The London 2012 Games commences on 27 July and concludes on 12 August. The Paralympic Games commences on 29 August and concludes on 9 September. Royal Mail will commemorate London’s hosting of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by issuing three sets of 10 x 1st Class stamps in the run up to the London 2012 Games in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
The concept is to issue 30 stamps to mark the 30th Olympiad and London 2012 Paralympic Games. Each of the sporting areas celebrated in these Games will have its own stamp. And each of the 30 stamps will be created by a different contemporary artist, illustrator or designer.
 Sheet 1: Canoe Slalom, Paralympic Games: Archery, Athletics: Track, Aquatics, Paralympic Games: Boccia  Sheet 2: Judo, Paralympic Games: Equestrian, Badminton, Weightlifting, Basketball |
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Sports from each of the Olympic disciplines were selected to illustrate the subject of each stamp. The Olympic Games comprises 26 different sporting disciplines, such as Cycling. Cycling includes several different events where medals are won – including road racing, various time trials and velodrome races as well as mountain biking events and BMX. Many gold medals can be won in different events, and all will be symbolised by one Cycling stamp symbolising the sport of Cycling.
The Paralympic Games features 21 sports, such as Judo (which is also competed in the Olympic Games), as well as Paralympic specific events such as Goalball.
In all, 29 different sports are played at the Olympics and Paralympics. There will be one stamp design for each sport with the exception of athletics which will be presented across two stamps as Athletics: Track and Athletics: Field, hence 30 sport stamps.
Royal Mail’s design team with David Hillman, from Studio David Hillman, set to work allocating each sport to one of the quality image makers who agreed to work on this three-year project. Royal Mail also consulted with the sports’ governing bodies and specialist clubs for each stamp. Each stamp will have the London 2012 Olympic or Paralympic logo in the lower corner.
The Commemorative Sheet (below left) contains all ten stamps with se-tenant labels, and looks at what it takes to be an Olympic competitor, focusing on the sports featured on the stamps while taking a look at the various venues where the action will unfold.
Technical
details:
The
stamps' designers are listed below. The overall design
task
was by Studio David Hillman, and the 35mm square stamps are printed in
litho by Cartor Security Printing, perf 14½ with all-over
phosphor. The stamps are printed in two sheets of 25 (5 each
of 5 designs in vertical columns), enabling
collectors to buy vertical strips of any single sport/discipline.
The Presentation Pack (above right), First
Day Cover, and Commemorative Sheet are designed by True North.
We expect that the Commemorative sheet is also printed by
Cartor.
Designers:
Special
Postmarks
Canoe
Slalom: John Royle; Archery:
George Hardie; Athletics - Track:
Natalie Guinamard (collage); Diving:
Julian Opie; Boccia:
David Doyle; Judo:
Paul
Slater; Equestrian:
Andrew Davidson; Badminton:
David Holmes;
Weightlifting:
Guy Billout; Basketball:
Huntley Muir.
Special postmarks available for the day of issue will be shown here (not
to scale).
The deadline for
obtaining special postmarks & FDCs has been extended to 18 November
2009.
Ref FD917
Official Philatelic Bureau Athletes FD postmark Ref FD918
Official Badminton (aquatics) FD postmark Ref FD918NP
Official Badminton non-pictorial FD postmark Ref L11517
Countdown to London 2012, Stratford E16. Games of the XXX
Olympiad Ref L11524
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, London
Ref L11522
Sporting Disciplines 2012, London Ref L11523
Sporting
Disciplines 2012, London Ref L11527 Sporting
Disciplines
2012, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
Ref L11525 Sporting
Disciplines
2012, Marshgate Lane, London E15
Ref L11526 Sporting
Disciplines
2012, Greenwich Park, London SE10
Ref W11519 A Tribute to
the Yngling Team, Weymouth, Dorset
Ref W11520 - Ben Ainslie
- Silver & Triple Olympic Gold Medallist, Falmouth, Cornwall
Ref M11518 Sports
Disciplines, Archers Close, Birmingham
Ref L11516
Games - WembleyRef L11529
Kuzushi Judo, Slough, Berks
Ref L11531
Stratford, London, E15
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these stamps please email
us.
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This page updated 27 October 2009.