A new design by Jeffery Matthews was issued for decimalisation, replacing the G. W. Eve design that had been in use since 1914. The 10p, 20p, 50p, and £1 were issued before decimalisation on 17 June 1970; the lower values ½d to 5p followed on 15 Feb 1971. Single digit values had “TO PAY” reading vertically at left, and the higher values from 10p with “TO PAY” reading horizontally along the bottom.
The designs were created in monochrome, with the colour for each stamp added at the printing stage. The artwork was somewhat unconventional in that Matthews cut the numerals out of masking film, stuck them onto white artboard, sprayed the tonal gradations, and finally peeled away the mask to reveal the white numerals.
| OCP/PVA | FCP/PVA | FCP/PVAD | PCP/PVAD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ½p | Turquoise-blue | 15 Feb 1971 | — | — | — |
| 1p | Reddish Purple | 15 Feb 1971 | Oct 1974 | Dec 1974 | — |
| 2p | Myrtle-green | 15 Feb 1971 | — | Dec 1974 | — |
| 3p | Ultramarine | 15 Feb 1971 | Oct 1974 | June 1975 | — |
| 4p | Yellow-brown | 15 Feb 1971 | — | Jan 1978 | — |
| 5p | Violet | 15 Feb 1971 | Feb 1974 | Jan 1976 | — |
| 7p | Red-brown | — | — | 21 Aug 1974 | — |
| 10p | Carmine | 17 June 1970 | Dec 1974 | Mar 1975 | June 1980 |
| 11p | Slate-green | — | — | 18 June 1975 | — |
| 20p | Olive-brown | 17 June 1970 | Oct 1974 | 2 May 1974 | June 1980 |
| 50p | Ultramarine | 17 June 1970 | — | Dec 1974 | — |
| £1 | Black | 17 June 1970 | — | Mar 1975 | — |
| £5 | Orange, Black | — | 2 Apr 1973 | Nov 1978 | — |
The £5 stamp was issued on Monday April 2nd, one day after the introduction of value-added tax (VAT) on 1 Apr 1973, as a higher value was required to collect VAT due on items received from abroad.
Stamps remaining in stock were withdrawn on 20 Aug 1984.
Varieties
The 2p is known bisected at: Exeter (1977).
Presentation Packs
A presentation pack with the first 10 values initially sold for £2, then later for £2.01½. It was numbered 36 and issued on 3 Nov 71. A 7p stamp was added to the pack in September 1974 and the price increased to £2.08½. The pack was designed by Peter Gauld, FSIA. The printer’s imprint reads: “Made and printed in Great Britain by Robor Ltd”.
An updated presentation pack including an 11p stamp, for a total of 12 values, was issued on 30 Mar 1977. It was numbered 93 and sold for £2.23½. The printer’s imprint reads: “Made and printed in Great Britain by Moore & Matthes (Printers) Ltd”.
Cylinder Blocks
Covers
