July 2025

Contents to Volume 56, Number 2

page update to the Stanley Gibbons Catalogue.

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

Forthcoming fairs and auctions.

News of recent auction results.

Richard West continues his look at stamp booklets, focusing this month on their move into high street retail in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Royal Mail’s latest stamp issues mark 75 years of CS Lewis’s beloved Chronicles of Narnia book series and commemorates the important scientific history of the Royal Observatory.

John Deering explores Royal Mail’s new prestige stamp booklet commemorating the Royal Observatory’s 350th anniversary to see what it has to offer collectors.

Christer Brunström FRPSL provides the background story to Lundy’s latest stamp issue, which commemorates the island’s role as a part of a network of bird observatories in Britain and Ireland.

Robert Galland FRPSL explores the evolution of returned letter envelopes during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, reviewing rare types, design changes and the shifting role of Returned Letter Offices.

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

Neil Donen FRPSL examines the postal history surrounding the heroes that were awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal and the Knight Commander Star of India following the 1935 Quetta earthquake.

For this month’s article, Albert Jackson examines how Nazi Germany used financial institutions in occupied Poland to fund its war machine and the postal story that surrounds it.

In the final instalment of his series, Jan Hofmeyr FRPSL reveals how US trials using fragile double-paper stamps ended in failure and brought two decades of philatelic experimentation to a close.

Michael Burzan explores the rich world of Papal State stamp issues, uncovering the rare printings, forgeries and colour varieties that make this a standout field for philatelic study.

Discover how traditional stamp collecting is being transformed by digital innovation, NFTs and interactive tech, as Ed Barrow explores the wild, weird and wonderful world of crypto stamps.

The latest books and catalogues read and rated.

Stamps to look out for from New Guinea.

The technical complexity of the 1906–07 Papua overprints are explained, thanks to some expert analysis by Nicholas Oughton.

Geir Sør-Reime begins his annual alphabetical review of modern foreign postal stationery, beginning with issues from Aland to Djibouti.

A summary of recent and forthcoming issues.

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

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

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 14-page update to the Stanley Gibbons Catalogue.