Stamps Celebrate British Sporting Legends

The 16th of July 2015 will mark 60 years since legendary British racing car driver Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix at Aintree, becoming the first British man to win on home turf. With this month’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone and Andy Murray’s efforts at Wimbledon I thought we could take a moment to look at the stamps that celebrate our sporting men and woman.

As an avid Formula 1 fan (“Come on Jenson!!”) we can’t forget the developments of F1 and the dangers those earliest drivers put themselves under. The 2007 Grand Prix Racing Car stamps depict Stirling in his 2.5L Vanwall, which when compared to the modern day Mercedes has very little protection for the driver. He paved the way for British racing car drivers and now the World Championship has been won by a British man 15 times.

Grand Prix 2007 Stirling Moss – 1st NVI

Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid 2015

In 2012 Britain was lucky enough to host The Olympic and Paralympic Games showcasing the talents of British sportsmen and women. I myself was glued to the TV, watching sports I’d never seen before but was fascinated by the skill of the professionals. As a country we were able to boast a total of 65 Olympic medals and 120 Paralympic medals. The Gold Medal Winner stamps from 2012 celebrate the achievements of these individuals/teams and act as symbols of national pride.

Team GB Gold Medal Winners 2012 Bradley Wiggins – 1st NVI

Paralympics Team GB Gold Medal Winners Ellie Simmonds 2012 – 1st NVI

Stirling Moss may have been the first to win a race on home soil but Andy Murray in 2013 conquered Wimbledon after a 77 year gap since the last Brit had managed it. Fred Perry won that tournament in 1936 and since then it has been dominated by the likes of; Björn Borg, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. It was electric watching the winning point followed by the triumphant celebrations across the court and the surrounding grounds. As a celebration of his achievements four 1st class stamps were produced of Murray at Wimbledon

Andy Murray – Gentlemen’s Singles Champion Wimbledon 2013 – 1st NVI

It is not only individual sporting achievement that is recognized on our postage stamps but also national teams. Miniature sheets were produced when England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and when the England Cricketers took home the Ashes in 2005. These products hopefully inspire young children to follow in their footsteps.

England’s Victory in Rugby World Cup Championship, Australia 2003 Miniature Sheet

England’s Ashes Victory 2005 Miniature Sheet

Depicting sports men and woman on stamps not only celebrates their achievement but becomes a historical record. These products will be collected and remembered for years to come. It also highlights that people from all walks of life can appear on stamps, it is not their heritage but there contribution to national achievement that is commemorated. 

– Georgina Tomlinson Philatelic Assistant

Memories of London 2012

Royal Mail is issuing its final set of stamps marking the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games today. Entitled Memories of London 2012 the set is the first to feature the much-praised Games Makers – the army of volunteers who are credited with helping make London 2012 one of the most successful Games ever.

Memories of London miniature sheet

Memories of London – Games Makers stamp

More than 70,000 people volunteered to help the millions of visitors who flocked to London during the summer. Now the Games Makers are commemorated on a stamp featuring an image of a group of volunteers, in their distinctive purple and red uniforms, with the famous London 2012 Olympic stadium in the background.

Memories of London – Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony stamp

Memories of London – Paralympics GB Procession stamp

Other memories featured on the stamps include the spectacular fireworks display during the Paralympic Opening Ceremony and a First Class stamp shows the ParalympicsGB team entering the stadium to conclude the procession of the participating athletes.

Memories of London – Olympics Closing Ceremony stamp

The final stamp shows a scene from the Olympic Closing Ceremony, in which athletes and officials of all the countries formed a human version of the Union Flag in the Olympic Stadium.

The stamps are printed within a miniature sheet, the border of which features a quote from Lord Coe, reflecting on the success of both Games.

Two First Day of Issue handstamps are available to accompany this issue.

Memories of London – First Day of Issue handstamps

For more information on the Memories of London 2012 stamp issue visit www.royalmail.com/memories.

The first British Olympic gold medal winner on stamps

The victories of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning in the Women’s Pairs Rowing, and Bradley Wiggins in the Cycling: Road Men’s Time Trial yesterday has not only earned them Great Britain’s first gold medals of the London 2012 Olympic Games, but will see them appear on stamps issued today. This makes Glover, Stanning and Wiggins the second, third and fourth British Olympians (we think!) to appear on a British stamp, and amongst the few living people to ever appear on a British stamp.

Gold Medal Winner stamp featuring Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, Rowing Women’s Pairs

Gold Medal Winner stamp featuring Bradley Wiggins, Cycling: Road Men’s Time Trial.

Until relatively recently it was Royal Mail’s policy not to issue stamps featuring living people, with members of the Royal family being the only exception to the rule. But in the past decade or so we have seen many British sporting victories commemorated on stamps, including England’s victory at the 2005 Ashes cricket series.

The first British Olympian to appear on a stamp was Mark Phillips, a member of the three day event team which won a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 1973 Mark Phillips married a fellow horse-riding champion, Princess Anne, who later represented Great Britain at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

The wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, then a Captain in the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, took place at Westminster Abbey on 14th November 1973. These stamps, based on a photograph by royal photographer Lord Lichfield, were issued to celebrate the event, which was watched on television by around 100 million people worldwide.

Royal Wedding Stamps, 14 November 1973 – Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.

Mark Phillips later competed as part of the British Three-Day Event team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, winning a silver medal. The couple’s daughter Zara Phillips was part of the British Eventing team which won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games on Tuesday – the medal was even presented to her by her mother.

As to why we think Glover, Stanning and Wiggins are the second, third and fourth British Olympians to appear on a British stamp, our Curator of Philately points out that there have been “too many crowd scenes of youngsters who may have grown up to do something” on British stamps for us to be sure. If you have any information on this please let us know by leaving a comment.

Stamps featuring all Great Britain’s gold medal winners will be issued within 24 hours of victory. Visit your Post Office today to buy the Heather Glover and Heather Stanning, and Bradley Wiggins stamps, or buy online at www.royalmail.com/goldmedalstamps.

London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics definitive stamps

London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics definitive stamps are now available. There are four new stamps – two 1st Class and two for Worldwide use to post items up to 20 gm in weight. Both sets of values feature one stamp with the London 2012 Olympic Games logo and one with London 2012 Paralympic Games logo.

The stamps were printed in striking orange and blue inks on specialist stamp printing presses in Walsall, West Midlands.

Definitive stamps are the stamps most commonly used each day. They are available from Post Office branches and in stamp books from retailers across the UK. Royal Mail issued its first Olympic Games Stamps in 1948, with four stamps bearing the five Olympic Rings.

As an official licensee of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Royal Mail has also issued 30 Special Stamps over the last three years celebrating every sport to be competed next year.

For information on Royal Mail’s range of Olympic and Paralympic Stamps visit www.royalmail.com/sportscollection