Music Giants 12 - hard to believe isn't it? This is what WIkipedia has to say about the band:
Duran Duran are an English pop rock band. Formed in Birmingham in 1978 by keyboardist Nick Rhodes, guitarist (later bassist) John Taylor and singer/bassist Stephen Duffy. The band went through several early changes before the band's line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor.
And this is what Royal Mail say:
Few bands have defined the sound and style of an era quite like Duran Duran. As pioneers of the New Romantic movement and one of the most influential groups of the 1980s, their blend of innovative pop, striking visual identity, and boundary-pushing music videos helped rewrite the rules of global stardom.
The stamp issue coincides with the start of the band's UK and European Tour in Autumn 2026.
The stamps
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| Set of 8 x 1st class Duran Duran stamps issued 17 September 2026. |
The stamps show the album artwork for Duran Duran, Rio, Ragged Tiger, Notorious, The Wedding Album, Astronaut, Paper Gods, and Future Past. (No acknowledgements available.)
Miniature Sheet
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Miniature sheet of 4 x 1st class Duran Duran stamps issued 17 September 2026 - what a mess! |
Technical details
The 38 x 35 mm stamps were designed by Royal Mail using existing album cover artwork. They were printed by Cartor Security Printers in lithography in gummed sheets of 48, in se-tenant strips of four, perf 14.
The 180 x 74 mm miniature sheet was designed by True North and printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on self-adhesive paper. Two stamps are 27 x 37 mm, one 37 x 27 mm perf 14, and one 35 mm square perf 14.5.
The stamps on the MS show posters for the Careless Memories Tour (1981), Sing Blue Silver Tour (1983-4), Astronaut Tour (2005-6), and the Invisible Tour (2025).
This is the first miniature sheet that has a printed image on the rear of the sheet and features the four current band members: John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, as seen here on images of the press sheet of 12 miniature sheets (price £86.40)
Prestige Stamp Book
Sadly this once again includes two definitives which we have seen before from PSBs, the 50p and £1, coded M26L MPIL as expected.
A limited edition (3,000) PSB has a red cover as shown and comes in a matching display box. It also includes five special postcards. (£50)
As with all Collector sheets 10 x 1st class stamps (which means duplicating two of the stamps from the set) and accompanying labels. As expected the stamps are self-adhesive unlike the sheet stamps. Price £19.20
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| Duran Duran Collector Sheet of 10 self-adhesive stamps |
Two Fan Sheets, one for the Invisible Days Tour including four stamps from the miniature sheet, and one for the album Seven and the Ragged Tiger. The sheets are printed in the same way as the original stamps, so now new stamps. The edition is 10,000 of each, individually numbered, priced £10
Products available (if I don't run out of space!)
Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, presentation pack, first day covers (2, or 3 if you count the pointless PSB pane cover), prestige stamp book (PSB), limited edition PSB (£50), stamp cards, collector sheet, Fan Sheets (2), press sheet of 12 miniature sheets, medal cover with set of stamps (£25), set and MS on 2 separate 'souvenir carriers' (£7.50), Limited edition silver ingot (£25), framed set & MS (£45), framed set (£40), framed collector sheet (£40), signed framed Invisible Days fan sheet - edition of 25 (£300).
Phew!
Couldn't disagree more with the 'what a mess!' condemnation of the miniature sheet - principally because the form is exactly what a MS should be (a large image, incorporating the stamps as integral parts thereof, rather than simply having stamps with an irrelevant/unsympathetic background) - with the two elements of the issue (album covers and tour paraphernalia) being entirely fitting for a musician issue. (I wish all such issues were similarly constituted.)
ReplyDeleteThe Collectors Sheet is in fact PVA Gummed, even though the RM pre-release information to dealers was that it would be self adhesive.
ReplyDeleteThe first lot I received were all water damaged, so have had to be returned.
RM claims the 8x1st stamps are 38mm x 31mm rather than 38x35.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of the MS, colourful and striking.
ReplyDeleteRoyal Mail: “one of the most influential groups of the 1980s” … nonsense. Who was ever influenced by Duran Duran? Of all the 80s groups to commemorate. Why not Joy Division, the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Smiths, etc… far more important bands. Another dubious stamp set.
ReplyDeleteIn the 80s, nobody ahead of Wham!
DeleteRM's press release to dealers is, as usual, filled with errors. The first MS to have printing on the backing paper? What about the October 2007 Diamond Wedding Anniversary? 10,000 of each fan sheet? - their web shop now says 5,000. Like you, there's not enough space to list everything...
ReplyDeleteNot to my taste but I expect fans of the group will buy the stamps and not use them. In my opinion this year has been one of the best for attractive stamps - notably the pets and Concorde ones so I should not be surprised if 2026 goes out with a whimper rather than a bang.
DeletePity there is no mention of the record sleeve designers, as that is a principal focus of this project.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a great Duran Duran fan, but decided to order the basic 3 FDC set. I received them today ( 2 days early) and I think they are a lovely issue.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding these Music Legend issues to be very samey and pretty dull tbf. I think as a country we have more to celebrate, and other topics deemed "commercial" than Duran Duran.
ReplyDelete