Search This Blog

Tuesday 16 July 2024

3253) DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: A set of Stamps issued by the Royal Mail UK

3253) DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: A set of Stamps issued by the Royal Mail UK 

Dungeons & Dragons (commonly abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR).

It has been published by Wizards of the Coast, later a subsidiary of Hasbro, since 1997. The game was derived from miniature wargames, with a variation of the 1971 game Chainmail serving as the initial rule system.

D&D's publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry, and also deeply influenced video games, especially the role-playing video game genre.

D&D departs from traditional wargaming by allowing each player to create their own character to play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon adventures within a fantasy setting.

A Dungeon Master (DM) serves as referee and storyteller for the game, while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur, and playing the role of the inhabitants of the game world, known as non-player characters (NPCs).

The characters form a party and they interact with the setting's inhabitants and each other. Together they solve problems, engage in battles, explore, and gather treasure and knowledge.

In the process, player characters earn experience points (XP) to level up, and become increasingly powerful over a series of separate gaming sessions. Players choose a class when they create their character, which gives them special perks and abilities every few levels.

 

The early success of D&D led to a proliferation of similar game systems. Despite the competition, D&D has remained the market leader in the role-playing game industry.

In 1977, the game was split into two branches: the relatively rules-light game system of basic Dungeons & Dragons, and the more structured, rules-heavy game system of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as AD&D).

AD&D 2nd Edition was published in 1989. In 2000, a new system was released as D&D 3rd edition, continuing the edition numbering from AD&D; a revised version 3.5 was released in June 2003. These 3rd edition rules formed the basis of the d20 System, which is available under the Open Game License (OGL) for use by other publishers. D&D 4th edition was released in June 2008.

The 5th edition of D&D, the most recent, was released during the second half of 2014.

In 2004, D&D remained the best-known, and best-selling, role-playing game in the US, with an estimated 20 million people having played the game and more than US$1 billion in book and equipment sales worldwide.

 The year 2017 had "the most number of players in its history—12 million to 15 million in North America alone".

 D&D 5th edition sales "were up 41 percent in 2017 from the year before, and soared another 52 percent in 2018, the game's biggest sales year yet".

The game has been supplemented by many premade adventures, as well as commercial campaign settings suitable for use by regular gaming groups. D&D is known beyond the game itself for other D&D-branded products, references in popular culture, and some of the controversies that have surrounded it, particularly a moral panic in the 1980s, which attempted to associate it with Satanism and suicide.

The game has won multiple awards and has been translated into many languages.

Dungeons & Dragons is a structured yet open-ended role-playing game. It is normally played indoors with the participants seated around a tabletop.

Typically, one player takes on the role of Dungeon Master (DM) while the others each control a single character, representing an individual in a fictional setting.

When working together as a group, the player characters (PCs) are often described as a "party" of adventurers, with each member often having their own area of specialty that contributes to the success of the group as a whole. During the course of play, each player directs the actions of their character and their interactions with other characters in the game.

This activity is performed through the verbal impersonation of the characters by the players, while employing a variety of social and other useful cognitive skills, such as logic, basic mathematics and imagination.[27] A game often continues over a series of meetings to complete a single adventure, and longer into a series of related gaming adventures, called a "campaign".

The results of the party's choices and the overall storyline for the game are determined by the DM according to the rules of the game and the DM's interpretation of those rules.

 The DM selects and describes the various non-player characters (NPCs) that the party encounters, the settings in which these interactions occur, and the outcomes of those encounters based on the players' choices and actions.

Encounters often take the form of battles with "monsters" – a generic term used in D&D to describe potentially hostile beings such as animals, aberrant beings, or mythical creatures.

 In addition to jewels and gold coins, magic items form part of the treasure that the players often seek in a dungeon.

Magic items are generally found in treasure hoards, or recovered from fallen opponents; sometimes, a powerful or important magic item is the object of a quest.

The game's extensive rules – which cover diverse subjects such as social interactions, magic use, combat, and the effect of the environment on PCs – help the DM to make these decisions. The DM may choose to deviate from the published rules or make up new ones if they feel it is necessary.

The most recent versions of the game's rules are detailed in three Fifth Edition core rulebooks: The Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual.

The only items required to play the game are the rulebooks, a character sheet for each player, and a number of polyhedral dice.

Many players also use miniature figures on a grid map as a visual aid if desired, particularly during combat. Some editions of the game presume such usage. Many optional accessories are available to enhance the game, such as expansion rulebooks, pre-designed adventures, and various campaign settings.

