Description: Issued by the Royal Mail as a standout entry in the highly celebrated "Magical Worlds" commemorative series, this 37-pence denomination pays explicit homage to Edith Nesbit’s beloved 1904 children's novel, The Phoenix and the Carpet. Designed by the critically acclaimed British illustrator Peter Malone, the intricate photogravure composition vividly captures the story's main child protagonists huddled closely together as they soar through a deep cornflower-blue sky on a patterned, flying oriental rug. Guiding their mythical journey in the foreground is the golden, flame-winged Phoenix bird, while a muted, monochromatic gold silhouette profile of Queen Elizabeth II anchors the top right corner. The vertical left border margin is lined with fine typography identifying both the novel's title and its author, while the numeric value "37" is positioned in the bottom right quadrant.
Circa: 1998
Condition: MNH
Notes:
This commemorative stamp celebrates The Phoenix and the Carpet, the enchanting 1904 children’s novel by E. Nesbit, a cornerstone of early British fantasy literature. The story follows a group of siblings who discover a magical carpet and a talking phoenix, leading them on imaginative adventures across time and place.