Alternatively, others have simply seen it as a cynical attempt to extract as much money as possible from stamp collectors.

He also said that "...the policy of issuing a set consisting of four low value stamps and then a one pound denomination is absolutely indefensible.

The reproductions had a printed design on the back similar to a watermark to help distinguish them from the originals.

The stamps were sold in blocks of four in presentation packs with an insert written by Douglas Muir.

Fifty imperforate blocks were printed on roughly torn paper which were sold to the public.