Well, this is an interesting way to start the Royal Mail’s 2022 stamp program. A rollicking Rolling Stone’s tribute kicks off a year that includes the FA Cup (should I put up a page devoted to this year’s FA?), the Commonwealth Games, cats ‘n birds and a few surprises. An eclectic mix of topics is coming our way.

One thing we can rely on,  is a large volume of high quality cancels. I’m a real cancel hound, and am always looking for new, exciting ones to hunt down. Royal Mail is a gold mine of unique and fun post marks. They offer dozens of sponsored cancels celebrating all sorts of events, not necessarily stamp related. I had more fun than I should have cataloguing the various designs last year.  I’m still torn about spinning them off onto a separate page because of their sheer number.  BUT … if you’d prefer to see special cancels on a separate page, let me know in the comments. I’m open to suggestions. 

 The best stamps of 2021 also included the best cancels. April’s Classic Science Fiction – Iconic authors and their acclaimed novels was a winner in both topic and design. Design firm Webb & Webb worked with 6 illustrators to create this captivating set.

Four more cancels were issued at the same time, each sponsored by different associations in the UK. 

This series tickled me to no end. On my list of favourite B movies is the Day of the Triffids and Time Machine (the original versions) and I think the stamps and cancels do the topics justice. You can see all the details on the 2021 page.  Now, if we could only get the US post office to pay tribute to THEM! and The Thing From Another World, I’d be a happy stamp collector. Well, maybe throw in Reptilicus from Denmark too. Maybe I better stop before I embarrass myself. 

Midway through last year I decided to save my sanity and not post ever single image for some issues. Royal Mail goes a bit overboard with some stamps, occasionally pushing out up to 39 items for a set. Instead of showing everything, I’m including links to the relevant Royal Mail page and keeping the images to essential ones.   

Enjoy,

Catpaw

January

Rolling Stones – Celebrating 60 Years of Iconic Music and Legendary Shows 

8 stamps, 4 stamps on a European Tour souvenir sheet, 2 special fan souvenir sheets, presentation pack, prestige presentation pack, 2 collector sheets, 2 FDCs, 2 cancels, 2 medallion covers. Not shown are full sheets, press cuts, booklets, ingots, gold stamp sets and various framed sheets. There are 39 different items available. I’ve included the primary pieces. To see the entire set visit Royal Mail.

Cancels: Dartford and Talents House

Stamps:

• July 1969: London, UK
• August 2019: East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
• August 1995, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• March 1995, Tokyo, Japan
• July 1972, New York City, USA
• May 2014, Oslo, Norway
• August 1976, Hertfordshire, UK
• October 2017, Düsseldorf, Germany

Souvenir sheet shows different tour posters

Designer: Baxter & Bailey Baxter & Bailey – Brand design that makes a difference (baxterandbailey.co.uk)
Baxter & Bailey designed the 2019 D-Day Anniversary stamps and the 2020 Queen – Music Giants

Release date: January 20, 2022

Barcoded Definitive

4 barcoded stamps, FDC, 2 cancels, FDC, presentation pack, 4 booklets of 8 and 4 

When the barcode is scanned (with Royal Mail app), a special cartoon featuring Shaun the Sheep will be available to watch, using a smart phone. Future issues will connect to different videos. All non-barcoded stamps will be removed from circulation by January 31, 2023. The stamps can be swapped for barcode stamps starting March 31, 2022.

Cancels: Windsor and Talents House

Release date: February 1, 2022

8 stamps, 3 cancels, 2 FDCs, 2 numismatic cover (silver proof & platinum proof cover), presentation pack, prestige booklet, 8 Machins, limited edition book (1,952  issues), framed stamps, 8 postcards. I’ve included the primary pieces. To see the entire set visit Royal Mail.

Cancels: London and Talents House

Booklets contain all Platinum Jubilee stamps in pane format, and a full pane of Machin definitive stamps as well as four previously issued stamps.

Designer: John Bergdahl

6 stamps, 2 FDCs, 2 cancels, souvenir sheet, presentation pack, special sheet for London 2022,  press sheets, 6 postcards. To see the entire set visit Royal Mail.

Cancels: London and Talents House

• 1962: National Productivity Year Second Class
• 1969: British Ships Second Class
• 1973: British Trees First Class
• 1976: Social Reformers First Class
• 1966: 900th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings £1.70
• 1965: 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain £1.70

David Gentleman designed 103 stamps for Royal Mail, more than any designer, between 1962 and 2000.  This set will feature a handful of his most well known stamps. Royal Mail tapped Gentleman to help in picking the stamps. 

Designer: Brian Webb using David Gentleman stamp designs

March

FA Cup

8 stamps, 4 stamps on a souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, £2 cover, silver £2 Coin Cover, presentation pack. Not shown are full sheets . Also available is a Rugby Union Framed Print signed by Jonny Wilkinson. To see the entire set visit Royal Mail.

lithography

• Two First Class stamps, two £1.70 stamps and two £2.55 stamps presented as three vertical se-tenant pairs.
• Lifting The Cup: Arsenal players Charlie George and Frank McLintock parade the trophy in 1971. Arsenal have won The FA Cup a record 14 times.
• Wembley Stadium: Crowds spill on to the pitch during the 1923 FA Cup Final, the first to be held at the original Wembley Stadium.
• A Big Day Out: West Bromwich Albion supporters cheer their team on to a 1-0 victory against Everton in the 1968 Final.
• Classic Finals: Keith Houchen equalises for Coventry City with a spectacular diving header against Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987 Final.
• FA Cup Upsets: Lincoln City become the first non-league side for 103 years to reach The FA Cup Quarter-Finals after beating Burnley 1-0 in 2017.
• Royal Patronage: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth present the cup to Sunderland captain Raich Carter after his team’s victory at Wembley in 1937. 

Souvenir sheet shows memorabilia held by The National Football Museum in Manchester

 Cancels: Wembley and Manchester 

Presentation pack write up by sports journalist Richard Rae

Release date: March 8, 2022

8 stamps, FDC, 2 cancels, presentation pack
Not shown are full sheets, half sheets, postcards

Postmarks: London and Tallents House

Designer: Royal Mail Group

10 stamps, FDCs, cancels, presentation packs

• Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus
  
• Pied Flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca
• Swift, Apus apus
• Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava
• Arctic Skua, Stercorarius parasiticus
• Stone-curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus
• Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea
• Swallow, Hirundo rustica
• Turtle Dove, Streptopelia turtur
• Montagu’s Harrier, Circus pygargus

Illustrator: Killian Mullarney
Mullarney is an ornithologist and artist from County Wexford, Ireland. His bird art has previously appeared on stamps for An Post. He is considered one of the leading bird authorities in Europe. Mullarney co-authored Birds of Europe.

10 stamps, mini sheet, presentation pack, prestige booklet, FDCs, cancels, 10 postcards, framed sheets, press sheets

8 stamps, collector’s sheet, presentation pack, FDC, cancel, sheets & half sheets, 8 postcards, framed stamps

lithography

• Siamese grooming
• Tabby stalking
• Ginger cat playing
• British Shorthair sleeping
• Maine Coon staring
• Black-and-white cat on alert
• Bengal being curious
• Tabby-and-white stretching

Designer: Studio Up

The stamps for July to December can be found here Royal Mail 2022 – July to December

See all Royal Mail 2021 stamps & special cancels.

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