Description: This 30p stamp from the 1995 Cats series features a beautifully rendered ginger domestic cat named Chloe, its fur glowing in warm orange tones as it prowls gracefully along a ledge.
The soft watercolor style by celebrated Scottish artist Elizabeth Blackadder captures the fluid movement and natural poise of the animal, combining realism with artistic warmth. The Machin silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II appears in silver-grey at the upper right, with the denomination “30” below.
Circa: 1995
Condition: MNH
Notes:
This stamp was part of a popular five-stamp commemorative set issued by the Royal Mail to celebrate domestic cats. Each stamp in the series highlighted a different cat painted by Elizabeth Blackadder.
Modeled after real-life felines Elizabeth Blackadder knew intimately, the 1995 set was actually a mix of her own cats and her neighbors' cats from her neighborhood in Edinburgh. According to the official Royal Mail previews from the 1995 release, the breakdown of the neighborhood crew includes: Chloe (30p Ginger Cat): Her own beloved pet cat. Sophie (19p Black Cat): A neighbor's cat from her local area (often misidentified by collectors as "Tom," but documented as Sophie by the Royal Mail).Puskas & Tigger (25p Siamese & Tabby): Real neighborhood cats she frequently observed and sketched nearby. Fred (41p Black & White Cat): A local neighborhood cat famous for sleeping peacefully around the area. Elizabeth Blackadder was famous for painting what was directly in front of her. If a neighbor's cat wandered into her garden or lounged on her studio windowsill, it quickly became a subject in her watercolor sketchbooks!