Omnibus issue
Introduction In philately, an '''omnibus issue''' is an issue of stamps by several countries with a common subject and which may share a uniform design. Omnibus issues have often been made by countries under common political control or groups of colonies due to the close co-operation required to produce the issue. Omnibus issues are to be distinguished from joint issues which are usually much smaller in scope.
The first omnibus issue The first omnibus has been said to be the issue of 1898 by the Portuguese colonial empire to commemorate the quatercentenary of Vasco de Gama's discovery of the sea route to India. File:Portugal 1898 Mi 140 stamp (Departure at Belem 07.07.1497).jpg|PortugalFile:Azores 1898 Mi 92 stamp (Departure at Belem 07.07.1497).jpg|AzoresFile:Madeira 1898 Mi 35 stamp (Departure at Belem 07.07.1497).jpg|MadeiraFile:Portuguese Africa 1898 Mi 3 stamp (Departure at Belem 07.07.1497).jpg|Portuguese AfricaFile:Portuguese India 1898 Mi 170 stamp (Departure at Belem 07.07.1497).jpg|Portuguese IndiaFile:1898 Macau stamp used Hong Kong.jpg|Portuguese MacauFile:Portuguese Timor 1898 Mi 52 stamp (Departure at Belem 07.07.1497).jpg|Portuguese Timor
British Empire and British Overseas Territories issues Omnibuses have been particularly associated with stamps from the former British Empire, now the British Commonwealth, due to the large number of territories participating. Initially designs were identical for each colony with only the values, colours and colony names varying. Over time, however, a wider range of designs has been used within the same issue. The first issue was the Silver Jubilee issue of 1935.Many others have followed, usually on themes related to the British Royal Family, but also for subjects such as ''Freedom from Hunger'' (1963) and the ''1966 Football World Cup''. Not every colony necessarily participates in every issue, although the revenue produced by the stamps is a valuable source of income for many smaller colonies/countries which may have few other ways of raising funds.A list of British Omnibus issues is given below:1935 - Silver Jubilee1937 - Coronation   File:Stamp of Aden - 1937 - Colnect 165126 - 1 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|AdenFile:Falkland Islands Coronation Stamp.jpg|Falkland IslandsFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1937 - Colnect 120 - 1 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1937 - Colnect 269022 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|SeychellesFile:1937 3d Coronation stamp of Swaziland.jpg|SwazilandFile:Turks and Caicos Islands 1937 coronation stamp.jpg|Turks and Caicos Islands1945-1946 - Peace and Victory1948-1949 - Silver Wedding   File:Stamp of Aden - 1949 - Colnect 165142 - 1 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|AdenFile:Stamp of Johore - 1948 - Colnect 533313 - 1 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|JohoreFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1948 - Colnect 142 - 1 - Royal Silver Wedding Anniversary.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Gold Coast Stamp 1948, George VI and Elizabeth.jpg|Gold CoastFile:Stamp of Kedah - 1948 - Colnect 473027 - 1 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|KedahFile:Stamp of Kelantan - 1948 - Colnect 604405 - 1 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|KelantanFile:Stamp3 of Borneo.jpg|North BorneoFile:Stamp of Penang - 1948 - Colnect 708636 - 1 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|PenangFile:Stamp of Sarawak - 1948 - Colnect 306191 - Royal Couple.jpeg|SarawakFile:Stamp of Selangor - 1948 - Colnect 709730 - Silver marriage jubilee of King George VI - Queen Elizabeth.jpeg|SelangorFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1948 - Colnect 269032 - Silver wedding.jpeg|SeychellesFile:Stamp of Zanzibar - 1949 - Colnect 413503 - 1 - Royal couple.jpeg|Zanzibar1949 - Universal Postal Union   File:Bermuda 1949 Mi 125-128 stamps (75th anniversary of the UPU).jpg|BermudaFile:Tonga 1949 Mi 87-90 stamps (75th anniversary of the UPU).jpg|TongaFile:British Somaliland 1949 UPU stamps.jpg|British SomalilandFile:Dominica 1949 Mi 112-115 stamps (75th anniversary of the UPU).jpg|DominicaFile:Sierra Leone 1949 Mi 171-174 stamps (75th anniversary of the UPU).jpg|Sierra LeoneFile:The Gambia 1949 Mi 143-146 stamps (75th anniversary of the UPU).jpg|GambiaFile:Nyasaland 1949 Mi 89-92 stamps (75th anniversary of the UPU).jpg|NyasalandFile:St. Lucia 1949 UPU stamps.jpg|St. LuciaFile:Jamaica 1949 Mi 147-150 stamps (75th anniversary of the UPU).jpg|Jamaica1951 - University1953 - QEII Coronation   File:Stamp of Aden - 1953 - Colnect 255499 - 1 - Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|AdenFile:1953 Coronation Bechuanaland Protectorate stamp.jpg|Bechuanaland ProtectorateFile:Basutoland 1953 Coronation stamp.jpg|BasutolandFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1953 - Colnect 155 - 1 - Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Stamp HK 1953.jpg|Hong KongFile:Stamp of Johore - 1953 - Colnect 398630 - 1 - Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|JohoreFile:Stamp of Kedah - 1953 - Colnect 699426 - 1 - Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|KedahFile:Stamp of Kelantan - 1953 - Colnect 699427 - 1 - Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|KelantanFile:Malta-Queen-Elizabeth-II-Coronation-Stamp-1953.jpg|MaltaFile:Stamp of Penang - 1953 - Colnect 399185 - 1 - Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|PenangFile:Stamp of Perak - 1953 - Colnect 400110 - 1 - Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|PerakFile:Stamp of Perlis - 1953 - Colnect 699428 - Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|PerlisFile:Pitcairn 1953 01.jpg|Pitcairn IslandsFile:Timbre_SteLucie_E2_couronnement_1953.jpg|St. LuciaFile:Stamp of Sarawak - 1953 - Colnect 306213 - Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|SarawakFile:Stamp of Selangor - 1953 - Colnect 399659 - Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.jpeg|SelangorFile:Seychelles_1953_coronation_stamp.JPG|SeychellesFile:Queen stamp Sierra Leone.jpg|Sierra LeoneFile:Queen Elizabeth II Virgin Islands stamp.jpg|Virgin Islands1953 - Royal Visit1958 - West Indies Federation   File:St. Vincent 3c West Indies Federation stamp 1958.jpg|St. Vincent1963 - Freedom From HungerFile:Stamp of Aden - 1963 - Colnect 352646 - 1 - Protein Foods.jpeg|AdenFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1963 - Colnect 188 - 1 - Freedom from Hunger.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Sarawak - 1963 - Colnect 306413 - Protein Food.jpeg|SarawakFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1963 - Colnect 307290 - Protein Foods.jpeg|SeychellesFile:Stamp of Zanzibar - 1963 - Colnect 413564 - Freedom from Hunger.jpeg|Zanzibar1963 - Red Cross Centenary1964 - Shakespeare1965 - International Telecommunication UnionFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1965 - Colnect 198 - 1 - International Telecommunications Union Centenary.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1965 - Colnect 307295 - ITU Emblem.jpeg|Seychelles1965 - International CooperationFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1965 - Colnect 200 - 1 - International Co operation Year.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1965 - Colnect 307297 - International Cooperation Year.jpeg|Seychelles1966 - Churchill MemorialFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1966 - Colnect 203 - 1 - Winston Churchill.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1966 - Colnect 307298 - Churchill - St Paul´s Cathedral.jpeg|Seychelles1966 - Football World CupFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1966 - Colnect 208 - 1 - World Cup Football Championship - England 1966.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1966 - Colnect 307301 - Jules Rimet Cup.jpeg|Seychelles1966 - U.N.E.S.C.O IssueFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1966 - Colnect 220 - 1 - 20th Anniversary of UNESCO - Education.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1966 - Colnect 307304 - 20th Anniversary of UNESCO - Education.jpeg|Seychelles1966 - World Health OrganisationFile:Stamp of Gibraltar - 1966 - Colnect 215 - 1 - New WHO Headquarters Building.jpeg|GibraltarFile:Stamp of Seychelles - 1966 - Colnect 307302 - Headquarters Geneva.jpeg|Seychelles1966 - Royal Visit to the Caribbean1972 - Royal Silver Wedding1973 - Royal Wedding Princess Anne1974 - Churchill Centenary1977 - Royal Silver Jubilee1978 - 25th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation1980 - Queen Mothers 80th Birthday1981 - Charles and Diana Royal Wedding1982 - Princess Diana 21st and other Birthdays1985 - Life and Times of Elizabeth the Queen Mother1990 - Queen Mother's 90th Birthday1997 - Queen Elizabeth Golden Wedding
French omnibus issues 1931 - Colonial ExpositionFile:HauteVolta1931.jpg|French Upper VoltaFile:ExpositionColonial1931.jpg|French Sudan1937 - International Exposition in ParisFile:RFExpositionColonial1937.jpg|French Indochina1938 - Pierre and Marie Curie1939 - Rene Caillie1939 - New York World's Fair1939 - 150th Anniversary of the Revolution1942 - Protection of the Infants1942 - Colonial Education Fund1944 - Marianne Red Cross1945 - Felix Eboue1946 - Victory Anniversary1946 - Chad to the Rhine1949 - UPU Anniversary1950 - Tropical Medicine1952 - Military Medals1954 - Liberation Anniversary
Other omnibus issuers The omnibus remains popular with countries whose philatelic marketing is handled by the Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation as it enables those countries to market their stamps into the lucrative United States and European thematic stamp market by featuring subjects popular in those countries. These issues have, however, been criticised for not being relevant to the culture of the participating countries, for instance stamps featuring Disney characters issued by poor African countries.
Commercialisation While most earlier omnibus issues were genuine attempts to help a group of countries celebrate an anniversary or event, the fact that these became popular with stamp collectors tempted issuing authorities to bring out more stamps than would have otherwise been thought necessary. These were often heavily marketed.
See also *Colonial Exposition Issue*Coronation issue*Joint issue*Key type stamp
References