Iron Maiden celebrated on 12 special edition Royal Mail stamps declared ‘superb’ by band

Eight celebrate the heavy metal legends’ live performances and the current members – lead singer Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, bassist Steve Harris, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers

Iron Maiden fans can enjoy some heavy new licks as Royal Mail has put the band on 12 special stamps.

Eight celebrate the heavy metal legends’ live performances and the current members – lead singer Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, bassist Steve Harris, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers.

The other four pay homage to the Run to the Hills band’s iconic mascot Eddie.

Steve said: “They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. We’re all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honour the band’s legacy like this.”

Formed in London in 1975 by Harris, Iron Maiden have sold over 100 million records and are just the fifth band to have a dedicated stamp issue. They follow on from The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016, Queen in 2020, and the Rolling Stones in 2022.

Royal Mail’s David Gold hailed Iron Maiden as bona fide rock legends. The Maiden stamps are available to order from today and will be on sale from January 12.

In other Royal Mail news, classic stamps are being replaced by ones with barcodes, which allow recipients to watch videos and greeting messages from senders.

The deadline for which you have to use older stamps has now been extended by six months, to July 31, 2023.

You can still use themed, commemorative and non-barcoded Christmas stamps beyond this date.

The previous cut-off point wasJanuary 31, 2023.

You can also exchange your old stamps for free through the Royal Mail ‘Swap Out’ scheme.

To do this, download a ‘Swap Out’ form on the Royal Mail website, call up Royal Mail on 03457 740740, or pick up a form from a local delivery office or Post Office.

If you’re downloading the form online and you don’t have access to a printer, you can instead complete a web form and request for it to be posted to you.

Once you’ve filled it out, post back the stamps you want to swap using the Freepost address. Your new barcode stamps should then arrive in seven days.