View source for Isle of Man - 80th Anniversary of the Award of the George Cross to Malta - 2022

{{#vardefine:stamp-count|0}}

{{FDC issue
|fdc-image=IM-80th-Anniversary-Award-of-the-George-Cross-to-Malta-2022-ABE94-FDC.jpg
|fdc-back-image=IM-Sculptures-of-Michael-Sandle-RA-2022-ABE91-FDC-back.jpg
|country=Isle of Man
|country-code=[[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man|IM]]
|issue-title=80th Anniversary of the [[wikipedia:en:Award of the George Cross to Malta|Award of the George Cross to Malta]]
|issue-date=18 April 2022
|year=2022
|stamp-type=[[wikipedia:en:Commemorative stamp|Commemorative stamp]]
|stamp-subtype=Joint commemorative cover
|theme=[[wikipedia:en:George Cross|George Cross]]; [[wikipedia:en:Crown Colony of Malta|Malta]]; [[wikipedia:en:World War II|Second World War]]; [[wikipedia:en:Siege of Malta (World War II)|Siege of Malta]]; Malta Siege Bell Memorial; [[wikipedia:en:Michael Sandle|Michael Sandle]]
|text-credit=
|designer=Michael Sandle [[wikipedia:en:Royal_Academy_of_Arts#Membership|RA]]
|printer=
|printing-process=[[wikipedia:en:Offset printing|Offset lithography]]
|colours=
|paper-gum=
|perforation=
|stamp-dimensions=
|issue-format=One Isle of Man stamp and one Malta stamp
|cover-type=Official signed joint [[wikipedia:en:Event cover|commemorative cover]]
|cover-producer=[[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man Post Office|Isle of Man Post Office]] and [[wikipedia:en:MaltaPost|MaltaPost]]
|cover-reference=ABE94
|limited-edition=Yes
|edition-limit=300
|copy-number=86
|cachet=Sculptures of Michael Sandle RA cover design featuring the Malta Siege Bell Memorial stamps and Michael Sandle’s signature
|addressed=No
|postmark-type=Two special commemorative handstamps
|postmark-location=[[wikipedia:en:Douglas, Isle of Man|Douglas, Isle of Man]]; MaltaPost Philatelic Bureau, Malta
|postmark-date=15 April 2022 (Isle of Man); 18 April 2022 (Malta)
|postmark-inscription=The 80th Anniversary of the Award of the George Cross to the Island of Malta
|postmark-notes=The Isle of Man postmark is dated 15 April 2022. The MaltaPost postmark is dated 18 April 2022 and depicts the Malta Siege Bell Memorial.
|postmark-image=IM-80th-Anniversary-Award-of-the-George-Cross-to-Malta-2022-ABE94-postmark.jpg
|postmark-additional-image-1=IM-80th-Anniversary-Award-of-the-George-Cross-to-Malta-2022-ABE94-postmark-2.jpg
|postmark-additional-image-2=
|signed=Yes
|signed-by=Michael Sandle RA
|signature-details=Hand-signed in black ink on the front of the cover
|information-sheet=Yes
|information-materials=Information leaflet shared with the Sculptures of Michael Sandle RA issue and a separate double-sided certificate of authenticity containing information about Malta during the Second World War and the Malta Siege Bell Memorial
|information-sheet-title=Sculptures of Michael Sandle RA information leaflet
|information-sheet-image=IM-Sculptures-of-Michael-Sandle-RA-2022-information-sheet.jpg
|information-sheet-back-image=IM-Sculptures-of-Michael-Sandle-RA-2022-information-sheet-back.jpg
|information-sheet-notes=The standard issue information leaflet and reverse of the cover are shared with cover ABE91. The reverse of the separate certificate contains additional information about Malta during the Second World War and Michael Sandle’s Malta Siege Bell Memorial.
|authenticity-certificate=Yes
|authenticity-certificate-image=IM-80th-Anniversary-Award-of-the-George-Cross-to-Malta-2022-ABE94-certificate-front.jpg
|authenticity-certificate-back-image=IM-80th-Anniversary-Award-of-the-George-Cross-to-Malta-2022-ABE94-certificate-back.jpg
|fdc-owned=Yes
|condition=Excellent
|collection-comment=Limited-edition copy 86 of 300
}}

This signed joint commemorative cover marks the 80th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to Malta. [[wikipedia:en:King George VI|King George VI]] awarded the decoration to the people of Malta on 15 April 1942 in recognition of their courage during the siege and intensive bombing of the island in the Second World War.<ref name="GCIA">{{Cite web
|author=[[wikipedia:en:George Cross Island Association|George Cross Island Association]]
|url=https://www.georgecrossisland.org.uk/the-gcia
|title=Why the George Cross Island Association was formed
|website=George Cross Island Association
|access-date=20 September 2026
}}</ref>

