Viscount stamps and post cards
The Chris Spencer collection
Since early in the 1950s there have been many covers flown on Viscounts and quite a number of stamps issued illustrating
the Viscount. Probably the earliest flown were with BEA - British European Airways and whilst Britain was slow in issuing
anything philatelic, other countries did rather well.
First day cover celebrating forty years of Icelandic civil aviation
One of the earlier actual stamps came from Iceland in 1959, and the lower of two values celebrating forty years of
Icelandic Civil Aviation showed Icelandair Viscount c/n 149 TF-ISU - the second of their two Viscounts. The other stamp
illustrates an unidentified Douglas DC-4.
Illustrated is a first day cover for the stamps and it is uncertain which of the two four-engine planes is intended to be
illustrated in the cancellation.
LOT - Polskie Linie Lotnicze prepaid postcard celebrating their 35th anniversary in 1964
LOT - Polskie Linie Lotnicze had three V.804 Viscounts (SP-LVA to SP-LVC) and as a part of the publicity for their 35 year
anniversary in 1964, they produced a prepaid postcard (presumably for the benefit of paying customers), which shows a route
map of their services. The prepaid stamp is a quite fine illustration of one of their Viscounts.
On 18 April 1996, the last official Viscount passenger flight took place from Heathrow on BWA - British World Airlines
Viscount c/n 382 G-APEY and aptly over-flew both Brooklands and Wisley, but even more appropriately carrying, amongst
others, George Edwards, the designer of the Viscount.
A limited number of illustrated postcards were flown on the last Viscount flight from Heathrow
A limited number of illustrated postcards were flown and indeed signed. Above is the front of the post card showing
Viscount c/n 412 G-APIM, and below the reverse that shows two 'John Bull' cachets identifying the details of the flight
and the Brooklands involvement.
The card was signed by the crew of Viscount c/n 382 G-APEY