Game mechanics:

D&D uses polyhedral dice to resolve in-game events. These are abbreviated by a 'd' followed by the number of sides. Shown from left to right are a d20, d12, d%, d10, d8, d6, and a d4. A d% and d10 can be rolled together to produce a number between 1 and 100.

Before the game begins, each player creates their player character and records the details (described below) on a character sheet. First, a player determines their character's ability scores, which consist of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma

Each edition of the game has offered differing methods of determining these scores. The player then chooses a race (species), a character class (such as a fighter, rogue, or wizard), an alignment (a moral and ethical outlook), and other features to round out the character's abilities and backstory, which have varied in nature through differing editions.

During the game, players describe their PCs' intended actions to the DM, who then describes the result or response.

Trivial actions, such as picking up a letter or opening an unlocked door, are usually automatically successful. The outcomes of more complex or risky actions, such as scaling a cliff or picking a lock, are determined by rolling dice.

 Different polyhedral dice are used for different actions: 

For example, a twenty-sided die is used to determine whether a hit is made in combat, with other dice such as four, six, eight, ten, or even twelve-sided die used to determine how much damage was dealt.

Factors contributing to the outcome include the character's ability scores, skills, and the difficulty of the task. In circumstances where a character is attempting to avoid a negative outcome, such as when dodging a trap or resisting the effect of a spell, a saving throw can be used to determine whether the resulting effect is reduced or avoided. In this case the odds of success are influenced by the character's class, levels and ability scores.

 In circumstances where a character is attempting to complete a task such as picking a lock, deactivating a trap, or pushing a boulder, a Difficulty Class must be hit or exceeded. Relevant ability bonuses are added to help players succeed.

As the game is played, each PC changes over time and generally increases in capability. Characters gain (or sometimes lose) experience, skills and wealth, and may even alter their alignment or gain additional character classes. The key way characters progress is by earning experience points (XP), which happens when they defeat an enemy or accomplish a difficult task.

 Acquiring enough XP allows a PC to advance a level, which grants the character improved class features, abilities and skills. XP can be lost in some circumstances, such as encounters with creatures that drain life energy, or by use of certain magical powers that come with an XP cost.

Hit points (HP) are a measure of a character's vitality and health and are determined by the class, level and Constitution of each character. They can be temporarily lost when a character sustains wounds in combat or otherwise comes to harm, and loss of HP is the most common way for a character to die in the game.

 Death can also result from the loss of key ability scores or character levels. When a PC dies, it is often possible for the dead character to be resurrected through magic, although some penalties may be imposed as a result. 

If resurrection is not possible or not desired, the player may instead create a new PC to resume playing the game.

Adventures and campaigns:

A Dungeon Master's notebook with a custom design adventure

A typical Dungeons & Dragons game consists of an "adventure", which is roughly equivalent to a single story or quest. The DM can either design an original adventure or follow one of the many premade adventures (also known as "modules") that have been published throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons.

Published adventures typically include a background story, illustrations, maps, and goals for players to achieve. Some may include location descriptions and handouts, although they are not required for gameplay. Although a small adventure titled "Temple of the Frog" was included in the Blackmoor rules supplement in 1975, the first stand-alone D&D module published by TSR was 1978's Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, written by Gygax. 

A linked series of adventures is commonly referred to as a "campaign". The locations where these adventures occur, such as a city, country, planet, or entire fictional universe, are referred to as "campaign settings" or "worlds." D&D settings are based in various fantasy genres and feature different levels and types of magic and technology. Popular commercially published campaign settings for Dungeons & Dragons include Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Mystara, Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Dark Sun, Planescape, Birthright, and Eberron.

In addition to first-party campaigns and modules, two campaigns based on popular culture have been created. The first, based on Stranger Things, was released in May 2019. A campaign based on the Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons comic book series was later released in November 2019.

Alternatively, DMs may develop their own fictional worlds to use as campaign settings, either planning the adventure ahead or expanding on it as the players progress.

Dungeons & Dragons miniature figures. The grid mat underneath uses one-inch squares, with the side length of each square usually representing either 5 or 10 feet (1.5 or 3.0 m).

The wargames from which Dungeons & Dragons evolved used miniature figures to represent combatants. D&D initially continued the use of miniatures in a fashion similar to its direct precursors. 

The original D&D set of 1974 required the use of the Chainmail miniatures game for combat resolution. By the publication of the 1977 game editions, combat was mostly resolved verbally. Thus, miniatures were no longer required for gameplay, although some players continued to use them as a visual reference.

In the 1970s, numerous companies began to sell miniature figures specifically for Dungeons & Dragons and similar games. Licensed miniature manufacturers who produced official figures include Grenadier Miniatures (1980–1983), Citadel Miniatures (1984–1986), Ral Partha, and TSR itself. Most of these miniatures used the 25 mm scale.

