This issue was released on the 7th May, and consisted of five stamps showing London Landmarks. The stamps were designed by Sir Hugh Casson.

The issue coincided with the “London 1980” International Philatelic Exhibition, and was released on the same day as a Miniature sheet celebrating the event. The stamps were designed to promote London throughout the world.

The designs are all based on water colour paintings of the famous London buildings. The 10 1/2p depicts Buckingham Palace, 12p The Albert Memorial, the 13 1/2p the Royal Opera House, 15p Hampton Court and the 17 1/2p Kensington Palace.

Interestingly, some examples of the 17 1/2p exist with the silver Queen’s head missing completely. According to Gibbons, it came from a sheet which contained seventeen examples of the stamp. “Other stamps in the sheet showed traces of silver and it is obvious that this error results from the previously known problem of the adherence of this ink. The head was previously printed in light yellow, as is now the normal practice for the use of these metallic ink.”

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