October 2025

Contents to Volume 56, Number 5

A collection of the latest philatelic news from around the world.

More of the latest reports from the nation’s philatelic societies.

Forthcoming fairs and auctions.

News of recent auction results.

From the Wilding definitives of Queen Elizabeth II through to today’s high-tech data-matrix issues, Richard West takes readers on a detailed journey through the evolution of Britain’s definitive and vending-machine stamps.

Royal Mail celebrates the genius of Monty Python with six 1st class stamps and a miniature sheet honouring the comedy troupe’s groundbreaking sketches, films and enduring influence on British humour.

Beneath London’s streets, a miniature railway once carried millions of letters daily. Len Stanway FRPSL charts its rise, operation, closure and revival as a museum attraction, preserving a unique chapter of postal history.

In this month’s column on the latest developments in modern GB collecting, John Deering discusses the introduction of Tudor Crown booklets and new year codes, highlights notable printing varieties and provides an updated checklist for King Charles III definitives.

The latest supplement to the Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Specialised Catalogue.

Michael Burzan traces the enduring image of Cérès on French stamps, from her 1849 debut through political upheavals, colour trials and global imitations, to her repeated revivals as the timeless face of the Republic.

From Trevithick’s first steam locomotive to today’s high-speed lines, Mike Downing explores how railways transformed mail transport, inspired iconic services and left a rich philatelic legacy celebrated by collectors worldwide.

Noel Davenhill charts Nauru’s philatelic story, from German annexation and Australian mandate through wartime disruption to independence, revealing how its stamps mirror the island’s turbulent history, phosphate-fuelled rise and eventual decline.

Neil Donen FRPSL retraces the 1935 RMS Nascopie Eastern Arctic Patrol, exploring its role in determining Canada’s northern sovereignty and the philatelic legacy left behind by the British Empire’s northernmost post office.

The latest books and catalogues read and rated.

Rick Martin, Mike Dovey and Keith Morris trace the origins, development and nationwide expansion of Britain’s early Travelling Post Offices, revealing how Victorian ingenuity transformed railway mail into a revolutionary postal service.

Michael Burzon explores the artistic journey of M C Escher, uncovering how his mind-bending designs extended into stamp art, blending mathematical precision with imaginative flair to create miniature masterpieces of visual illusion.

Stamps to look out for from New Hebrides.

Geir Sør-Reime concludes his annual alphabetical review of modern foreign postal stationery with issues from Russia to Vatican City.

We highlight the latest new issues from Jersey, Isle of Man and Guernsey.

GSM investigates the stories behind some of the latest stamp issues from around the world.

A summary of recent and forthcoming issues.

Tax your brain and take a tipple. GSM’s latest competition offers you the opportunity to win a bottle of stamp-inspired gin.

Hugh Jefferies offers more thoughts from the Catalogue Editor’s chair.

The latest 17-page update to the Stanley Gibbons Catalogue.