Periodically, Dungeons & Dragons has returned to its wargaming roots with supplementary rules systems for miniatures-based wargaming. Supplements such as Battlesystem (1985 and 1989) and a new edition of Chainmail (2001) provided rule systems to handle battles between armies by using miniatures.

Development history:

Sources and influences:

An immediate predecessor of Dungeons & Dragons was a set of medieval miniature rules written by Jeff Perren. These were expanded by Gary Gygax, whose additions included a fantasy supplement, before the game was published as Chainmail. When Dave Wesely entered the Army in 1970, his friend and fellow Napoleonics wargamer Dave Arneson began a medieval variation of Wesely's Braunstein games, where players control individuals instead of armies.

Arneson used Chainmail to resolve combat. As play progressed, Arneson added such innovations as character classes, experience points, level advancement, armor class, and others. Having partnered previously with Gygax on Don't Give Up the Ship!, Arneson introduced Gygax to his Blackmoor game and the two then collaborated on developing "The Fantasy Game", the game that became Dungeons & Dragons, with the final writing and preparation of the text being done by Gygax. 

Many Dungeons & Dragons elements appear in hobbies of the mid-to-late 20th century. For example, character-based role-playing can be seen in improvisational theater.

 Game-world simulations were well developed in wargaming. Fantasy milieux specifically designed for gaming could be seen in Glorantha's board games, among others. Ultimately, however, Dungeons & Dragons represents a unique blending of these elements.

The world of D&D was influenced by world mythology, history, pulp fiction, and contemporary fantasy novels.

The D&D magic system, in which wizards memorise spells that are used up once cast and must be re-memorized the next day, was heavily influenced by the Dying Earth stories and novels of Jack Vance. The original alignment system (which grouped all characters and creatures into 'Law', 'Neutrality' and 'Chaos') was derived from the novel Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson.A troll described in this work influenced the D&D definition of that monster.

Dungeons & Dragons has gone through several revisions. Parallel versions and inconsistent naming practices can make it difficult to distinguish between the different editions.

Revised editions:

In the 1980s, the rules for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and "basic" Dungeons & Dragons remained separate, each developing along different paths.

In 1981, the basic version of Dungeons & Dragons was revised by Tom Moldvay to make it even more novice-friendly. It was promoted as a continuation of the original D&D tone, whereas AD&D was promoted as an advancement of the mechanics.

An accompanying Expert Set, originally written by David "Zeb" Cook, allowed players to continue using the simpler ruleset beyond the early levels of play.

In 1983, revisions of those sets by Frank Mentzer were released, revising the presentation of the rules to a more tutorial format. 

These were followed by Companion (1983), Master (1985), and Immortals (1986) sets. Each set covered game play for more powerful characters than the previous. 

The first four sets were compiled in 1991 as a single hardcover book, the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia, which was released alongside a new introductory boxed set.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition was published in 1989, again as three core rulebooks; the primary designer was David "Zeb" Cook. 

The Monster Manual was replaced by the Monstrous Compendium, a loose-leaf binder that was subsequently replaced by the hardcover Monstrous Manual in 1993.

In 1995, the core rulebooks were slightly revised, although still referred to by TSR as the 2nd Edition, and a series of Player's Option manuals were released as optional rulebooks.

The edition moved away from a theme of 1960s and 1970s "sword and sorcery" fantasy fiction to a mixture of medieval history and mythology.

 The rules underwent minor changes, including the addition of non-weapon proficiencies – skill-like abilities that originally appeared in 1st Edition supplements. The game's magic spells were divided into schools and spheres.

 A major difference was the promotion of various game settings beyond that of traditional fantasy. This included blending fantasy with other genres, such as horror (Ravenloft), science fiction (Spelljammer), and apocalyptic (Dark Sun), as well as alternative historical and non-European mythological settings. 

Wizards of the Coast: 

Since the release of 5th edition, dozens of Dungeons & Dragons books have been published including new rulebooks, campaign guides and adventure modules.

2017 had "the most number of players in its history—12 million to 15 million in North America alone".

In 2018, Wizards of the Coast organised a massive live-stream event, the Stream of Many Eyes, where ten live-streamed sessions of Dungeons & Dragons were performed on Twitch over three days. This event won the Content Marketing Institute's 2019 award for best "In-Person (Event) Content Marketing Strategy".

Dungeons & Dragons continued to have a strong presence on Twitch throughout 2019; this included a growing number of celebrity players and dungeon masters, such as Joe Manganiello, Deborah Ann Woll and Stephen Colbert.

