The Crown Agents
Stamp Bureau Crown Agents Omnibus Promotions
The Crown Agents Stamp Bureau (CASB) produced several promotional items
down the years for its various 'omnibus' series of counter stamps or miniature
sheets and these colourful items form the basis of this one-frame Cinderella display.
Most items remain cheap as they were invariably given away free within stamp
magazines or at stamp shows attended by CASB, but there are a few exceptions,
namely those marked as having been issued at the launch parties for the stamps.
On 1 October 2007, the Crown Agents Stamp Bureau ceased to independently
exist when it joined forces with stamp dealer Harry Allen to form Casco Philatelic
Services Ltd. No additional promotional 'omnibus' material has been seen since.
A Chronology of Events Commemorated
with Omnibus Promotions
1982: 21st Birthday of Princess Diana
1985: Her Majesty the Queen Mother's 85th Birthday and 'Life and Times'
1993: 75th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force
1995: 50th Anniversary of the End of World War Two
1997: Golden Wedding of HM Queen Elizabeth and HRH The Prince Phillip
1999: 30th Anniversary of the First Manned Moon Landing
2001: Year of the Snake 'Best Wishes and Good Fortune'
2002: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, 1900-2002
2002: HM Queen Elizabeth Il's Golden Jubilee
2003: New High Value Portrait of Her Majesty The Queen
2003: 50th Anniversary of the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth 11
ST. HELENA
TI
1982: 21st Birthday of
Crown Agents Princess Diana
A mere 700 sheetlets were printed by Harrison and Sons in photogravure with foil blocking for this
promotional issue. They were presented in a gift folder printed in silver by Walsall Security Printers to those
attending the launch of the new 21st Birthday stamps. This item is probably the scarcest of this series of
promotional items and is rarely seen offered for sale.
Ner Royal Highness The Princess of Wales
AZ.ENS O?3US ONN
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11 A The promotional sheet.
The presentation folder for launch party guests >
ST. HELENA
21 s Birthday I st J uly 1982
ST. HELENA ST.HELENA
Typical set of stamps in the series
from St Helena.
Presented by THE CROWN AGENTS
for Oversea Governments and Administrations
Typical set of stamps
in the series
from St Helena.
1985: Her Majesty the Queen Mother's
Crown Agents 85th Birthday and 'Life and Times'
In 1985, The House of Questa produced a sheet of 20 dummy stamp designs depicting HM The Queen
Mother for the CASB omnibus series. These sheets bore commemorative text in the perforated-through
margins. Copies were given away within Stamp Magazine at the time of the stamp issue.
Presented by Crown Agents Stamp Bureau
"gents rmnmn on
Crown Agn(sCrown .tnts Crown Agents Crown Agents Omnibus Omnibus JOinnihus Omnibus
0— W-0 Crown Agents rown Ag0fitA rown Agents own Aen Omnibus Omnibus •Omnihus Omnibus
r fr
Crown Agents Crown .ents Crown Ageen Omnibus Omnibus
L jy: Crown Age Crownen g Agents Crown A Omnibus Omnibus
lCrownOmnibus Omnihu :
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Printed at The House of Qesta
The free gift version of the promotional sheet,
as supplied through Stamp Magazine.
1985: Her Majesty the Queen Mother's
Crown Agents 85th Birthday and 'Life and Times'
In 1985 and again in 1989, The House of Questa produced a sheet of 20 dummy stamp designs depicting HM
The Queen Mother for the CASB omnibus series as previously, but this time without commemorative text
and with imperforate margins. This sheet was initially given to those attending the 1985 launch and again in
1989 to delegates at a postal conference, by which time CASB was CAPHCO. 700 were printed for both events.
