Page 101 - 148 Years of the Royal Philatelic Society London

In 1966: Botswana, Lesotho and Guyana attain independence; U.K. wins Football World Cup;

first episode of Star Trek; Walt Disney dies; David Cameron, Eric Cantona & Mike Tyson born.

At the RPSL: Expert Committee now accept all items irrespective of date of issue or country

of origin; Miss Brooks resigns as Secretary to Expert Committee and R. A. G. Lee takes over.

RPSL President was Capt. B. Rogers-Tillstone. Patron H.M. Queen Elizabeth II.

Membership 987 - 1215.

AN ENGRAVED ESSAY SUBMITTED FOR A

NEW QUEEN ELIZABETH II DEFINITIVE SERIES

From the collection of Tony Walker FRPSL.

Member since 1978. Lives in England.

Few people imagined the new definitive series being commissioned in 1966 would become the

longest running Great Britain issue of all time. Andrew Restall was seconded to the Royal College of

Art as a Research Fellow in Stamp Design, sponsored by the Post Office, when his unsuccessful

portfolio was submitted. Arnold Machin's design was chosen. The essay I die proof shown above is

one of Restall' s designs in a series entitled 'Botanical Backgrounds'. The concept and execution of the

engraving are quite superb and it is a shame the design was not utilised on a subsequent occasion.