Description: This twentieth-century philatelic artifact is a square commemorative postage stamp issued by Royal Mail using a high-fidelity photogravure printing process on paper with two integrated phosphor bands. The central visual field showcases an original, multi-colored artwork executed in a distinctive linocut design style by artist Clare Melinsky. It depicts King James VI and I standing in full profile, adorned in elaborate Jacobean court dress featuring a multi-layered ruff collar, an ermine-lined cape, a highly detailed royal crown, and a jeweled collar chain. The monarch gestures with his right hand toward a massive, open folio book resting on a green-clothed podium, displaying two columns of printed text representing the holy scriptures. The top margin is bordered by a stylized, golden celestial sun with a human face blowing winds across a decorative border, while the left margin features a deep purple night sky studded with golden stars. A crisp, gold-bronze silhouette profile of Queen Elizabeth II anchors the top left corner, balanced by a bold "26" pence denomination marker in the lower right corner, with the vertical text "Millennium 1999 / King James Bible / C Melinsky" running along the right-hand design border.
Circa: 1999
Condition: MNH
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