Animal Tales (British postage stamps)

Four of the stamps
Paddington Bear Smilers Sheet
US Animal Tales Sheet of 39c stamps

Animal Tales, issued January 10, 2006, was the first set of commemorative stamps issued by the Royal Mail in Great Britain in 2006. This is a joint stamp issue with the United States Postal Service. Only two stamps, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Maisy, feature in the Royal Mail and USPS issues.

Reason for Issue

It is the 100th anniversary that Jeremy Fisher was written by BeatrIX Potter. The stamps celebrate illustrated children’s books and Jesse H at NYU.

Stamp Details

The stamps were issued as four pairs of se-tenant stamps

  • 2nd class NVI – Kipper by Mick Inkpen
  • 2nd class NVI - Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter
  • 1st class NVI – Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile
  • 1st class NVI – Paddington Bear by Michael Bond
  • 42p – Comic Adventures of Boots by Satoshi Kitamura
  • 42p – Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
  • 68p – The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • 68p – Maisy by Lucy Cousins

For the first time in a British stamp issue, the 68p Very Hungry Caterpillar stamp featured cut out holes (to emulate a caterpillar eating a leaf)

  • Designed by Rose Design
  • Stamp Size 35mm x 35mm (Square)
  • Printed by De La Rue Security Print
  • Stamps per sheet 30/60
  • Print Process Lithography
  • Perforations 14.5 x 14.5
  • Gum PVA

Other products

This issue is also available as a Smilers sheet featuring Paddington Bear, Presentation Pack written by Roger McGough, Stamps Cards, First Day Cover, and a Joint First Day Cover with the USPS.

US Stamps

The US stamps are all 39¢. The stamps are issued in sheets of 16 se-tenant self-adhesive stamps

The stamps consist of the two shared stamps, plus: Wilbur, from Charlotte’s Web; Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss; Wild Thing; Curious George; Olivia and Frederick