The Iron Maiden Royal Mail stamps are first class

Envelopes at the ready heavy metal fans – Royal Mail has revealed a collection of 12 Special Stamps dedicated to Iron Maiden.

Eight of the stamps feature images from some of Iron Maiden’s best-known performances, from the 1980s until 2018. The remaining four save space for legendary rock mascot Eddie – an illustrated fixture across Iron Maiden album covers since their self-titled debut (originally created by artist Derek Riggs and based on a mask used in Iron Maiden live shows).

The Eddie stamps are reserved for a miniature sheet and feature four “notorious artworks”, says Royal Mail. This includes the debut Eddie; “Trooper Eddie”, from one of the band’s best known singles and, more recently, their beer; “Aces High Eddie”, showing the mascot reimagined as a fighter pilot, and “Senjutsu Eddie”, from the latest album. According to the Royal Mail, the stamp issue was created in close collaboration with Iron Maiden band members and Phantom Music Management Ltd.

Iron Maiden are only the fifth band to be featured in a dedicated stamp collection after The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen and the Rolling Stones last year. The Royal Mail often creates its Special Stamp collections by combining live performance images with artwork imagery – the 2016 Pink Floyd collection, for example, featured covers The Dark Side of the Moon and Atom Heart Mother.

On the collection, Iron Maiden founder member and bassist, Steve Harris states: “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.” The stamps are now available for pre-order at the Royal Mail site, with general sale following on 12 January.