2015 £2 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta Limited Edition Coin and Stamp Cover PNC
No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the law. Magna Carta, clause 39, 1215.
Magna Carta (or Great Charter) is a charter of human rights. It is a foundation stone of constitutional and parliamentary democratic government in Britain and in countries that have adopted British Law, including Australia. The document was signed and sealed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. It stated that no one in society is above the law : not the King nor his subjects, not the government nor the governed. It affirmed that authority should be subject to law arising from the community itself.
The 1215 Magna Carta was followed by several other versions, including the 1297 reissue by King Edward I. The 1215 Magna Carta is extant in four copies, all in the United Kingdom. Four copies of the 1297 version survive, including one purchased by the Australian government in 1952. This copy is on display in Parliament House in Canberra.
This postal numismatic cover features a commemorative UK £2 Brilliant Uncirculated coin designed by John Bergdahl. It also features the Royal Mail stamp commemorating the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.
This postal numismatic cover has a limited edition of just 2,500.