Paul McCartney was honored in 2021 as the subject of a series of stamps from the U.K.’s Royal Mail. The collection of 12 stamps featured the covers of many of the music legend’s solo albums, including his 1970 release, McCartney, 1975’s Venus and Mars, and 2020’s McCartney III, recorded and released during lockdown. The series, available for order here, arrived on May 28, 2021.
McCartney, who collaborated on the collection with the Royal Mail, was just the third solo artist to be so honored. He followed David Bowie in 2017 and Elton John in 2019. Several groups have had official stamps from the Royal Mail including The Beatles, Queen, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones.
In the announcement, the Royal Mail noted, “Paul McCartney remains a vital figure at the center of rock and pop. An artist whose legacy is immense, but whose work continues to generate popular attention and critical acclaim. This dedicated stamp issue is a fitting tribute to one of the UK’s much loved and revered musical icons.”
The McCartney stamp collection is available in a wide variety of offers, ranging from a First Day Cover with Liverpool Postmark for £12.90 to a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered sets that features a silver proof medal struck by the Royal Mint for £99.99.
A First Day cover included all eight special stamps personalized with a choice of name, address and postmark, for £12.90
Some of the 39 different offerings are clearly aimed for collectors, with one edition limited to just 200 pieces. The least expensive item was a First Day decorative envelope featuring an image of McCartney on the cover alongside the issue’s title, for just £0.30.
The legendary musician would turn 79 just three weeks later, on June 18.
