Description: This item was launched as part of a four-stamp commemorative set celebrating the 150th anniversary of public passenger railways in the United Kingdom. Designed by artist Brian Craker, the illustration showcases the iconic Great Western Railway 4073 "Castle" Class engine, specifically naming the very first locomotive of that fleet built in August 1923 at the Swindon Works. The layout balances industrial history with royal tradition, positioning a clean silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II in the upper-left corner alongside explicit typography designating the engine class and face value. Printed via a high-precision photogravure process by Harrison & Sons, the crisp white paper border frames the rich Brunswick green livery of the historic locomotive. Because this particular specimen lacks any ink postmarks, it remains in a pristine, uncancelled state.
Circa: 1985.
Condition: MNH
Notes:
The engine honored here, No. 4073 Caerphilly Castle, was famously exhibited at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition alongside the LNER's Flying Scotsman to showcase the Great Western Railway's technical dominance in tractive power.