The Royal Mail have launched a range of Iron Maiden postage stamps. The set of 12 stamps feature a mix of live shots from throughout the band's career, as well as four illustrations starring band mascot Eddie the Head.
The live shots range from a Bruce Dickinson image captured at London's Hammersmith Odeon during the World Piece tour in 1983, to a pair of photos from 2018's Legacy Of The Beast tour. Meanwhile, the four Eddie stamps picture metal's favourite mascot as he appeared on the artwork for the band's debut album and on their most recent - 2021's Senjutsu - as well as on the single sleeves for The Trooper and Aces High.
Iron Maiden are only the fifth band to feature on a range of Royal Mail stamps, and follow in the philatelic footsteps of The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016, Queen in 2020, and the Rolling Stones earlier this year.
The stamps, which were designed in conjunction with the band and their management company Phantom Music, are amongst the last to feature the effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and are available to pre-order from the Royal Mail now. The stamps go on general sale from January 12, with a Presentation Pack containing all 12 stamps priced at £17.70.
"We were all absolutely astounded – in a good way ! – when we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time," says Maiden founder Steve Harris. "They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. We’re all very proud that the Royal Mail has chosen to honour the band’s legacy like this and we know our fans will feel the same way."
"When I was younger I was a bit of a geeky stamp collector," Harris tells Classic Rock in a rare, exclusive interview (expect more soon!) "At ten or eleven I was really into the whole thing for a couple of years. So having us on stamps is quite a thing for me, really.
"I was as serious as you could be at that age, with a lack of funds. When I lived in Leyton there was a stamp shop there and I’d go and look in the windows at the ones I couldn’t afford. Occasionally I’d go: ‘Oh, I’ve got to have that’. The album became pretty full but I never got a Penny Black, put it that way [laughs].
"I used to take the mick out of Bruce for being a train spotter, but collecting stamps is probably even worse – or better, depending on how you look at it. In the end I grew out of it and got into football and girls."
"As a band who have never played by anyone else’s rules for over 40 years it’s very gratifying to see them honoured in their home country in this way," adds band manager Rod Smallwood. "We’re proud to show how these six band members are still appealing to more and more fans every year with their music and their legendary shows which I think these stamps really capture well.
"It’s also fantastic that Eddie has been honoured too – it’s incredible to think that Her Majesty, may she rest in peace, saw these and lent her iconic silhouette to them too."
Navigate through the live shot stamps in the gallery below using the left and right arrows. Iron Maiden's The Future Past tour kicks off in May.
Iron Maiden: The Future Past tour 2023
May 30: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
May 31: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
Jun 03: Tampere Nokia Arena, Finland
Jun 07: Bergen Koengen, Norway
Jun 13: Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
Jun19: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Jun 24: Dublin 3 Arena, Ireland
Jun 26: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Jun 28: Leeds, First Direct Arena, UK
Jun 30: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Jul 03: Nottingham Motorpoint Arena, UK
Jul 04: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK
Jul 07: London O2 Arena, UK
Jul 08: London O2 Arena, UK
Jul 11: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Jul 13: Antwerp Sportpaleis, Belgium
Jul 15: Milan The Return of The Gods Festival, Italy
Jul 18: Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi, Spain
Jul 20: Murcia Estadio Enrique Roca, Spain
Jul 22: Bilbao Bizkaia Arena Bec!, Spain