Crown Agents Crown Agents Crown Agents Oil 7Ks Omnibus Omnibus Omnibus
to'llilli 0,4 --m Trown Agents!TAgent's Crown Agent Crown Agents Omnibus innibus Omnibus Omnibus
C1 rwng..,nts I Crown mqWWS 0.
o Crown Agug.s ICrown Agents. Crown Age Omnibi miiibus Oiniiihus.•
Crown Agents wn Agits Crown Age Cr Omnibus - iiinihus omnibus Omnibus
P The C,r,ten Aqents Oroethus
Se,,es of Ptote Stomp Mork,mt the L4e ted litnot of
He. Mo,eot Qutee Ffoth.'th Th, Que.o Moh,
Scan of outside cover of the
1985 stamp launch version.
COMMONWEALTH POSTAL
CONFERENCE
PRE-CONGRESS MEETING
NOVEMBER 1989
lWW* CAPHCO
L
Scan of outside cover of the
1989 Postal Conference version.
mi
It is not possible to identify whether the sheet is from the 1985 or 1989 printing
when separated from its folder. This copy is guaranteed to be from 1989.
Crown Agents
The aircraft and CASB artworks
used on the show sheets and
on the black-print.
1993: 75th Anniversary of
the Royal Air Force ii'A Crown Agents
A so-called 'black-print' was produced by an unidentified printer for this RAF series. The artworks were by
Tony Theobald and lack the text that appeared on the issued stamps, except aircraft name. These three (and
a fourth unadopted Tornado design) also appeared on a pair of Stampex/Eur-Apex 93 sheets in colour, again
without country name or face value, etc., but full MS are excluded from here as they are not omnibus related.
75th AN N IVE RSARYof the ROYAL AIR FORCE
F7/7 PWffHSNI8
SOPWITHS92PE 1918
ia Crown Agents
AVRO LANCASTER 5; :942
PRESENTED BY THE CROWN AGENTS STAMP BUREAU OLD INN HOUSE, 2 CARSHALTON ROAD, SUTTON, SURREY, SM I 4RN
The black-print promotional sheet.
75th ANNIVERSARY of 91,, ROYAL AIR FORCE 1918-1993 ER
ASCENSION ISLAND 2O
75c BELIZE
11th ANNWVEii'A~qt:~ 09,1,, ROYAL AIR FORCE1918-1993
75th ANNIVERSARY of th ROYAL AIR FORCE ER 1918-1993
36P FALKLAND ISLANDS The unadopted fourth aircraft
The three aircraft issued stamps design from the Stampex/
used on the black-print. Eur-Apex sheets.
1995: 50th Anniversary of the
Crown Agents End of World War Two
Depicting the reverse side of the War Medal set against a field of poppies, this imperforate promotional
sheet was printed at the House of Questa.
'LEST WE FORGET'
Crown Agents
Stamp Bureau,- I ". 50'--ANO
~ I~TERSARY
I ' The promotional sheet.
1
O" ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF WORLD WAR II
1I -:;
I l,
LLàIM#A. I. IIIlI:\A _ •
F E$T WE FORGET' •
Typical miniature sheet in the series
from St Helena.
im 1997: Golden Wedding of HM Queen Elizabeth and HRH The Prince Phillip
Crown Agents
On 9 July 1997, CASB and the British Library Philatelic Collections held a joint reception in the British
Museum to mark the issuance of a commemorative omnibus edition printed at The House of Questa. Guests were presented with the promotional sheet in a folder bearing just the Crown Agents logo on the front cover.
Presented by the Crown Agents Stamp Bureau
to commemorate the Golden Wedding of
H.M. Queen Elizabeth 11 and H.R.H. The Prince Philip,
1947.1997.
• • .•• ...............I•I,
H.M. Queen Elizabeth If
H.R.H. The Prince Philip
The presentation folder for launch party guests with its promotional sheet.
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II H.R.H. The Prince Philip
Typical miniature sheet in the series from St Helena.
