Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau: EUROPA Stamps - Castles In this issue of EUROPA Stamps the focus is on European Castles, and Gibraltar has chosen to focus on the Moorish Castle. The castle is a medieval fortification, which was built around AD 711, but has been partially destroyed and reconstructed throughout history by varying occupational forces. The castle is one of Gibraltars most popular tourist attractions, and up until 2010, parts of the castle were still used to house the prison of Gibraltar. The set, which was issued on February 6th, comprises of two stamps showing separate parts of the castle, both denominated at £1.50, and designed by Stephen Perera. The stamps can be found in our catalogue, and can be bought directly from Gibraltar Stamps. Royal Mail: Windsor Castle On February 15th, Royal Mail issued stamps featuring Windsor Castle. The set comprises of 6 stamps, each showing a particular part of the castle. The three 1st class stamps depict the castle from the outside, showing the magnificence of the castle in three locations: The Long Walk, The Round Tower, and The Norman Gate. The last three stamps depict parts of the interior of the castle - St. George's Hall, The Queen's Ballroom, and The Waterloo Chamber. The castle was built in the 11th century and expanded into its current form over time. It survived several times of trial, such as the English Civil War, and today the castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world, with more than 500 people working and living there. Windsor Castle is still Queen Elizabeth's preferred weekend home. The design of the stamps is simple, as they all feature beautiful photographs of the interior and exterior of the castle. No special tricks are needed to portray the beauty of Windsor Castle. You can find the issue in our catalogue, and you can see more and purchase the stamps directly at Royal Mail. |