Heavy Metal Icons Iron Maiden Honored On British Stamps

Run to the hills–Iron Maiden stamps will be soon coming to British post offices.

Royal Mail has announced Thursday that a collection of 12 postage stamps honoring the legendary U.K. heavy metal band will be issued on January 12.

Eight of the commemorative stamps depict the members of Iron Maiden—whose current lineup consists of bassist Steve Harris, singer Bruce Dickinson, guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, and drummer Nicko McBrain—performing on stage over the decades.

Additionally, a miniature sheet of four stamps shows illustrations of Eddie, the London band’s famous and beloved mascot.

“We were all absolutely astounded – in a good way!” Harris said in a press statement via Royal Mail. “When we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time. 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 and we know our fans will feel the same way.”

Formed by Harris in 1975, Iron Maiden has recorded such classic albums as The Number of the Beast, Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, as well as songs like “Run to the Hills,” “Can I Play With Madness,” “The Trooper” and “Fear of the Dark.” The band has also been known for their elaborate stage shows around the world—now at 2,500 concerts and counting.

In a career that saw them sell over 100 million records, per Royal Mail, Iron Maiden has received a total of four Grammy nominations, winning an award in 2012 for Best Metal Performance. The band was also nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

“Few bands in the history of rock music can be called bona fide rock legends – but Iron Maiden are just that – and more,” said David Gold, Royal Mail’s Director of External Public Affairs & Policy, in a press release. “With legions of devoted fans of all ages and from every corner of the globe, not only have they changed the way rock music sounds, but they have also changed the way it looks. We fully expect their fans will love these stamps as much as we do.”

The Iron Maiden stamps are the latest additions to Royal Mail’s music series, which had previously honored Pink Floyd, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and Elton John on commemorative postage.

Meanwhile, Iron Maiden, whose most recent studio album was 2021’s Senjutsu, will embark on the Future Past tour starting this May in the U.K. and the rest of Europe.