2016-10-18 Tue

Great Britain issued world’s first adhesive postage stamp – The Penny Black on 1st May 1840. Since then the legacy of stamps continued.

But only the members of the royal family were depicted on the stamps according to the Royal Mail Policy. This policy was broken in 1964 and Shakespeare became the first commoner to make an entry on the stamps!

He was the first non-royal member to be depicted on the stamps. In order to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of his birth, the Great Britain Post office issued a set of stamps to celebrate the Shakespeare Festival.

The stamp was designed by David Gentleman depicting Shakespeare on left and Queen Victoria on right. The center theme depicts his famous play with ‘Shakespeare Festival’ written below. They are issued in four different denominations - 3 pence, 6 pence, 1/3 pence and 1/6 pence.

This stamp had a controversial status because the image of Shakespeare’s head is in equal level as that of Queen Victoria’s, making him appear of equal importance.

No other writer’s plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. Since childhood, we all are familiar with his evergreen plays like Romeo Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, King Lear and many more.

Let’s gaze at his stamps! Happy collecting!

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