New Issue: Moths (GB)

The next issue from Royal Mail will be released on 9th July. Normally Xanthe reviews all the Royal Mail stamps but I am doing this one as the theme is moths. I love moths and I know quite a lot about them.

Moths haven;t appeared on British stamps very often although an elephant hawk-moth appeared in the Brilliant Bugs set of 2020.

And there was also this one, which was in the 2008 Insects set.

This is the first set that Royal Mail has totally dedicated to moths. We have had two sets of butterflies (1981 and 2013) but no moths. So often people seem to prefer butterflies to moths, maybe because people see them as drab, boring or as pests. It's also true that most people know something about butterflies and can tell you the names of common British butterflies like the Common Blue, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock or Red Admiral. How many people could name even one type of moth?

As we see from these stamps, moths are not drab or boring and most of the time they are not pests.

The moths on these stamps are:

Second Class: Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)

Puss Moth (Cerura vinula)

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis)

Dark Bordered Beauty Moth (Epione vespertaria)

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi)

First Class: Dark Crimson Underwing Moth (Catocala sponsa)

Scarce Crimson and Gold Moth (Pyrausta sanguinalis)

Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)

Hedge Beauty Moth (Alabonia geoffrella)

Buff-tip Moth (Phalera bucephala) Some of these are very rare. Moth conservation is an important issue but we don't hear much about it despite the fact that there are around 2,500 species of moths in the UK. 62 species of British moths became extinct in the 20th century. The Dark Bordered Beauty and the Scarce Crimson and Gold Moth are endangered and can only be found in a few isolated locations. Some of the other moths are common like the Puss Moth and Buff-Tip.

Design Quality - I like these stamps, but I don't think the design is brilliant. Some of the stamps look very similar to the Brilliant Bugs set, so they don't feel as original as they could have. The design works best on the four stamps with detailed backgrounds (Dark Bordered Beauty Moth, Dark Crimson Underwing Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth and Buff-tip Moth) because the extra scenery makes them feel more natural and interesting. I am disappointed that the other stamps, especially the fantastic Scarce Crimson and Gold Moth, don't have the same style of background. I don't really understand why Royal Mail chose to make some stamps detailed and others much plainer. I think the whole set would have looked stronger if every stamp had been designed in the same way with beautiful natural backgrounds. 6/10

Theme/Subject Choice - I think this is an amazing choice for a stamp set. Butterflies often get lots of attention, but moths are just as beautiful and fascinating. Britain has over 2,500 species of moth, with incredible colours, patterns and shapes. This set shows just how varied they are. This is the first time Royal Mail has dedicated an entire special stamp set just to moths and it is great to see these often-overlooked insects getting the recognition they deserve. 10/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - These stamps are very relevant because every species shown is found in Britain. Moths are an important part of our wildlife and are absolutely essential for pollination. Sadly, many moth species have declined because of habitat loss, pollution and climate change. Butterfly conservation is often talked about, but moth conservation doesn't get as much attention, so I think this stamp set is a brilliant way to help people notice and appreciate them. 10/10

Innovation and Creativity - The artwork is beautiful and the moths are illustrated really well, with lots of detail that makes each species easy to recognise. However, I don't think the overall design is especially innovative because it is quite similar to previous Royal Mail nature sets. It is a lovely-looking collection, but it doesn't do anything particularly new. 7/10

Collectability - These are good stamps that I think will appeal to collectors who enjoy wildlife, insects and British nature. Because this is the first Royal Mail set dedicated entirely to moths, I think it is quite important. It probably won't appeal to everyone, but for nature lovers it is an excellent addition. 8/10

Personal Appeal - I really like these stamps. I love moths and I am so pleased Royal Mail has created this set. They show that moths can be just as beautiful as butterflies, and I hope they encourage more people to appreciate them. I will definitely be buying these! 10/10

Overall Score: 51/60 This is the highest score we have ever given to a Royal Mail set and Xanthe agrees that it deserves a really good score. Overall, this is a very good issue that captures the beauty of British moths and introduces us to fascinating insects that a lot of us don't know much about.