Royal Mail Launches Set Of Ancient Britain Stamps

The Royal Mail has unveiled a brand new collection of picture stamps in collaboration with the British Museum, which celebrate ancient Britain.

They are set to go on sale from next Thursday (June 18th) and they depict an array of scenes, from sites such as Hadrian's Wall to specific artefacts like the Gorgon's Head and a Romano-British copper-alloy statuette.

A message on the Royal Mail's website explains more about the stamps, referring specifically to Britain's rich Roman history: "Step back in time to explore the historical sites and fascinating artefacts that reveal the enduring influence of Roman Britain on our life and landscape."

You can pre-order the set of eight from the Royal Mail's website for £9.44.

The full collection is comprised of the following images:

• Dover Lighthouse - the UK's tallest standing Roman building
• Bignor Mosaic - depicts Venus, the Roman goddess of love
• Amphitheatre of Caerleon - the amphitheatre at Isca Fortress
• Ribchester Helmet - worn at displays of Roman horsemanship
• Hadrian's Wall - the northwest frontline of Rome's empire
• Gorgon's Head - sited at the spring sacred to Sulis Minerva
• Warrior God, Camrbidgeshire - Romano-British copper-alloy statuette
• Bridgeness distance slab - records the building of the Antonine Wall

Philip Parker, spokesperson for the Royal Mail, said: "They [the Romans] gave us important new towns, a network of roads to link them, vast building works in stone, a new language and our calendar - they even named the country, 'Britain'. These new stamps feature some of the most complete and striking Roman sites and objects which show their character and sophistication."