Royal Mail issues Thomas the Tank Engine Stamps

The Royal Mail will issue a special collection of commemorative postage stamps and postal collector items depicting Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends to honor the centenary of the birth of the Reverend Wilbert V. Awdry, the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine. The issue date is June 14, 2011, the day before what would be Awdry’s 100th birthday.

Thomas the Tank Engine is a ten-stamp issue, with six stamps printed individually and one miniature sheet of four additional stamps.

The sheet stamps celebrate the images familiar from the popular TV series Thomas & Friends that first aired in 1984. Six popular characters were selected from the locomotives created by Reverend Awdry. The first-class stamp shows Thomas pulling into the train station under the watchful eye of the Fat Controller. Percy the Small Engine, James the Red Engine, Gordon the Big Engine, Toby the Tram Engine and railcar Daisy also appear on the six-stamp set.

The miniature sheet stamps reflect on the heritage of the book.
Thomas the Tank Engine was first seen in the book, Thomas the Tank Engine after Reverend Awdry created the stories and illustrations to entertain his son, Christopher, who had the measles.

Christopher Awdry said that his father “would have been overwhelmed and deeply honoured to have been recognised in this way, and delighted that nearly 70 years after he first told me the stories, they would still be so popular.”

Royal Mail Stamps spokesperson Philip Parker said “it’s great to see that children around the world are still enchanted by a little blue tank engine and his friends.”

The special collection also includes:

  • A fully illustrated presentation pack written by Christopher Awdry, containing the six Thomas the Tank engine stamps and the miniature sheet.
  • The six mint stamps depicting Thomas the Tank Engine, James, Percy, Gordon, Toby and Daisy from the TV series.
  • A miniature sheet of four stamps featuring original illustrations from The Railway Series books with a specially designed border.
  • First Day Covers with the six stamps or the miniature sheet on a special envelope featuring an illustration of Thomas. The first day covers include a look at the writing of The Railway Series. BOX, CORSHAM, WILTS is the postmark as it was the place where Wilbert Awdry lived as a young boy, and where he first heard trains on the Great Western Line going in and out of Box Tunnel at night.
  • Eleven postcards feature each stamp in the Thomas collection in detail, together with an extra card showing the entire miniature sheet.
  • A retail stamp book featuring two Thomas the Tank Engine 1st Class stamps from the miniature sheet and four 1st Class Machins.
  • A limited edition medal cover featuring a specially struck Royal Mint medal and the six stamps based on the TV series, cancelled with a Sodor Mail postmark.

For ordering and pricing information, visit a special page on the Royal Mail website at http://www2.royalmail.com/the-official-thomas-the-tank-engine-collection.

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