In the archives of the British Library lies some original artwork on A4 paper, and working sketches, for the Ten Pence Koom Valley stamps. Click on an image for a full screen image.

This first sheet contains the ideas sketches for three parts of the issue. Top left is a sketch of the valley with Cor Celesti central and how the feature at the bottom end of the valley will provide the souvenir sheet stamp image. Top left is an outline for the basis of the stamp, with value (17p!), bust and weapons of choice. The sheets below are a bit of a mystery. Clearly done by an artist, they did not get used in any part of the Koom Valley issue, Perhaps they were an initial idea trialed before the final design team were drafted in. I do like the idea with a set of dwarfs and a matching set of trolls in the same pose, which can be placed over the larger drawing of the valley. These two sheets of artwork show trolls and dwarfs in battle poses. There are trolls in retreat with dwarfs attacking, and trolls attacking with dwarfs in retreat. For each troll pose there is a scaled and equivalently posed dwarf. Despite their finished quality these were not used, but appear to have been considered for the illustration on the souvenir sheets.. These two pieces of digital artwork show the valley in full and in the wild state, with precipitous hillsides, icy river, loose rocks and logs, and sink holes. Cor Celesti is off centre, so these would have been redrawn yet again for use on the FDCs, and the souvenir sheets. In fact the final drawings were quite different to these with, in my opinion, the harshness of the valley toned down a bit. The right hand side has some of the attacking dwarfs and retreating trolls added to the valley scene. There would be an opposite counterpart.