Description: This commemorative postage stamp was officially issued by the British Royal Mail as part of a special series celebrating the historic coastal lighthouses of the United Kingdom. The central design vividly illustrates the St. John's Point Lighthouse in County Down, Northern Ireland, recognizable by its striking yellow and black bands rising above whitewashed keeper cottages and crashing waves. The top half of the stamp is cleverly overlaid with authentic hydrographic survey markings, depth numbers, and the site name “ST. JOHN’S PT”. The upper right corner features the gold-foiled silhouette profile of Queen Elizabeth II positioned directly above the large “20” pence face value.
Circa: 1998
Condition: MNH
Notes:
The actual St. John's Point tower stands as the tallest onshore lighthouse on the island of Ireland, reaching an impressive height of 40 meters. The nautical chart details printed across the stamp's sky include technical abbreviations like “Fl.W” (Flashing White) and “S.bkSh” (Sand and broken Shells), mimicking the real navigational data used by mariners in the Irish Sea.
Designed by acclaimed Irish engineer George Halpin, the structure at St. John's Point first began operating in 1844. Initially painted plain white, it underwent a dramatic structural height extension in 1911 and was subsequently repainted with its famous, high-visibility bumblebee-style black and yellow bands to ensure it stood out clearly against the bright coastal horizon.