 Wizards of the Coast has created, produced and sponsored multiple web series featuring Dungeons & Dragons. These shows have typically aired on the official Dungeons & Dragons Twitch and YouTube channels.

In 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced that Dungeons & Dragons had its 6th annual year of growth in 2019 with a "300 percent increase in sales of their introductory box sets, as well as a 65% increase on sales in Europe, a rate which has more than quadrupled

2024 revision:

In September 2021, it was announced that a backwards compatible "evolution" of 5th edition would be released in 2024 to mark the 50th anniversary of the game.

 In August 2022, Wizards announced that the next phase of major changes for Dungeons & Dragons would occur under the One D&D initiative which includes a public playtest of the next version of Dungeons & Dragons and an upcoming virtual tabletop simulator with 3D environments developed using Unreal Engine.

 Revised editions of the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide are scheduled to be released in 2024.

Translations:

Beginning with a French language edition in 1982, Dungeons & Dragons has been translated into many languages beyond the original English.

By 1992, the game had been translated into 14 languages and sold over 2 million copies in 44 countries worldwide.

By 2004, consumers had spent more than $1 billion on Dungeons & Dragons products and the game had been played by more than 20 million people. As many as six million people played the game in 2007’

Awards:

- The various editions of Dungeons & Dragons have won many Origins Awards, including All Time Best Roleplaying Rules of 1977, Best Roleplaying Rules of 1989, Best Roleplaying Game of 2000 and Best Role Playing Game and Best Role Playing Supplement of 2014 for the flagship editions of the game.

- Both Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons are Origins Hall of Fame Games inductees as they were deemed sufficiently distinct to merit separate inclusion on different occasions.

- The independent Games magazine placed Dungeons & Dragons on their Games 100 list from 1980 through 1983, then entered the game into the magazine's Hall of Fame in 1984.

- Games magazine included Dungeons & Dragons in their "Top 100 Games of 1980", saying "The more players, the merrier." Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was ranked 2nd in the 1996 reader poll of Arcane magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time. Dungeons & Dragons was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2017.

The first modern role-playing game:

Dungeons & Dragons was the first modern role-playing game and it established many of the conventions that have dominated the genre.

Particularly notable are the use of dice as a game mechanic, character record sheets, use of numerical attributes, and gamemaster-centered group dynamics.

 Within months of Dungeons & Dragons's release, new role-playing game writers and publishers began releasing their own role-playing games, with most of these being in the fantasy genre. Some of the earliest other role-playing games inspired by D&D include Tunnels & Trolls (1975),

Related products:

In November 2023, Hasbro's Entertainment One launched the Dungeons & Dragons Adventures FAST channel, available on platforms such as Amazon Freevee and Plex, which features new actual play web series, reruns of the animated Dungeons & Dragons series, and reruns of other Dungeons & Dragons web series.


Dungeons and Dragons - Medal Cover.


Descriptions of various Dragons


The Medal 

The Cancellation

Dungeons and Dragons - Collector Sheet

Dungeons and Dragons

First Day Cover

Stamps
Presentation Pack:



D and D:




Ingots:









Links to posts on "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection on this Blog:

i) The Mandalorian, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued Gold and Silver Coins depicting the popular STAR WARS spin-off; ii) "Grogu" ("Baby Yoda"): Year of Coin issue: 2021

2) "Cara Dune", Niue Island: Second Coin in "The Mandalrian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting character from the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021

3) "ASSASSIN DROID IG-11", Niue Island: Third Coin in "THe Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting characters from the STAR WARS Spin-Off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021

4) "GROGU" or "The CHILD" -("BABY YODA"), Niue Island: Fourth Coin in "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting characters from the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021

5) "Grogu in his mobile Cradle/Pram" or "THE CHILD" - ("Baby Yoda"), Niue Island: Fifth Coin in "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting characters from the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2022

6) Ahsoka Tano, Niue Island: The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection: New zealand Mint has issued Gold and silver Coins depicting the popular "STAR WARS" spin -off: Year of Coin issue: 2022

7) "BESKAR STEEL", Niue Island: "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Rectangular Coin depicting the highly impenetrable protection material in the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021

8) "Bo-Katan Kyrze", The Legendary Mandalorian Warrior, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued $250 (Two Hundred Fifty Dollars - NZD) Gold, $25 Gold (Twenty Five Dollarrs - NZD) and $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting the popular STAR WARS spin-off: Year of Coin issue: 2022

Links to "Star Wars: A New Hope™":

