Britain’s Strengths, Accomplishments (UK 2021)

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[press release]
ROYAL MAIL REVEALS IMAGES OF SPECIAL STAMPS THAT CELEBRATE THE UNITED KINGDOM’S STRENGTHS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

    • Four stamps celebrate some of the United Kingdom’s greatest strengths and accomplishments
    • Sporting achievement, technological innovation, creative industries and a strong sense of community spirit are all represented
    • The four stamps are printed within a miniature sheet in a colourful interpretation of the Union Flag
    • Royal Mail has a rich history of celebrating national accomplishments with issues such as: British Explorers; Women of Distinction; Eminent Britons; British Humanitarians; Great Britons; and Inventive Britain
    • The stamps will be on general sale on 26 January 2021
    • The full set of four stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £6.00
      They will be available at www.royalmail.com/ukacelebration, by phone on 03457 641641 and 7,000 Post Offices across the UK

Royal Mail today reveals images of four Special Stamps to be issued in celebration of the United Kingdom’s greatest strengths and accomplishments. The stamps explore just some of the ways in which Britain leads the way. From sporting achievement to technological innovation, and from creative excellence to our strong sense of community spirit, the UK excels in a host of different ways. The four stamps are printed within a miniature sheet in a colourful interpretation of the Union Flag.

Sport:
Britain is a proud and passionate sporting nation. It is the birthplace of football and cricket, and, in 1948, hosted the first organised competition for disabled athletes. The UK has also produced 10 Formula 1 champions – more than any other country.

Industry and Innovation:
Elsewhere, in the fields of science and technology, Britain stands tall. For example, DNA fingerprinting was perfected in the UK and Britain played a central role in the sequencing of the first draft of the human genome. The UK is a leading light in the digital technology sector, which contributes around £149 billion per year to the economy. The country is also a world leading centre for financial services.

Creative industries:
In the creative industries too, the UK is a world leader. Britain is renowned for the originality and quality of its contemporary music, with the music industry worth around £5.2 billion annually. The UK has also become one of the world’s leading centres for film and TV production. In the sphere of architecture, cities around the world are being reshaped by British architects. And in the field of literature, British writers are world-renowned.

Community spirit:
Equally as significant is the UK’s long-held sense of community spirit. British people have often come together in celebration, in remembrance and also in hope during times of uncertainty. Indeed, street parties, parades and celebrations for royal anniversaries, major sporting occasions and other national and local events have characterised the British way of life for centuries.

Royal Mail has a rich history of celebrating national accomplishments with issues such as: British Explorers; Women of Distinction; Eminent Britons; British Humanitarians; Great Britons; and Inventive Britain.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “There are so many great things about the UK, not least our contribution to the wider world. This stamp issue pays tribute to just a few of the things for which the UK is best known – sporting achievement, technological innovation, creative industries and a strong sense of community spirit. These colourful stamps are a celebration of these islands and the people who call them home”.

The stamps will be on sale from 26 January 2021. The full set of four stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £6.00 and will be available at www.royalmail.com/ukacelebration, by phone on 03457 641 641 and in 7,000 Post Offices across the UK.

Technical Details:
Number of stamps: 4
Value of Stamps: 2 x 1st
2 x £1.70
Design: hat-trick design
Acknowledgements: background image – illustration of Union flag by hat-trick design; Great Sport stamp – wheelchair athlete composite image © David Madison/Getty Images and © Image Source/Getty Images; cricket ball © Bootzilla/Getty Images; playing football © Sumetee Theesungnern/EyeEm/Getty Images; racing car © CAIA Image/Science Photo Library; Great Community stamp – Virgin London Marathon 2011 © Oli Scarff/Getty Images; hands making heart shape © martin-dm/Getty Images; nurse reassuring patient © Science Photo Library; rainbow illustration by Daisy James © Royal Mail Group Limited 2021; Great Industry and Innovation stamp – 3D illustration rendering of binary code © MR.Cole_Photographer/Getty Images; carbon fibre material © DaveAlan/Getty Images; 3D illustration of DNA molecules © Design Cells/Getty Images; London skyline composite image © Gary Yeowell/Getty Images and © Davy Larkins/EyeEm/Getty Images; Great Creativity stamp – microphone stand silhouette © ilbusca/Getty Images; office building glass façade © Musketeer/Getty Images; book pages, photograph by Joe Howat © Royal Mail Group Limited 2021; TV studio composite image © AskinTulayOver/Getty Images and © rasslava/Getty Images
Stamp Format: landscape
Stamp Size: 60mm x 30mm
Printer: International Security Printers
Print Process: Lithography
Perforations: 14.5 x 14.5
Phosphor: All over
Gum: PVA