Description: This item is an original United Kingdom 4-penny (4d) postage stamp issued as part of the celebrated British Technology omnibus series. The landscape-oriented, perforated stamp features a bold graphic illustration of the iconic Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope—specifically the 250-foot Lovell Telescope—rendered in stark black linework. The illustration is set against a vibrant yellow background, balanced on the right by the white silhouette profile of Queen Elizabeth II. The denomination "4d" is positioned in the upper left corner, while the bottom border features the designer attribution "D GILLESPIE" on the left and the legendary printer name "HARRISON AND SONS LTD" on the right.
Circa: 1966
Condition: Unused
Notes:
The release of this stamp on September 19, 1966, was part of a deliberate government effort to highlight British scientific prowess during the "white heat of technology" era. The featured Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire was the largest steerable dish radio telescope in the world when completed in 1957. While designed primarily for deep-space radio astronomy, it gained massive public fame during the Space Race by tracking Soviet and American satellites, including Sputnik and the Luna probes. Designer David Gillespie intentionally used a minimalist, industrial art style to emphasize the modernism of the structure, pairing it with the clean, simplified Wilding-style royal silhouette.