Great Britain celebrates Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with eight stamps July 28

By David Hartwig

On July 28, Great Britain’s Royal Mail commemorated the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with a set of eight stamps.

The set contains eight stamps presented as two horizontal se-tenant (side-by-side) strips.

Four stamps in one se-tenant strip are nondenominated, valued at the first-class rate (currently 95 pence). The stamps in the other strip are denominated at £1.85 (the rate for letters to Europe up to 100 grams and worldwide up to 20 grams).

The issue date coincides with the start of the 22nd Commonwealth Games, held July 28 to Aug. 8. Birmingham, a city in England approximately 100 miles northwest of London, hosted the games, with some events held at other locations across the West Midlands.

The Commonwealth Games is a multisport event that has occurred every four years since 1930, except for 1942 and 1946. Athletes from the Commonwealth nations and territories compete in the games.

According to a press release from Royal Mail, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games features 19 sports and eight of what the Commonwealth Games Federation calls “para-sports” (sports played by people with a disability). At the games, 72 nations and territories are competing in 280 medal events.

The press release adds that Birmingham 2022 presents two significant milestones in the history of the Commonwealth Games: It is the first major sports event to award more medals to women than to men, and it stages the largest fully integrated para-sports program to date.

The artwork on the stamps is in the cubism style, with abstract fragments making up the images. Two lines of text reading “Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games” run up the left side of each stamp. The logo of the Commonwealth Games appears in the lower right corner of each stamp.

The four first-class stamps depict diving, boxing, para table tennis and para powerlifting, respectively.

The four £1.85 stamps show gymnastics, cycling, a running athletics event and wheelchair basketball 3 x 3, respectively.

David Leather, CEO of Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships, remarked on the collaboration between Royal Mail and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

“We are proud that the CGF and Birmingham 2022 have been able to work with Royal Mail to produce these Special Stamps to mark the occasion for the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games,” Leather said. “It is fantastic to see the rich history of the Royal Mail and the Commonwealth Games continue for Birmingham 2022, as well as offering fans the opportunity to recall wonderful moments and carry memories of each Commonwealth Games.”

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games stamps and related products can be ordered from Royal Mail. Ordering information also is available from Royal Mail, Tallents House, 21 S. Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB, Scotland.

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