7) The Sand Crawler ("The Mandalorian" & "Star Wars: A New Hope"), Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued $25 (Twenty Five Dollars - NZD) Gold and $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting the popular STAR WARS spin-off: Year of Coin issue: 2022

Links to posts on Boba Fett:

1) Boba Fett, New Zealand: An elegant Silver Miniature minted by the New Zealand Mint, features the popular Star Wars Bounty Hunter in full armour with his blaster at the ready: Date of issue: 10.12.2021

2) Boba Fett "Slave I" Starfighter, Niue Island: A One Oz Silver Coin depicts Fett's legendary spacecraft: Date of Coin issue: 10.12.2021 (with year of issue inscribed as 2022)

Other Links:

1) The "Empire's Death Star" (Star Wars), Niue Island: A Kilogram Dimensional Silver Coin of $ 100 NZD (Niue) minted by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Island:Year of Coin issue: 2021

2) "Star Trek", Starfield Command, United Federation of Planets, Tuvalu: $2 "Holey Dollar" united with a $1 "Delta" Coin-set 

3) "Dune" (a Science Fiction Novel) by Frank Herbert, APMEX, USA: A set of Silver and Gold Coins/Rounds issued by APMEX celebrating the most iconic themes from the 2021 movie, based on the Novel being released in October 2021: Date/Year of Coins issued: 2021

Links to The Bad Batch Coin Series:

1) HUNTER - The Leader of the "BAD BATCH - STAR WARS, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued Silver $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Coins on behalf of Niue Island, depicting the "Clone Force 99" Group Leader: Year of Coin issue: 2022

2) WRECKER - The Demolition Expert of the "BAD BATCH" - STAR WARS, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued Silver $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Coins on behalf of Niue Island, depicting the "Clone Force 99": Year od Coin issue: 2022

"Star Wars" Collector Coin Series, UK:

1) Han Solo and Chewbacca, United Kingdom: Final designs released in "Star Wars" Collector Coin Series feature the duo: Date of Coins issue: 01/2024

Links, United Kingdom:

1) American Liberty amd Britannia, USA & UK: THe United States Mint and Royal Mint, UK are working on a collaborative priject which will entail elements of the two inonic coin Programmes: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2024

2) Did You Know Series (87): Basil Brown, a self-taught archeologist unearthed the Sutton Hoo Treasures - a 27 metre long (86 ft.) Anglo-Saxon burial ship, and an enormous Gold, Silver and other metals Treasures which were donated to the British Museum by Mrs. Edith Pretty, the owner of the site: Year of Treasure first excavated: 1939 (when World War II was looming large)

The World of the Snowman Coin Series:

i) "The World of the Snowman", United Kingdom (UK): "Christmas Coin Series": Sixth Coin in the Series - A 50-pence Coin issued by the Royal Mint (RM) features Raymond Briggs' timeless, magical tale of a young boy and his snowman: Date/Year of Coin issue: 11/2023

MV Empire Windrush - 75 Years:

1) MV Empire Windrush - 75 Years," United Kingdom: i) The Arrival: ii) The Windrush Scandal - The Windrush Generation: iii) The Hostile Environment Policy: iv) Breaking New Ground: v) National Windrush Day: vi) The Stamp Set and Coin Combo issued by Royal Mail and Royal Mint, UK: Date/Year of Stamp issue: 22.06.2023:

2) "MV Empire Windrush - 75 Years," United Kingdom: i) The Arrival: ii) The Windrush Scandal - The Windrush Generation: iii) The Hostile Environment Policy: iv) Breaking New Ground: v) National Windrush Day: vi) The Stamp set and Coin combo issued by the Royal Mail and Royal Mint, UK: Date/Year of Combo issue: 22.06.2023

Music Legends Coin/Stamp Series:

1) "The Who", United Kingdom: The iconic Rock Group features on the latest "British Music Legends" Collector Coin Series issues from the Royal Mint UK: Date of Coin Release: 24.05.2021 

2) Music Giants III, QUEEN, UK: A comprehensive Coin and Stamps Combo issued by the Royal Mail UK in collaboration with the Queen Band and the Royal Mint, UK: Date of Coin & Stamp combo issue: 09.06.2020

3) "Rolling Stones", United Kingdom: "Music Legends Coin Series": Fifth Coin in the Series: Gold, Silver and Cupro-nickel Coins feature the timeless Rock Band: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2022

4) 50 Years of Pink Floyd: Two Commemorative Stamp sets (Presentation Sets) brought out by the Royal Mail, UK on 07.07.2016: 1) 50 Years of Pink Floyd: A set of six stamps issued, their most popular studio albums 2) Legendary Live Performances: A set of four stamps issued depicting four of their memorable tours

