Description: This dramatic stamp features the iconic masonry beacon off the coast of Angus, Scotland, battling crashing waves on its hazardous reef. Designed by Dick Davis, the background incorporates a deep-blue 1842 navigational chart fragment alongside old mariner text reading "Bell Rock Light R. every 2 min. 90 ft. above High Water". The lower margin frames the light's historical rhythmic signature using alternating red and white code boxes. A gold silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II crowns the layout above the prominent 43p face value.
Circa: 1998
Condition: MNH
Notes:
The unusual sequence of "R" and "W" boxes running along the bottom border represents the mid-19th-century rotating character of the signal. This visual timeline accurately matches the charted description of the beacon flashing an alternating red and white light every two minutes to prevent confusion with static onshore fires.
Built between 1807 and 1810 by the legendary engineer Robert Stevenson, the structural integrity of Bell Rock remains a pinnacle of historical engineering. It is crafted from dense, interlocking granite blocks that have continuously withstood brutal North Sea squalls for over two centuries without a single structural failure.