries – 1974

First day cover details

FDC image	No image uploaded
FDC reverse image	No reverse image uploaded
Country	Isle of Man
Country code	IM
Issue title	Historical Anniversaries
Date of issue	18 September 1974
Withdrawal or invalidation date	17 September 1975 (SG 50–53 withdrawn from sale)
Stamp type	Commemorative stamp
Stamp subtype	Anniversary
Theme or subject	Manx history; monarchy; Rushen Abbey; ecclesiastical history
Text credit
Designer or artist	J. Nicholson, from ideas by G. Kneale
Printer	Questa (3½p and 10p); John Waddington (4½p and 8p)
Printing process	Lithography
Colours	Multicoloured
Paper and gum
Perforation	14
Stamp dimensions
Issue format	Four stamps, each issued in sheets of 50, comprising two panes of 25 (5 × 5)
Number of stamps	4
Cover type	First day cover
Cover producer
Cover reference
Limited edition	No
Edition limit	N/A
Copy number	N/A
Cachet or cover design
Addressed
Postmark type
Postmark location
Postmark date
Postmark inscription
Postmark notes
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. Catalogue-based record; no cover specimen or scans are currently held in the collection.

Image notice: Images on these pages may depict copyrighted stamp designs, cover artwork, text or photographs. Unless otherwise stated, they are scans of physical items in the collection of PhantomSteve. Rights in the depicted material remain with their respective rightsholders. See Copyrights.

The Isle of Man issued the Historical Anniversaries stamp set on 18 September 1974. It comprised four commemorative stamps, catalogued as SG 50 to SG 53. Stanley Gibbons records that a first day cover was issued.

This page records the cover as a wanted item. No particular envelope, cachet, producer or cancellation has yet been documented from a physical specimen.

Stamp subjects

The catalogue describes the four designs as:

• 3½p — Rushen Abbey and arms.
• 4½p — Magnus Haraldson rowing King Edgar on the Dee.
• 8p — King Magnus and a Norse fleet.
• 10p — a bridge at Avignon and a bishop’s mitre.

Design and production

The stamps were designed by J. Nicholson from ideas by G. Kneale. The 3½p and 10p values were printed by Questa; the 4½p and 8p values were printed by John Waddington. All four stamps were printed using lithography, are multicoloured and are perforated 14.

Each denomination was issued in sheets of 50 stamps, comprising two panes of 25 arranged 5 × 5. For all four values, the catalogue records plate numbers 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, each ×4. Imprints appear in the right-hand corner of the bottom margin and the left-hand corner of the top margin.

Sales and withdrawal

Stanley Gibbons records the following quantities sold:

Stamp	Face value	Quantity sold
IM-SG-50	3½p	931,610
IM-SG-51	4½p	1,025,044
IM-SG-52	8p	450,418
IM-SG-53	10p	425,305

These figures refer to individual stamps, not first day covers. All four stamps were withdrawn from sale on 17 September 1975.

Stamps in this issue

Image	Identifier	Face value	Subject	Format	Other catalogues	Notes
No image	IM-SG-50	3½p	Rushen Abbey and arms	Stamp		Printed by Questa. Quantity sold: 931,610 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 17 September 1975.
No image	IM-SG-51	4½p	Magnus Haraldson rows King Edgar on the Dee	Stamp		Printed by John Waddington. Quantity sold: 1,025,044 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 17 September 1975.
No image	IM-SG-52	8p	King Magnus and Norse fleet	Stamp		Printed by John Waddington. Quantity sold: 450,418 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 17 September 1975.
No image	IM-SG-53	10p	Bridge at Avignon and bishop’s mitre	Stamp		Printed by Questa. Quantity sold: 425,305 stamps. Withdrawn from sale on 17 September 1975.