Marking the band’s 60th anniversary, The Rolling Stones will be honoured in a set of 12 special stamps, Royal Mail have revealed.
The series’ main set of eight stamps feature the rock icons performing at various global venues throughout their illustrious career, such as London’s Hyde Park in July 1969, Düsseldorf, Germany, in October 2017, and Tokyo, Japan, in March 1995.
Notably, one of the eight stamps also features the band’s late drummer, Charlie Watts (who died in August 2021, aged 80), performing on stage in Düsseldorf, Germany, in October 2017.
An additional four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature two shots of the band and two promotional posters used on worldwide tours over the years.
In a press statement, Royal Mail Director of Public Affairs & Policy David Gold said: “Few bands in the history of rock have managed to carve out a career as rich and expansive as that of The Rolling Stones.
“They have created some of modern music’s most iconic and inspirational albums, with ground-breaking live performances to match.”
In being featured in this new collection, The Rolling Stones become only the fourth group to be honoured by Royal Mail with a dedicated stamp issue – the first three being The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016 and Queen in 2020.
The stamps, as well as a wide range of collectors items featuring the special images, are available to pre-order from today (January 11) and will go on general sale on January 20 via Royal Mail.
In the spirit of 60th anniversary celebrations, back in October 2021, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards celebrated the 60th anniversary of their first “proper meeting”.
Following a show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on October 17, 2021, the band shared an image of a special plectrum which featured an image of Jagger and Richards along with the words “17 October 1961-2021 – 60 years on the same train”, marking the first time the pair engaged in conversation on a platform two of Dartford train station on October 17, 1961. They formed the Stones the following year.