Stanley Howler Journal

End of year review

The Year of the Condescending Carp wasn‘t the right name for the year. The Year of the Unrighteously Buggered Magpie* would have been a better name by Steve

The year started with the usual set of definitives; ½ penny(sport), Penny Patrician, (sport), 2 pence Ankh, (sport), 5 pence Morporkia, (sport), 10 pence Morporkia, (sport), $1 Tower of Art (sport), and the 50 pence Cabbage Field. (sport). A total of 7 stamps.

The eighth stamp was a regional, the Lancre Farthing (sport), which featured the Lancre coat of arms.

Another regional stamp came next, Queen Blodwin 30 bizot (sport), featuring Blodwin Rhysdaughter of Schmaltzberg, the Low Queen of the Dwarves, on a lozenge-shaped stamp and wearing lipstick in the sport.

The next three stamps formed a set, Flora and Fauna, featuring the Wahoonie, (sport) last seen accompanied by General Sir Roderick Purdeigh in the Year of the Signifying Frog, the Quantum Butterfly (sport), and the Curious Squid (sport). A Presentation Sheet featuring all three was issued.

To celebrate the Glorious Revolution two stamps were issued, both starring Samual Vimes one in his street uniform (sport), and the other a limited edition lilac.

The fifteenth stamp issued highlighted George Pond, head of the Guild of Artificers om the Guild of Artificers 1p (sport), and had a remarkable resemblance to the Cunning Artificer.

Fittingly Moist von Lipwig appeared on the Express Ten Pence (sport), the 499th stamp in his Ride to Sto Lat pose.

The next stamp was a landmark in more ways than one. The Home of the Gods , the Dunmanifestin Dollar (sport), was the 500th stamp issued showing the pinnacle of the Discworld.

To complement the Dunmanifestin stamp, the next three, all issued together, presented three new gods - Fedecks (sport b, sport c), Nuggan (sport b, sport c), and The Lady (sport b, sport c). As well as having their own sheets they appeared together with Io, Anoia and Offler issued in the Year of the Incontrovertible Skunk in a presentation sheet. The earlier stamps Io, Anoia and Offler had new sports.

The Year of the Condescending Carp was brought to close with the usual Hogswatch offer; three stamps featuring a Pork Board (sport) , Hogfather (sport) and Hogswatch presents (sport).
The Death of Rats popped up in all three as the sport. As well as the stamps having on their own sheet, the three stamps appeared on a Presentation Sheet.

A total of 23 stamps and 26 sports were issued during the year which is the lowest issued in any year.

Ten LBEs were issued during the year, again the lowest along with that for the Year of the Justifiable Defensive Lobster.

Only one cover, Eat, Drink and be Merry, was issued to celebrate Hogswatch

The one thing missing from this year's list is the Blue Triangle.

I must congratulate Ian, Reb, the Emporium team; Sarah Hawkins, Eilis Fae Lish and Chris Lewis, plus the founders Bernard and Isobel for making this year as wonderful as the previous years.

Here is hoping that it is only the Badger that is Beleaguered in 2021

* Crossword clue: Magpie - Corvid; Unrighteous - without the R

Stamp News

There are already websites that cover Discworld Stamps, such as Discworld Stamp Catalogue, the Discworld Stamp Collector.

The Journal Stamp News pages cover future stamps.