Ł1 Story of Wedgwood

Pre decimal £1.00 Stamps for Cooks

Not exactly a prestige booklet, but one which deserves a mention as it was the one of which the prestige booklets were initially modeled on . This had a pictorial coloured cover showing "stuffed baked haddock"and was issued on 1st December 1969. Stamp panes were printed by Harrisons on OCP/PVA gum.

“The Cook Book” as is now known has 12 recipes on interleaving pages, these recipes were also incorporated on four se tenant label pages attached to a stamp pane.

With the first issues of this booklet, as a experiment panes and covers were stapled together. These are quite rare and retail in the region of £240 GBP each. The Cook Booklet booklet was later altered and the make up of the manufactured design changed to that of one where the panes and covers were sewn together. A tape was then added over the binding, this was glued over the thread which kept the booklet together.


	The Story of Wedgwood was the first decimal booklet of its kind, a promtional issue commisioned privately by the Wedgwood factory. The release date was 24th May 1972, it was sold to the public with a face value of £1. Printed by Harrisonsin photogravureon fluorescent coated paper with PVA gum.

Described by philatelists as Prestige, it was in fact a spin off from the pre decimal £1 stamps stamps for cooks booklet which is described above, as stated the cook book was not exactly a prestige booklet, but one of which this first prestige booklet was modeled on .

This booklet has a full colour pictorial cover with a picture of Josiah Wedgwood and a section of ceramics made at his Stoke on Trent factory. Inside the booklet there are interleaving panes and se-tenant panes of Machin definitive stamps attached to a label containing information and illustrations on Wedgwood, his factory and products.



		Pane 1 12 x 3p 2B


	Pane 3 3 x 2½p RB, 3 x ½p 2B, 3 x 2½p LB, & 3 x 2½p CB



	Pane 2 3 x 2½p CB, 3 x 2½p RB & 6 x 3p 2B


		Pane 4 3 x ½p 2 B, 1 x ½p LB, & 2 x 2½p LB

This is the booklet made is famous for the elusive ½p side band stamp. The booklet retains a SG catalogue price of £65 GBP at this time, but it should be noted that this price is for booklets with the panes having full or very good perforations on the ½p side band.

Due to the method of manufacture and cutting, these are difficult to find and prices for panes with trimmed perforations drop drastically to that of £28 - £30 GBP.


	Next: £3 Wedgwood