The London 2012 Games commences on 27 July and concludes on 12 August. The Paralympic Games commences on 29 August and concludes on 9 September. Royal Mail will commemorate London’s hosting of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by issuing three sets of 10 x 1st Class stamps in the run up to the London 2012 Games in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
The concept is to issue 30 stamps to mark the 30th Olympiad and London 2012 Paralympic Games. Each of the sporting areas celebrated in these Games will have its own stamp. And each of the 30 stamps will be created by a different contemporary artist, illustrator or designer.
 Sheet 1: Canoe Slalom, Paralympic Games: Archery, Athletics: Track, Aquatics, Paralympic Games: Boccia  Sheet 2: Judo, Paralympic Games: Equestrian, Badminton, Weightlifting, Basketball |
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Sports from each of the Olympic disciplines were selected to illustrate the subject of each stamp. The Olympic Games comprises 26 different sporting disciplines, such as Cycling. Cycling includes several different events where medals are won – including road racing, various time trials and velodrome races as well as mountain biking events and BMX. Many gold medals can be won in different events, and all will be symbolised by one Cycling stamp symbolising the sport of Cycling.
The Paralympic Games features 21 sports, such as Judo (which is also competed in the Olympic Games), as well as Paralympic specific events such as Goalball.
In all, 29 different sports are played at the Olympics and Paralympics. There will be one stamp design for each sport with the exception of athletics which will be presented across two stamps as Athletics: Track and Athletics: Field, hence 30 sport stamps.
Royal Mail’s design team with David Hillman, from Studio David Hillman, set to work allocating each sport to one of the quality image makers who agreed to work on this three-year project. Royal Mail also consulted with the sports’ governing bodies and specialist clubs for each stamp. Each stamp will have the London 2012 Olympic or Paralympic logo in the lower corner.
The Commemorative Sheet (below left) contains all ten stamps with se-tenant labels, and looks at what it takes to be an Olympic competitor, focusing on the sports featured on the stamps while taking a look at the various venues where the action will unfold.
Technical
details:
The
stamps' designers are listed below. The overall design
task
was by Studio David Hillman, and the 35mm square stamps are printed in
litho by Cartor Security Printing, perf 14½ with all-over
phosphor. The stamps are printed in two sheets of 25 (5 each
of 5 designs in vertical columns), enabling
collectors
to buy vertical strips of any single sport/discipline.
The Presentation Pack (above right), First Day Cover, and Commemorative Sheet are designed by True North. We expect that the Commemorative sheet is also printed by Cartor.
Designers:
Canoe
Slalom: John Royle; Archery:
George Hardie; Athletics - Track:
Natalie Guinamard (collage); Diving:
Julian Opie; Boccia:
David Doyle; Judo:
Paul
Slater; Equestrian:
Andrew Davidson; Badminton:
David Holmes;
Weightlifting:
Guy Billout; Basketball:
Huntley Muir.
Special
Postmarks
Special postmarks available for the day of issue will be shown here (not
to
scale).
The deadline for
obtaining special postmarks & FDCs has been extended to 18 November
2009.
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| Ref FD917 Official Philatelic Bureau Athletes FD postmark |
Ref FD918 Official Badminton (aquatics) FD postmark |
Ref FD918NP Official Badminton non-pictorial FD postmark |
Ref L11517 Countdown to London 2012, Stratford E16. Games of the XXX Olympiad |
Ref L11524 London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, London |
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| Ref L11522 Sporting Disciplines 2012, London |
Ref L11523 Sporting Disciplines 2012, London |
Ref L11527 Sporting Disciplines 2012, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire | Ref L11525 Sporting Disciplines 2012, Marshgate Lane, London E15 | Ref L11526 Sporting Disciplines 2012, Greenwich Park, London SE10 |
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| Ref W11519 A Tribute to the Yngling Team, Weymouth, Dorset | Ref W11520 - Ben Ainslie - Silver & Triple Olympic Gold Medallist, Falmouth, Cornwall | Ref M11518 Sports Disciplines, Archers Close, Birmingham | Ref L11516 Games - Wembley |
Ref L11529 Kuzushi Judo, Slough, Berks |
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| Ref L11531 Stratford, London, E15 |
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these stamps please email
us.
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This page updated 27 October 2009.