Post Austria surprised the philatelic market with the issue of a „Brexit stamp“ issued on the very day, January 31, 2020. The design at €1,80 had already been printed in sheets of 50 by Enschedé Stamps B. V. showing the old exit date 29 March, 2019. The map design presents the remaining EU states in dark blue, while the United Kingdom vanishes under a light blue transparent varnish. After the actual Brexit date was end of January, 2020, an overprint was made to line out the old and add the new one. The edition was 140,000 and as it seems at the moment, they soon sold out.

I was surprised to see prices up to €33,50 for first day covers from bidders on ebay offers just a few days after issue; €4 to 50 for a single mint stamp; up to €88 for a mint corner block of 4; bids from €101 to 191 for full sheets (offers at 250 to 450!).

€595 were asked for a „sensational plate flaw in corner block of 6, showing a Damaged Sweden on the left central stamp, for sure only in a part of the issue, because I bought several sheets and found the error only on about every 10th sheet. If I am right, this would make only about 280 of these errors occurred.“ Actually, the part of Finland is concerned showing a faulty structure. A mint pair with the same flaw on the left stamp received bids up to €75 on Feb. 6.

I wonder how long it will take until the first error stamps missing the overprint will appear on the market …?

Wide-spread offers between €2 and more than 70 may be found for two older issues on Brexit. The Central African Republic, more probably its agency, released a souvenir sheet of 4 and a miniature sheet on August 22, 2016 (Mi 6390 – 6394 / Block 1500). The stamp quartet of 500fr shows David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage; the minisheet a stamp at 2000fr with maps of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, flags and signposts in opposite directions (Michel value €9.50 for each sheetlet).

On the market I also found a sheetlet with two imperforate „stamps“ at 500f inscribed „REPUBLIQUE du TCHAD 2018“ showing Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, but I am not sure if this can be called an „official issue“?

From my monthly Europe column in Britains magazine „Philatelic Exporter“. Michael Burzan

For sure, Austrian artist Arthur Kurtz (1860-1917) would regret the current political situation. He travelled a lot in the UK and painted people and landscapes; he also portrayed Edward VII before he became King.

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