Millennium stamp

A Millennium stamp is a postage stamp issued by a postal administration commemorating a millennium associated with that country's history but several countries issued stamps for the beginning of the 3rd millennium in same cases depicting some of their country's achievements over the preceding years.

Canada

Canada Post released 68 specially designed stamps as a series of 17 Millennium souvenir sheets, each depicting four different stamps, starting December 17, 1999 through to March 17, 2000. It is not clear, at the present date, whether these issues were justified by any rational policy - or, perhaps, may have been primarily to raise cash from collectors - seventeen four-stamp sets in about thirteen weeks.^[1]

Fiji

Fiji released a series of eight stamps depicting some of the flora and fauna of the island nation, being concepts by four artists, Joe Nasau, Jane Borg, Muni Deo Raj and fourteen-year-old Myron Williams.^[2]

Great Britain

1999; Freddie Mercury (with Queen bandmate Roger Taylor in background)

1999

In 1999 Royal Mail issued a series of stamps that were classified into 12 groups (known as "tales") including Entertainment, Science & Technology and Sport, with one group released in each month during the year. The set issued in September 1999 called The Farmers’ Tale^[3] contained a 19p stamp that doubled as Royal Mail’s contribution to that year’s Europa postage stamp issue, which was on the theme of Parks and Reserves.

One of the most notable postage stamps in the collection was one commemorating the life of Queen frontman (and avid stamp collector) Freddie Mercury.^[4] It caused controversy for the appearance of Roger Taylor in the background at the drums, as it is an understood rule that the only living people allowed to appear on British stamps could be members of the British Royal Family.^[5]

Other stamps featured: English football hero Bobby Moore; a picture of the structure of DNA; and a fossil of Archaeopteryx, the first known bird.

The pack called "Entertainers' Tale" was - 19p : Freddie Mercury (photo, Mercury's Magic/P Blake); 26p : Bobby Moore (artwork, World Cup/M White); 44p : Dalek (photo, Doctor Who/Lord Snowdon) and 64p : Charlie Chaplin (artwork, Chaplin's Genius/Ralph Steadman).

2000

2000; Scottish Seabird Centre

These stamps commemorated a selection of projects throughout the UK which had received funding from the Millennium Commission. The stamps were released in 12 monthly sub-collections with 4 stamps apiece, making a total of 48 stamps. So, in 1999 and 2000, some 96 millennium stamps.

The stamps featured such projects as the Eden Project, the Tate Modern art gallery, the National Space Centre and the Scottish Seabird Centre.

Ireland

Dublin millennium

The millennium of Dublin, Ireland, was celebrated in 1988 when An Post issued a 28-pence stamp available both as individual stamps and in a stamp booklet. The Dublin Millennium booklet was the first to contain commemorative stamps; until then all Irish stamp booklets had only contained definitive stamps.^[6]

Year 2000

During 1999 and 2000 a series of 24 stamps was issued depicting a selection of Irish and world famous people, such as, Grace Kelly, Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison and Ludwig van Beethoven and some significant events in Irish history like, Flight of the Earls, Land League and Irish Independence.

Hong Kong SAR

Hong Kong SAR issued gold millennium stamps.

Laos

Laos issued a miniature sheet of four stamps, showing a Laotian landscape, and, on the selvage, fireworks bursting high in the sky.

Tonga

Tonga - which was 'first to the millennium', issued a miniature sheet. The stamps (2) are circular.

See also

• History of Dublin
• Postage stamps of Ireland
• Canada Post millennium stamps

References

1. ^ Canada Post Corporation, Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2000, p. 14–15.
2. ^ "Fiji - Where The New Millennium Begins". Post Fiji. http://www.stampsfiji.com.fj/stamps/millennium/index.html. Retrieved 2010-09-03. 
3. ^ "Millennium Series. The Farmers' Tale (1999)". CollectGBStamps. http://www.collectgbstamps.co.uk/displayset.asp?setid=244. Retrieved 3 September 2010. 
4. ^ Millennium Series. The Entertainers' Tale (1999) : Collect GB Stamps
5. ^ BBC | News - The politics of stamps
6. ^ "Philatelic Facts from the last 25 Years". The Collector (Dublin: An Post) An Post 25 Year Special Edition: 4. 2009. http://www.anpost.ie/NR/rdonlyres/39E69F78-A0B1-4B7E-B652-B5A3E3D9FA64/0/CollectorsNewsIssue30.pdf. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 

External links

• Media reports on the Queen controversy Queenonline.com