23 British Library Philatelic Collections

The British Library Philatelic Collections is the national philatelic collection of the United Kingdom with over 8 million items from around the world. It was established in 1891 as part of the British Museum Library, later to become the British Library, with the collection of Thomas Tapling. In addition to bequests and continuing donations, the library received consistent deposits by the Crown Agency and has become a primary research collection for British Empire and international history. The collections contain a wide range of artefacts in addition to postage stamps, from newspaper stamps to a press used to print the first British postage stamps.

The Chinchen Collection is a collection of stamps, proofs, artwork and covers from Lundy Island donated by Barry Chinchen to the British Library Philatelic Collections in 1977 and is located at the British Library.

The Contributions Agency Collection is a collection of British National Insurance stamps that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections.

The Crawford Library is a library of early books about philately formed between 1898 and 1913 by James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford. By the time of his death in 1913, Crawford was thought to have amassed the greatest philatelic library of his time. Today, the library is part of the British Library Philatelic Collections.

The Crown Agents Philatelic and Security Printing Archive was deposited with the British Museum from the 1960s, though the first recorded deposit from the Crown Agents was in 1900. The archive consists of a range of philatelic and written material which were the Crown Agents' working records. It is the most comprehensive record of British Colonial and Commonwealth stamp issues of the last 100 years.

The Ewen Collection is a collection of railway letter stamps of the United Kingdom from 1891 to 1912 that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. It was formed by Herbert L'Estrange Ewen and donated in 1949 by his sister Mrs Clement Williams.

The Fletcher Collection is Hugh Greenwell Fletcher's lifetime philatelic collection of British postage stamps and British stamps used abroad including overprints and non-stamp items such as postal stationery. On his death in 1968, the collection was bequeathed to the Bruce Castle Museum in Tottenham, once the home of Sir Rowland Hill. The collection was donated to the British Library in 1989.

The H.M. Stationery Office Collection is a collection of British excise revenue material including National Savings and National Insurance stamps that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. It was received from H.M.S.O. between 1982 and 1992.

The Heys Collection is a collection of philatelic material relating to amateur radio operators in Europe between 1930 and 1997 that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. The collection includes stamps, QSL cards and international reply coupons among other things. It was formed by John Heys and donated to the library in 2001.

Henry Robert "Bob" Holmes was the president of the Royal Philatelic Society London 1961-64 and signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1953.

The Langmead Collection is a collection of British and Irish telegraph stamps and stationery from 1851 to 1881 that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. It was formed by Peter Langmead and received by the Library under the "in lieu of tax" scheme in 1991.

The McInroy Collection is a collection of meter stamps of Great Britain and the world up to 2003 that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. It was formed by Dr R. McInroy and donated to the Library in 2004. As of March 2007 it comprised 116 boxes of material but with much duplication.

The Model Collection is a collection of 1945-1946 local provisional stamps of Germany issued following the allied occupation, unused and on covers that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. It was formed by Dr Walther Model von Thunen and donated to the British Museum in 1956.

The Mosely Collection of British Africa stamps dating to 1935 was formed by Dr Edward Mosely of Johannesburg, South Africa. The collection was donated to the British Museum by his daughter, Kathleen Cunningham, in 1946 and is now held as part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. After the Tapling Collection, this is considered the Library's most important philatelic acquisition due to the number of countries represented and the number of unique items included.

The Row Collection is a collection of philatelic material relating to Siam that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. The collection covers the period 1883 to 1918 in 22 volumes. It is mainly of unused material with many blocks, and strong in the various provisional surcharges. It also includes some postal stationery and issues used in Kedah and Kelantan. It was formed by Harold Row and presented to the British Museum in 1919 by Row's mother, Mrs Eliza Row.

The Sherborn Collection is a collection of 1841-85 Queen Victoria embossed 1d pink postal stationery stamped envelopes that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. The collection was formed by C. Davis Sherborn and donated to the British Museum in 1913.

The Smith Collection is a collection of philatelic material relating to the United Nations and the League of Nations that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. The collection was formed by M. Martin Smith and bequeathed to the library in 2002.

The Tapling Collection of postage stamps was donated to the British Museum from the estate of Thomas Tapling in 1891.

The Turner Collection of Railway Letter Stamps is a collection of railway letter stamps of the United Kingdom from 1891 to the mid-1940s that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. It was formed by S.R. Turner and donated in 1973.

The Wilson-Todd collection is a collection of postage stamps issued during, or associated with, the First World War, including many war tax stamps, that forms part of the British Library Philatelic Collections. It was created by James Wilson-Todd and donated to the British Museum by his mother Lady Wilson-Todd after his death. As of April 2008 it was held in one box.