Stamp Advisory Committee
Open-knowledge reference entry
The Stamp Advisory Committee (SAC) is a committee to advise on the design of British postage stamps.
History
The committee was originally established as an offshoot of the Council of Industrial Design in 1946. On 21 February 1968 a new Post Office appointed committee was set up and today the SAC advises the United Kingdom's Royal Mail on their stamp issuing policy.
Work of the committee
Royal Mail select the subject of upcoming stamp issues and appoint designers to draw up a variety of different possible design for each issue. The committee then review the possible design and advise Royal Mail which they think is the best. The committee's recommendations are not binding on Royal Mail, nor does it select new subjects for stamp issues.
The committee is drawn from all walks of life but includes particularly designers, Royal Mail representatives and a British Government representative.
No guidelines for stamp issues are provided to either the SAC or Royal Mail.
The records of the SAC have been archived at the British National Archives along with other records of Royal Mail and its predecessors and are available for the public to view as the 30 year embargo elapses.
Controversies
The subjects chosen for British stamps have often been controversial.
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