Wednesday 27 December 2017 4:37 pm

Revealed: Royal Mail special stamps to be released in 2018

By: Caitlin Morrison

If you're thinking of jazzing up your stamp collection in the new year, good news: Royal Mail has unveiled the calendar for its 2018 Special Stamp programme, which will include tributes to a beloved comedy series, one of the UK's most iconic palaces, and the military.

The RAF Centenary, which celebrates the oldest independent air force in the world, will be the subject of 10 stamps issued in March. According to Royal Mail, the stamps will depict six iconic aircraft from the service over the past 100 years, and an additional four stamps will pay tribute to the brilliance of the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic team.

In April, a series of stamps will be released celebrating the work of scientists and conservationists who have reintroduced six once extinct species back into the country, from the large blue butterfly to the osprey.

Beloved wartime comedy Dad's Army turns 50 next year, and in June eight stamps will be issued depicting the leading and much loved characters from the series.

Meanwhile, September will see the culmination of a five year landmark series marking centenaries of the First World War. The set will feature a new interpretation of the poppy image, war poetry and art, and a commemoration of the sacrifice of the armed services.