The aircraft which has appeared on most British stamps is almost certainly the Concorde supersonic airliner.
Since its first flight in 1969 Concorde has appeared on several other stamps - I haven't counted, but it's probably ahead of the Spitfire (and I don't count the Red Arrows flight as nine planes on one stamp!)
Now on the 50th anniversary of the first commercial flghts from London and Paris to Bahrain and Rio de Janeiro respectively Royal Mail is issuing a set and miniature sheet, the latter paying homage to the original issues in 1969.
Royal Mail write-up
On 21st January 1976, Concorde flew simultaneous flights from Heathrow to Bahrain by British Airways and from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Rio by Air France, with each aircraft taking off from Heathrow and Paris at precisely the same time 11.40am. The supersonic plane became the icon of the 1970s with an aim to beat the barriers of time and space and to connect a much smaller, faster and globalized world.
Those passengers were the first to see the curvature of the Earth below them and the sky turning from blue to black above. Over the next 27 years, millions more were to experience ‘time travel’, arriving in New York at a local time an hour or so earlier than their departure time in London.
Its supersonic speed meant that on certain early evening transatlantic flights departing from Heathrow or Paris, it was possible to take off just after sunset and catch up with the sun, landing in daylight. This was much publicised by British Airways, who used the slogan “Arrive before you leave.”
Whilst Concorde no longer takes to the air, even fifty years later, Concorde remains a technical marvel and a much-loved icon of civil aviation.
The stamps
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| 50th Anniversary of Concorde set of 8 x 1st class stamps issued 21 January 2026 |
8 x 1st Class stamps
British Pre-Production Concorde Rolled Out, 1971; British Pre-Production Concorde In Flight, 1974; Concorde’s First British Airways Livery, 1974; Concorde’s First UK Commercial Flight, 1976; Concorde Flying Overhead, 1985; Celebrating 10 Years of Service, 1985; Concorde’s Last British Airways Livery, 1997; Final Commercial Flight 2003.
Technical details
The 50 x 30 mm stamps, designed by Common Curiosity, were printed in litho on gummed paper by Cartor Security Printers in four sheets of 60 in se-tenant pairs, perforated 14. Acknowledgements: The Concorde aircraft, name and associated trademarks are used under licence with kind permission of Airbus and British Airways. AIRBUS and Concorde are protected trademarks of Airbus. All rights reserved. British pre-production Concorde rolled out, photograph © Victor Drees/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; British pre-production Concorde in flight, photograph by Ken Petitt © The British Airliner Collection; Concorde’s last British Airways livery, photograph © John M Dibbs; all other photographs © Adrian Meredith Photography
Miniature Sheet
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| 50th Anniversary of Concorde miniature sheet of 4 x 1st class stamps issued 21 January 2026 |
The 192 x 74 mm miniature sheet, containing stamps 50 x 30 mm, was also designed by Common Curiosity, featuring original designs by Michael and Sylvia Goaman and David Gentleman, based on early Concorde models and prototypes. Printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on gummed paper. Images © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2026.
Collectors Sheet
All eight sheet stamps from the Concorde issue are presented alongside labels with additional imagery all set on top of the striking image of 4 of the aircraft in the air. This image was taken on Christmas Eve, 1985, when British Airways organized a unique formation flight with four Concorde aircraft to celebrate 10 years of passenger service. The Collector Sheet is printed on self-adhesive paper of course which is different from the set.
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| 50th Anniversary of Concorde collectors sheet of 8 x 1st class stamps issued 21 January 2026 |
Products Available
Set of 8, miniature sheet, presentation pack, collectors sheet, first day covers (2), stamp cards (13), press sheet of 10 miniature sheets, coin covers (3), framed miniature sheet, framed collectors sheet.
A selection of earlier Concorde stamps on maximum cards
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These stamps are reported to have been on sale last week, ie around 10th January.
I'm incredulous. I was sold the 5 Concord stamps at my local PO last week. I was offered an unlimited supply (5 sheets) if required. They haven't actually gone out on my mail, but 18th, two days ahead of launch is very likely and noone has said anything....
ReplyDeleteI am impressed by these beautiful stamps. The Concorde was a stylish design but it has been an achievement to have 8 different views of essentially the same thing which look different and are pretty in various ways. I had meant to forego getting these because they are first class only, but they are gummed so will last and our postmistress thinks that the Hornby ones will all be first class only as well. Overall I think that the design of commemoratives have improved in the last couple of years. We have them to suit varied likings and not just turgid political anniversaries or fatuous monarchy issues, such as titanium jubilees, military epaulettes &c...All right Concorde has been on stamps before, but before my time, so seem fresh to me. A happy new year has begun!
DeleteLars, With the First and Last British Airways liveries being a bit like a Spot the Difference competition I'm not sure that they all "look different". A 2000 crash photograph as the penultimate stamp would have better portrayed Concorde's history.
DeleteI'm reminded that I have a photograph of Concorde signed by Brian Trubshaw from when I met him long ago.
