Description: The United Kingdom 19-pence stamp showcases a dramatic, expressionistic painting of strip farming over rolling hillsides by acclaimed British artist David Tress. Part of the "Farmers' Tale" issue, it serves as the 16th entry in the Royal Mail's sprawling Millennium Series celebration. The artwork captures a traditional medieval system of agriculture with heavy vertical textures and a vibrant, layered palette of greens, yellows, blues, and dark earth tones. The iconic silver silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II sits in the upper left corner, while the clean typography indicating the "Millennium 1999/16" series and the denomination are cleanly positioned in white along the bottom right.
Circa: 1999
Condition: MNH
Notes:
The design choice represents a unique choice for a millennium milestone by choosing to focus on a disappearing historical landscape rather than modern technology. This medieval strip farming layout was the dominant agricultural system across Europe for centuries until the historic Enclosure Acts phased it out during the 18th and 19th centuries.