5) "Yellow Submarine", A song sung by the English Rock Band - "The Beatles" in 1966, Gibraltar: A 5 Pounds Silver Coin minted by the crown Mint features the iconic song sung by the legendary Rock Group: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2022

6) Iron Maiden (a Heavy Metal English Band), United Kingdom (UK): A set of eight stamps issued on the legendary Band by Royal Mail UK: Date of Stamp set issue: 12.01.2023

7) "Shirley Bassey", United Kingdom: "Music Legends Coin Series": Sixth Coin in the Series minted in Cupro-nickel, Gold and Silver features the timeless Diva who gave the title songs in three James Bond movies - "Diamonds ae Forever", "Moonraker" and Goldfinger": Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023

8) "The Police", United Kingdom: "Music Legends Coin Series": Seventh Coin in the Series minted by the Royal Mint, UK in Cupro-nickel, Gold and Silver features the timeless British Rock Band: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023

9) Music Giants IX - "Spice Girls", UK: A set of Stamps issued by the Royal Mail, UK features the popular Girl Band: Date of Stamp set issue: 11.01.2024

Arthurian Links:

1) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series"



Links on other Railway Posts on this blog:

1) Celebrating 150 Years of serving the Indian Nation by the Railways in 2002-2003

2) 150th Anniversary of Railways in Japan (1872-2022): The Japan Mint has issued a 1,000 Yen Silver Coin to commemorate the milestone: Date/Year of Coin issue: 04.10.2022

Steam Power - Australian Rail Heritage Coin Series:






Other Links:





Classic Children's Literature Coin Series:


A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022):

i) A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) featuring "The Royal Cipher", British Antarctic Territory (BAT), "Proclamation", South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SG & SSI), "Double Portrait", Falkland Islands: Pobjoy Mint, UK has brought out a limited edition 3-Coin 50 Pence Set with Pearl Black Finish and Privy Mark: Year of Coin issue: 2022:

ii) Charles III, United Kingdom: Effigy unveiled on memorial 5 Pound Crowns and 50 Pence Coins

iii) Late Queen Elizabeth II and Ascension of King Charles III: A Combo of i) Four Postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail Tallents House, Edinburgh and a ii) Memorial 50 Pence Coin Cover issued by the Royal Mint, UK

iv) The Coronation of King Charles III, United Kingdom: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Royal Mint (UK) celebrate the event: Date/Year of Coins issue: 06.05.2023

v) Queen Elizabeth II's 90th Birthday: A Souvenir Sheet issued by the Royal Mail, UK featuring four generations of Windsors on 21.04.16 

vi) Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (1952-2012): A Five Pound Commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK



1) 200 Years of the Discovery of Antarctica, Estonia: A 2 Euro Commemorative Coin dedicated the the Bicentenary of the Discovery of Antarcticca by Admiral Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin von Bellingshausen on board the "Vostok": Coin issue date: 01/2020

2) Solomon Islands: 250th Anniversary of Captain James Cook's first Pacific "Voyage of Discovery" and charting of New Zealand and Australia's East Coast: Date of Coin issue: 2020















Links: Postage Stamps from the British Isles:

























37) Sherlock Holmes, United Kingdom: A set of six stamps issued by Royal Mail, UK featuring the characters of the modern version of a TV Serial "Sherlock" started in 2010 by the BBC, together with Cupro-nickel & Silver Medals minted by the Royal Mint, UK: Date of Stamp Set issue: 18.08.2020














53) Gibraltar Cryptocurrency Stamp: Stamp value 4 Pounds: Date of Stamp issue: 15.05.2021: (Pre-ordered accepted from 19.04.2021)

54) The Calf Of Man Nature Reserve", Isle of Man, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): 75th Anniversary" Celebrations (1946-2021): A set of ten Stamps issued by the Isle of Man Post (IOMP) commemorating the milestone of this Biosphere Island: (Also includes the EUROPA Stamp on "Endangered National Wildlife" theme designated by PostEurop for 2021): Date of Stamps issue: 12.04.2021

55) "The Who", United Kingdom: The iconic Rock Group features on the latest "British Music Legends" Collector Coin Series issues from the Royal Mint UK: Date of Coin Release: 24.05.2021

56) "Sark - Dark Sky Island", Guernsey, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): This "GuernseyTogether" Series of stamps by Guernsey Post features drawings made by Sark school-children: Date of stamp set issue: 19.08.2020

57) Surfing in Jersey, a British Crown Dependency (BCD): A set if six stamps issued by Jersey Post featuring contemporary photographs taken by Jersey photographers: Date of Stamp Set issie: 18.05.2021