The cover was produced by the [[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man Post Office|Isle of Man Post Office]] in association with MaltaPost. It combines an Isle of Man stamp depicting Michael Sandle’s Malta Siege Bell Memorial with a €0.26 Maltese stamp showing the cruise ship ''Riviera'' in Grand Harbour. The Maltese stamp was originally issued as part of Malta’s 2013 European Maritime Day set.<ref name="Colnect-Riviera">{{Cite web
|url=https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/450756-Riviera-European_Maritime_Day_Cruise_Liners-Malta
|title=Riviera — European Maritime Day — Cruise Liners
|website=Colnect
|access-date=20 September 2026
}}</ref>

The Isle of Man stamp forms part of the ''[[Isle of Man - Sculptures of Michael Sandle RA - 2022|Sculptures of Michael Sandle RA]]'' issue released on 8 March 2022. The stamp depicts the Malta Siege Bell Memorial in Valletta, which was designed by Michael Sandle.<ref name="IOM-Sandle">{{Cite web
|author=[[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man Post Office|Isle of Man Post Office]]
|url=https://www.iompost.com/our-news/isle-of-man-stamps/isle-of-man-post-office-showcases-the-work-of-renowned-sculptor-michael-sandle-ra-in-six-landmark-stamps/
|title=[[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man Post Office|Isle of Man Post Office]] showcases the work of renowned sculptor Michael Sandle RA in six landmark stamps
|website=[[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man Post Office|Isle of Man Post Office]]
|publisher=[[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man Post Office|Isle of Man Post Office]]
|date=2022
|access-date=20 September 2026
}}</ref>

The George Cross Island Association records that the Malta Siege Bell Memorial was inaugurated on 29 May 1992 overlooking Grand Harbour. Michael Sandle was its sculptor, and the memorial commemorates more than 7,000 civilians and service personnel who died during the siege of Malta.<ref name="GCIA" />

The cover bears two special commemorative handstamps. The Isle of Man postmark was applied at Douglas and is dated 15 April 2022, the 80th anniversary of the award. The MaltaPost handstamp was applied by the MaltaPost Philatelic Bureau on 18 April 2022 and depicts the Malta Siege Bell Memorial. MaltaPost announced that its commemorative cover and special handstamp would be issued on that date.<ref name="MaltaPost-GC80">{{Cite web
|author=MaltaPost
|url=https://www.maltapost.com/news-details?id=5252
|title=Special Handstamp — 80th Anniversary of the Award of the George Cross to Malta
|website=MaltaPost
|publisher=MaltaPost p.l.c.
|date=18 April 2022
|access-date=20 September 2026
}}</ref>

The cover is hand-signed by Michael Sandle RA and was produced in a limited edition of 300. This example is numbered 86. It is accompanied by a double-sided certificate of authenticity signed by [[wikipedia:en:Stu Peters|Stu Peters]], Chairman of the [[wikipedia:en:Isle of Man Post Office|Isle of Man Post Office]]. The reverse of the certificate describes Malta’s experience during the Second World War and the creation of the Malta Siege Bell Memorial.

== Stamps on this cover ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Image
! Identifier
! Face value
! Subject
! Format
! Other catalogues
! Notes
{{FDC stamp row
|image=MT-SG-U1838.jpg
|identifier=MT-SG-U1838
|face-value=€0.26
|subject=Cruise ship ''Riviera'' in Grand Harbour, with the Malta Siege Bell Memorial in the foreground
|format=Stamp
|other-catalogues=Scott 1488 (unverified); [https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/450756-Riviera-European_Maritime_Day_Cruise_Liners-Malta Colnect 450756]
|notes=Malta stamp from the 2013 European Maritime Day — Cruise Liners issue. SG 1838 and Scott 1488 are reported by secondary sources but have not yet been checked directly against the catalogues.
}}
{{FDC stamp row
|image=IM-SG-P2746.jpg
|identifier=IM-SG-P2746
|face-value=EU
|subject=Malta Siege Bell Memorial, Valletta
|format=Stamp
|other-catalogues=
|notes=Isle of Man stamp from the [[Isle of Man - Sculptures of Michael Sandle RA - 2022|2022 Sculptures of Michael Sandle RA]] issue; provisional Stanley Gibbons number
}}
|}

== References ==

<references />