1999: 30th Anniversary of the
First Manned Moon-Landing Ar Crown Agents
Depicting the Earth viewed from the surface of the Moon, this circular stamp design was printed at The
House of Questa and was given away in large quantities at The Stamp Show 2000, and no doubt elsewhere
The promotional sheet.
Typical miniature sheet in the series from Tuvalu and
overprinted SPECIMEN. St Helena never took part.
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2001
4!gents Year of the Snake
BEST WISHES & POOD FORTUNE
i{i i1 Ii
2001: Year of the Snake
Crown Agents 'Best Wishes and Good Fortune'
Walsall Security Printers printed this sheet for CASB, although it does not appear to be tied-in with an
omnibus issue. It utilises the silver foil blocking that had previously been used in 1997 for the 'Handover of
Hong Kong' omnibus series.
The promotional sheet.
Typical miniature sheet in the series
from St Helena.
im 2002: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth,
The Queen Mother, 1900-2002 Crown Agents
Showing HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, this sheet was a
tribute to 'The Queen Mum'. Free copies were given away inside copies of both Stamp Magazine and GSM.
The promotional sheet.
Typical miniature sheet in the series
from St Helena.
2002: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth,
Crown Agents The Queen Mother, 1900-2002
The two magazine promotions.
- -- L/\\_ With the compliments of Crown Agents
& STAMP MAGAZINE
We hope you enjoy your FREE Queen Mother souvenir sheet - for details of a special reader of fer please turn over this card!
The free gift, as supplied through Stamp Magazine.
The free gift, as supplied through GSM.
2002: HM Queen Elizabeth Ii's
Crown Agents Golden Jubilee
On this sheet printed at The House of Questa in a run of 25,000 copies, Princess Elizabeth is seen examining
pages from an album held within the Royal Philatelic Collection in July 1946. Copies of the sheet were given
away with the February 2002 issue of GSM.
The promotional sheet.
The promotional sheet, as supplied in the handbook of the travelling exhibition.
Typical miniature sheet in the series from St Helena.
2002: HM Queen Elizabeth Il's
Crown Agents Golden Jubilee
In 2002, CASB was involved in a special travelling exhibition entitled 'The Queen's Stamps', which was held
at the Palace of Holyrood House, Sandringham House and Hampton Court. An overprinted sheet was issued.
Travelling Exhibition 2002
*4333 3333300 #0 1' 14 I a
40
Typical stamp
in the series
from St Helena.
2003: New High Value Portrait of
Crown Agents Her Majesty The Queen
Based on a portrait of Her Majesty taken by the late Lord Lichfield in 2001, the sheet was first presented with
the September 2003 issue of GSM and to purchasers of the omnibus issue. A second edition bore additional
text and logo commemorating 50 years of Stampex and these were handed-out at the show. Both dummies
and the issued stamps were printed by BDT International Security Printing in the Irish Republic.
'FREE GIFT I MOW, 21 , = M I Of I
The Crown Agents Stamp Bureau and
Gibbons Stamp Monthly
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN St I-kkna
The Crown Agents Stamp Bureau ER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
The free gift,
as supplied through GSM.
The promotional sheet, as supplied through Stampex.
7,500 copies are likely to have been provided
to the show organisers >
The Crown Agents Stamp Bureau
stamp,)
50th ANNIVERSARY YEAR
im 2003: 50th Anniversary of the
Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II Crown Agents
The June 2003 issue of GSM came with a free copy of a sheet in the style of the Coronation omnibus series.
It was printed by De La Rue Security Print and proved to be the final such item.
F R E F GIFT eee
ft/ue4 O6
CO Of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Typical miniature sheet in the series
from St Helena.
iA 2003: 50th Anniversary of the
Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II Crown Agents
The new High Value Head and Coronation omnibus series both had a commemorative cover produced for
guests attending the receptions held to launch these two stamp issues.
Coronation Of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth U
Souvenir Cover
Crown Agents Stamp Bureau
4J.
Crown Agents Stamp Bureau
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