Royal Mail unveils final set of stamps featuring late Queen Elizabeth II to mark Flying Scotsman centenary

The final set of stamps to feature the late Queen’s silhouette has been unveiled by Royal Mail.

Elizabeth II’s image will appear on a set of special stamps which mark the 100th anniversary of the steam locomotive the Flying Scotsman.

The commemorative set features 12 stamps depicting the National Railway Museum’s famous train in various locations across the UK, including crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and at London’s Victoria Station.

A further miniature set of four stamps feature images of the Flying Scotsman and London North Eastern Railway poster artwork from the 1920s and ’30s - when it first began travelling on British rails.

The Flying Scotsman was built in Doncaster in 1923 and is synonymous with the golden age of rail travel.

David Gold, director of external affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said: “Flying Scotsman is a national treasure of engineering and design that conjures up the golden age of steam travel.”

He said the “remarkable locomotive epitomises the romance of rail travel and is loved” by people all over the world. He added: “We are honoured to mark this landmark milestone with a set of special stamps.”

The Flying Scotsman stamp issue will be the last depicting the late Queen, whose silhouette has been featured on special stamps since 1966.

The stamps are available to buy from 9 March and can be pre-ordered via the Royal Mail’s website. The Flying Scotsman Miniature Sheet costs £5.60 and postcards are available for £5.85.

Also available are press sheets from £57 and a 1st class stamp sheet with 30 stamps available for £28.50.

Stamp illustrator David Gentleman is responsible for the design, adapted from Mary Gillick’s original, which has been in constant use on British stamps since 1968.

The Royal Mail also announced that future special stamps will feature a silhouette of the King.

The new stamps come after the Royal Mint released collectable £2 coins to celebrate the centenary of Flying Scotsman.

Some versions of the coin show the steam locomotive in colour and the edge inscription on the coins reads: “Live for the journey”.

The Royal Mint’s design team based the green on the coloured coins on several images of the locomotive over the years. The colouring on the coins is inspired by Flying Scotsman’s LNER Locomotive Green livery, also known as Apple Green.

The new coins are now available to buy from the Royal Mint’s website and have been created in collaboration with the National Railway Museum.

Prices for the new coin range from £12 for a brilliant uncirculated version and £21 for a colour version to £1,225 for a gold coin.