HC Deb 17 November 1964 vol 702 c26W
35. Mr. Emrys Hughes

asked the Postmaster-General how many Shakespeare stamps have now been sold; and what are the estimated profits.

Mr. Benn

About 195 million Shakespeare stamps have been issued to Post Offices. Most of these stamps have been sold and the bulk will have been used for payment of postage: we estimate that the profit on those bought for philatelic purposes was around £150,000–£250,000.