[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Marks the 100^th Anniversary of Its Commemorative Stamps Programme with a Set of New Stamps

Issue Date: 16 April

• The first commemorative stamp was issued on 23 April 1924
• Each of the 10 stamps features three images of previously issued commemorative stamps
• The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/100years and by telephone on 03457 641641. The stamps go on general sale on 16 April.

Royal Mail have revealed images of 10 new stamps to mark the centenary of British commemorative stamps.

For 100 years, commemorative stamps, also known as Special Stamps, have helped to mark and celebrate some of the most significant events in the United Kingdom’s history and national life.

Each of the 10 stamps includes a selection of three images of previously issued commemorative stamps – including the very first, released in 1924. That year, on 23 April, the first UK special stamp was issued to commemorate the opening of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in London.

Collectors Sheet

Commemorative stamps are works of art in miniature. Much of the artwork that goes into their design begins at a much larger scale. It is part of the stamp designers’ task to ensure that it can be successfully reduced to the small size of a postage stamp. Over the past century, talented artists and designers have been commissioned to commemorate and celebrate important anniversaries and events.

The themes and topics covered range from the tiniest of insects to the far reaches of outer space. Over the past century, popular subjects have included literature, film and television, music, transport, the natural world, influential people and royalty.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “British commemorative stamps have mirrored the changes in society and culture at large for the past century. They celebrate the best of the UK, our people and our national character. Everyone will have their own favourites, but this set shows the diversity of the stamps programme and how design and subject matter have evolved in a century.”

Themes
In the early days, there were few commemorative issues. Those that were released were generally focused on Royalty. The Silver Jubilee of King George V got a commemorative stamp in 1935. In 1936, work began on stamps to mark the coronation of King Edward VIII the following year, but he abdicated that December and therefore no Coronation stamps were ever released. The coronation of his brother, King George VI, was marked with a stamp. It remains one of only three coronation issues, the others being for the coronations of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.

The modern commemorative stamp programme was devised in 1965 by the then Postmaster General, Tony Benn, who worked with designer David Gentleman to overhaul stamp design. The stamp of Sir Winston Churchill, issued in July of that year, was designed by Gentleman and was the first British stamp to feature a non-Royal contemporary individual. With its bold modernist approach and no text, it set the scene for the future.

Over the years, some incredible designers and artists have contributed their work, including Quentin Blake, David Hockney, Paula Rego, Grayson Perry and Yinka Shonibare.

The world of music has been well represented over the years, with classical pieces, such as Sea Pictures by Edward Elgar, balanced with more contemporary artists, including David Bowie, Elton John, Pink Floyd and Queen. Popular culture has been celebrated with major film franchises, such as Harry Potter, popular comedy series Blackadder’s 40th anniversary in 2023, Coronation Street (60th anniversary), The Clangers (50 years of children’s TV), and Dr Who (50th anniversary).

Celebrating diversity is a theme that runs through Royal Mail’s stamp issues, with individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life depicted. Amongst the many stamps issued to celebrate the diversity of the UK was a set in 2023 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving in the UK.

Also, in 2018 a stamp honoured Sophia Duleep Singh, a prominent suffragette campaigner of Sikh heritage and in 2022, a set of stamps was released to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first Gay Pride rally that took place in 1972.

The natural world has been a major theme from the very earliest days of commemorative stamps. The British countryside, flora and fauna – including the tiniest of insects – have made appearances. Commemorative stamps have helped to celebrate the wonder of the natural world and highlight significant environmental issues, such as endangered species and pollution. It has not been just the existing natural world to feature; dinosaurs, for example, have appeared more than once, including on an innovative set of stamps in 2013, where the image of the dinosaur breaks out from the edge of the frame.

Stamp-by-Stamp:
1st Class: British Empire Exhibition, Postal Union Congress, Silver Jubilee

1st Class: Royal Silver Wedding, Centenary of First Adhesive Postage Stamps, Peace and Reconstruction1st Class: Tercentenary of ‘General Letter Office’, Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Festival of Britain

1st Class: Landscapes, Investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales, National Nature Week

1st Class: Philympia 70 Stamp Exhibition, British Wildlife, British Achievement in Chemistry

1st Class: Flowers, Halley’s Comet, Transport and Communications

1st Class: Robert Burns: The Immortal Memory, Millennium, Architects of the Air

1st Class: The Weather, Lest We Forget, Sounds of Britain

1st Class: Landmark Buildings, Jane Austen, Queen

1st Class: Platinum Jubilee, Brilliant Bugs, Windrush: 75 Years

Philatelic products include framed stamps, collectors sheet, framed collectors sheet, and postcards. The top price is £67.50 for a 50-stamp “full sheet” (Europa or Silver Jubilee)

The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/100years and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps in the set is priced at £14.40. The stamps go on general sale on 16 April.