Self-adhesives from Great Britain

First self-adhesive

Royal Mail will be issuing the first ever self-adhesive Great Britain commemorative label stamp book on 29 January 2001 to mark the century of the death of Queen Victoria.
The book will contain six first class self-adhesive definitive stamps and a pictorial label featuring a bust of Queen Victoria and London's Albert Memorial. The stamps are flame (orange) colour and printed in gravure by Wallsall Security Printers Ltd. The book costs £1.62.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901 and the first postage stamp, the Penny Black issued in 1840, bore her image. Aside from stamps issued during her reign she has featured on stamp centenary stamps in 1940 and sesquicentenary in 1990 and on the first class Double-head stamp in the Special Design prestige book issued in February 2000.
She was also featured at different times of her reign on the four Victorian Britain stamps issued in 1987 to mark the 150th anniversary of her assession to the throne.

Market research

Royal Mail Stamp Product Manager, Matthew Gibbs said: "These new self-adhesive stamps combine state-of-the-art stamp manufacturing technology and ease of use with the traditional and distinctive values of the British postage stamp. Our market research has shown that 93% of the public preferred the concept of self-adhesive stamps to the gummed variety and this demonstrates how Royal Mail are introducing innovative new products in response to our customers demand."