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SHEILA and Spencer Basford can see Caerleon’s Roman amphitheatre from the back the town’s Post Office, which they have run for 15 years – and they are celebrating the landmark’s appearance on a new stamp which goes on sale today.
A special window display marks the occasion – put together with the help of the two museums in the town.
A member of staff from the National Roman Legion Museum has lent the Post Office, on the town’s High Street, her own replica artefacts.
And a drawing competition is being run, to create a Roman stamp. There are three different age groups and local children can enter on the Caerleon Post Office Facebook page. The prize will be a Royal Mail Presentation Pack for each winner.
Caerleon’s importance in the history of the Romans in Britain is well established, but the appearance of its most obvious landmark on a stamp has created much excitement.
“There is a real buzz in the town about our amphitheatre appearing on the stamp,” said Mrs Basford.
“I have taken lots of pre-orders from customers for the special presentation pack featuring all eight stamps, and information about the Roman history of each place.
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“We are lucky, we can see the amphitheatre from the back of our Post Office. It is amazing, you can clearly see the outline of the building even after all this time”.
For almost 400 years, much of mainland Britain was a province of the Roman Empire. Royal Mail worked with the British Museum for these set of eight stamps to create a set of stamps that celebrate Roman life and culture in Britain.
They demonstrate the sophistication, technical brilliance, and artistry of Roman Britain with images of sites and key artefacts – all of which remain in Britain today.
The full set of all eight stamps – which also include Hadrian’s Wall, the Dover lighthouse and the Bignor mosaic – are available in a presentation pack, costing £10.35. The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to order at www.royalmail.com/romanbritain or phone 03457 641641.
A limited number of packs are also available to buy at Caerleon Post Office.
