Description
The eighth Royal Mail stamp release of 2025 celebrates the history of, and the scientific developments achieved at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, since the 350th anniversary of its foundation in 1675. This Stuart First Day Cover design features the miniature sheet and stamps from the latest Royal Observatory release.
Honouring prize-winning clockmaker John Harrison’s Marine Timekeepers – A four-stamp miniature sheet celebrating his perseverance, determination and ingenuity. Four First Class stamps showcase each of Harrison’s prototypes for measuring Longitude at sea that became known as H1, H2, H3 and H4.
One of Britain’s oldest institutions, The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, was founded to provide better star charts that would enhance navigation for global trade. Flamsteed House became home to ten successive Astronomers Royal who observed the stars and developed new instruments such as the Airy Transit Circle and Great Equatorial Telescope. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) was made publicly visible via the Shepherd Gate Clock and its distribution via telegraph signals became an essential part of daily life. Out at sea, Royal Navy surveyors plotted their longitude from Greenwich using chronometers based on John Harrison’s revolutionary marine timekeepers. The widespread use by ships worldwide of charts based on the Greenwich Meridian contributed to the international recognition of Greenwich as Prime Meridian of the world in 1884. The Observatory survived two world wars but was ultimately defeated by London’s polluted skies. Today the historic site welcomes thousands of visitors each year and attracts even more people online with livestream events from the Annie Mauder Austrographic Telescope.
Official Release date: Thursday 12th June 2025.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.