Concorde was "stylish" and an example of what can be achieved from cooperation with our continental neighbours but there was more of a need at the time for economic rather than fast aircraft.
Lars, if last year is any guide, the appearance of 2nd class stamps (other than Christmas) is most likely to be as one-half of infrequent 10-stamp nature-related issues (5x1st, 5x2nd). I'm hoping that the Roses issue (26 February) will be the year's first; just maybe, Waterfalls (23 June) might be likewise comprised, but I fear it will not be the case.
DeleteConcorde was just a wasteful prestige project Mudgie, and you are right at hinting at its bad accident record. But we get some nice stamps from it now which make our letters look better than ones of the Olympic Stadium in East London or the half-done, half-baked HS2 project would.
DeleteSecondly I think that Passing Persson is right that we shall have no 2nd class commemoratives until March. I have used most of mine up but the receipts I have suggest that they tend to come out in March, so we shall probably have Roses stamps to look forward to.
I'm flabbergasted! I was sold the new Concord stamps last week and could have taken 5 whole sheets had I wanted them. I haven't used them yet, although 19 Jan is likely the day I will send out. And noone has said anything to me!
ReplyDeleteNC - 60th or 50th ?
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteInterestingly, I was in my local post office (Blackheath Village SE3) earlier and had an exchange about the new Concorde stamps which everyone is looking forward to. Apparently no-one has asked for or bought ANY of the "Stranger Things" issue yet ...!!
ReplyDeleteI suspect the people who were targeted in the media and social media publicity will all buy direct from Royal Mail's website. This is an increasing trend which will only get worse as Post Office Ltd limits the number of post offices which stock special issues.
DeleteNow that all special stamps are 1st and 2nd NVIs - and so perpetually valid as full payment for a particular service level - it would seem easier to go back to the 'good old days' when, if you went in and asked for a 1st class stamp, you would only get a bland (then) Machin stamp if the commemoratives had been exhausted.
DeleteOf course, there was only ONE stamp at each price point then, rather than the increasingly common 8 or 10 different 1st class stamps per issue (not including the de rigueur miniature sheet).)
The biggest problem with that is that Joe Public now does not expect to lick stamps - and I'm told that supermarkets and other retailers will only take booklets because that's what people want (ie because they are used to them).
DeleteIt may be that all collectors will realise that the special stamps are only produced for them, and stop buying them?
Yes Ian, and stamp sales are nothing like they were.
DeleteLast month I was behind a customer buying their second class Christmas stamps who thought it was just 'books' not realising that any number could be bought from a sheet.
This month I noticed that the folder of sheet stamps was kept in a drawer well below the counter.
I withdraw cash from a Post Office most weeks and very rarely is the customer in front of me there to buy stamps.
Do you know about what proportion of Post Offices stock Special Stamps other than the Christmas ones ?
And I suspect "supermarkets and other retailers will only take booklets because" they have a barcode like a tin of beans.
I don't know about numbers but it's POL policy that branches established with the 'Local' tag do not sell special stamps; some parcel branches don't stock any stamps, and now that the Crowns have been franchised there will probably be less emphasis on stamps.
DeleteTake a look at the filters on the Post Office branch finder website. Click on 'Mails' at the top of the list and they don't even mention sending letters or buying stamps. Drop & Go is, I think, a Royal Mail brand so your birthday card or tax return are not even covered.
Thanks Ian. Very interesting.
DeleteAssuming they do, should we be surprised that Stanley Gibbons catalogue current British special stamps ?
I suspect very few Post Offices stock the several 'make up' values from 1p to £5.
Whilst I agree about licking stamps, Ian, I think that the use of Christmas stamps shows that commemorative stamps would be used if they were available. Why not issue them in self adhesive booklets? Remember the old days of greetings stamps that way. Many friends of mine say that they can "only buy" the books of 4 or 8 definitives and wonder what has happened to the nice stamps they used to see on mail in the past.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that general retailers prefer a booklet because it is just another consumer product with a barcode to be scanned - and, with a minimum of 4 stamps per booklet, the higher price point per unit helps as well.
DeleteI'm lucky I have a nice little post office to visit. It is in a little card and gift shop. I went forth on Wednesday. Stranger Things was 2 different sheets plus the miniature. Concorde was 4 different sheets plus the miniature, so they had more Concorde stamps than Stranger Things. I didn't buy many of the Concorde stamps, but picked up the loose Stranger Things that were in the counter book (though more were in the safe) - some had been sold over the past week.
ReplyDeleteModel railways weren't in yet (though the little post office was expecting a delivery of them on the Wednesday; I guess 9am was a bit early for delivery).
Lars, If you used the West Coast Main Line as much as I do you'd know that HS2 is essential and that the incompetence of whatever government allowing to be "half-done, half-baked", curtailed and late is a tragedy. I remember Kentish folk and folk of Kent strongly opposing HS1 but then wondering what all the fuss was about after it had been built. Meanwhile, mainland Europe benefits from plenty of high speed trains.
ReplyDeleteAs for "no 2nd class commemoratives until March", £12.85 for next month's Roses suggests five First and five Second.