Description: This original 43p commemorative holiday stamp was released by the British Royal Mail as part of a festive five-stamp set celebrating sacred music. Photogravure-printed by De La Rue Security Print, the horizontal design highlights a side-profile view of a dark-haired angel dressed in heavily patterned pink, magenta, and gold robes. The celestial musician is shown cradling a wooden stringed lute, gently plucking the strings with a hand positioned along the bottom margin. Radiant, fine gold lines beam outward to form an expansive circular halo behind the angel’s head. Tucked into the upper-right quadrant is a prominent, gold foil silhouette profile of Queen Elizabeth II set against a highly detailed, swirling pink Damascus textile background pattern. The face value "43" is printed cleanly in a dark green serif font inside the bottom-right corner.
Circa: 1998
Condition: MNH
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