58) Dennis and Gnasher, United Kingdom: 70th Anniversary (1951-2021): A set of sis Stamps issued by Royal Mail, UK, featuring the popular comic strip: Date of Stamp Set issue: 01.07.2021

59) The Palace of Westminster, United Kingdom: 10th Anniversary molestone (1870-2020): Royal Mail UK has issued a set of Ten Stamps featuring the iconic Palace: Date/Year of Coin issue: 30.07.2020

60) Industrial Revolutions, United Kingdom: Royal Mail, UK has brought out a set of stamps featuring the Industrial Revolutions: Date of Stamp Set issue: 12.08.2021

61) Frances Hodgson Burnett and "The Secret Garden", Alderney, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): A set of six postage stamps issued by Guernsey Post on behalf of Aldernay Islands: Date of Stamp set issue: 01.09.2021

62) "75th Anniversary of MENSA" (1946-2021", Isle of Man, A British  Crown Dependency (BCD): A set of six stamps issued by the Isle of Man Post (IOMP): Date of Stamp Set issue: 01.10.2021

63) Non-Value Indicator (NVI) Definitive Stamps, United Kingdom (UK): Date of Stamps issue: 01.02.2022

64) "Heart of the Forest", Guernsey , A British Crown Dependency (BCD): Guernsey Post has brought out the first part of a Stamp quartet which takes inspiration from the "Love Paper" Global Campaign: Date/Year of Stamp issue: 09.02.2022

65) Harvest of the Sea, Jersey, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): Jersey Post has issued a set of six stamps depicting six different sea foods: Date/Year of Stamp set issue: 17.02.2022






























Innovations in Science 50 Pence Coin Series:

Music Legends Coin Series:

1) "The Who", United Kingdom: The iconic Rock Group features on the latest "British Music Legends" Collector Coin Series issues from the Royal Mint UK: Date of Coin Release: 24.05.2021 

2) Music Giants III, QUEEN, UK: A comprehensive Coin and Stamps Combo issued by the Royal Mail UK in collaboration with the Queen Band and the Royal Mint, UK: Date of Coin & Stamp combo issue: 09.06.2020

3) "Rolling Stones", United Kingdom: "Music Legends Coin Series": Fifth Coin in the Series: Gold, Silver and Cupro-nickel Coins feature the timeless Rock Band: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2022

4) 50 Years of Pink Floyd: Two Commemorative Stamp sets (Presentation Sets) brought out by the Royal Mail, UK on 07.07.2016: 1) 50 Years of Pink Floyd: A set of six stamps issued, their most popular studio albums 2) Legendary Live Performances: A set of four stamps issued depicting four of their memorable tours

5) "Yellow Submarine", A song sung by the English Rock Band - "The Beatles" in 1966, Gibraltar: A 5 Pounds Silver Coin minted by the crown Mint features the iconic song sung by the legendary Rock Group: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2022

6) Iron Maiden (a Heavy Metal English Band), United Kingdom (UK): A set of eight stamps issued on the legendary Band by Royal Mail UK: Date of Stamp set issue: 12.01.2023

7) "Shirley Bassey", United Kingdom: "Music Legends Coin Series": Sixth Coin in the Series minted in Cupro-nickel, Gold and Silver features the timeless Diva who gave the title songs in three James Bond movies - "Diamonds ae Forever", "Moonraker" and Goldfinger": Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023

Links to "Great Engravers Coin Series":

1) "William Wyon", United Kingdom (UK): "Great Engravers Coin Series": First Coin in the Series features Wyon's Gothic Crown in Gold and Silver: Date/Year of Coin issue: 06.12.2021

2) "William Wyon", United Kingdom (UK): "Great Engravers Coin Series": Second Coin in the Series featuring the Obverse of Wyon's Gothic Crown in Gold and Silver: Date/Year of Coin issue: 02/2022 (with Date of issue marked as 2021)

3) "The Petition Crown", United Kingdom: "Master Engravers Coin Series": Thomas Simon's Crown Coin designed as a direct response to the newly restored King Charles II to consider his own work for use on English coinage: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023

4) Royal Mail Designs based on Bernadetto Pistrucci's concepts

The World of David Walliams Coin Series:






 Posts on the UK Coins and Stamps:

"Tales of the Earth Coin Series": The Second Dinosaurs Collector Coin Series:

i) Prehistoric Temnodontosaurus, United Kingdom: "Tales of the earth Coin Series": First coin in the "Second Dinosaurs Collector Coin Series" features on Gold, Silver & Cupro-nickel 50 Pence Coin Variants: Date/Year of Coin issue: 25.02.2021 Variants

Myths & Legends Coin Series:

1) "ROBIN HOOD", United Kingdom: "Myths and Legends Coin Series": First Coin in the Series: Silver 2 UKP (2 Pounds) and Gold 100 UKP(100 Pounds) Bullion Coins issued by the Royal Mint UK featuring the famed/legendary Outlaw: Year of Coin issue: 2021

2) The Legend of Robin Hood, United Kingdom: Royal Mail, UK has issued a set of ten postage stamps depicting the legend of Robin Hood: Date of Stamp Set issue: 13.04.2023

3) "MERLIN", United Kingdom: "Myths and Legends Coin Series": Second Bullion Coin in the Series: Silver 2 UK Pounds & 5 UK Pounds and Gold 25 and 100 UK Pounds Bullion Coins and 5 Pounds Cupro-nickel issued by the Royal Mint UK featuring the legendary wizard: Year of Coin issue: 2023

A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022):

i) A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) featuring "The Royal Cipher", British Antarctic Territory (BAT), "Proclamation", South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SG & SSI), "Double Portrait", Falkland Islands: Pobjoy Mint, UK has brought out a limited edition 3-Coin 50 Pence Set with Pearl Black Finish and Privy Mark: Year of Coin issue: 2022:

"The Queen's Beasts" Coin Series, UK issues:



"Tales of the Earth - Dinosauria" Coin Series, UK issues:

Links to some other interesting posts from the British Isles and British Overseas Territories/Dependencies:

Central Bank of Ireland issues:



3) Irish Myths & Legends: 1) The Children of Lir;2) Cu Chulain; 3) The Omniscient Salmon of Knowledge; 4) Werewolves of Ossory; 5) The Brown Bull of Cooley and Deirdre of the Sorrows: An Annual Mint Set from the Central Bank of Ireland, recreates/celebrates Irish Folk Tales (Issue date: 30.04.2018)




Bank of Ireland issues:


Northern Ireland Bank issues:

1) Northern Ireland Polymer Bank Issues: Danske Bank (10 Pounds Polymer Banknotes), Bank of Ireland (5 & 10 Pound Polymer Banknotes) to go into circulation in 2020/21






Inspirations from Scottish History (Clydesdale Bank Banknotes): 

  
2) Commemorating Sir William Arrol and his creation the Forth Rail Bridge by issues of Britain's first ever 5 Pound Polymer Banknote
Banknotes from Royal Bank of Scotland:


British Crown Dependencies/Overseas Territories:



3) Currency & Coinage of the Bailiwick of Guernsey











22) "Medusa The Gorgon": British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT): A Silver Double Crown (4 Pounds), 2 Oz High relief Coin with antique Finish: Fourth Coin in the series titled "Mythical Creatures" issued by Pobjoy Mint UK on behalf of BIOT in 09/2018




27) Concorde, a Stamp set from Gibraltar, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): 50th Anniversary of the first Supersonic Passenger Carrying Airplane, jointly built by France and Great Britain: Stamp set issue date:  20.04.2019



30) Manannan, the First King of Isle of Man or Mann: A Silver 5 Pounds Coin brought out by the Isle of Man in collaboration with Coin Invest Trust (CIT) and minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich

‎31) 200th Anniversary of John Keats' "Odes to a ....", Alderney Island: A set of six Postage stamps issued by Guernsey Post which brings out stamps on behalf of Alderney Island - 1) Ode on a Grecian Urn,(48p) 2) Ode on Indolence (65p), 3) Ode on Melancholy (66p), 4) Ode to a Nightingale (80p), 5) Ode to Psyche (90p), 6) Ode to Autumn (98 p) : Stamp Set issue date: 24.07.2019‎32) Isle of Mann: Celebrating the 200th Birth Anniversary of the Birth of Herman Melville, the author of the classic Moby Dick: A six Stamp Set issued on 22.07.2019



































Gold Sovereign Coins:
  



Silver Sovereign Coins:


British India Coinage:



3) Edward VII: King & Emperor  Coinage





5) The British Empire: A Case of Numismatic "Segregation": (Guest Post by Rahul Kumar)



 British Coinage:


2) Transformation of a Five shilling Coin (Crown) into the UK Twenty-five Pence & then the Five Pound Coin
4) The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea: A Two Pound Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK celebrating the milestone





 Commemorative British Coinage:



3) Coins commemorating London Olympics & Paralympics (2012)

5) Commemorating the 100th Birth anniversary of Christopher Ironside with his " Royal Arms" design on a 50 Pence coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK 

The Brixton Pound:

No comments:

Post a Comment