LONDON, 5 Sept 2017:
A set of official British postage stamps that are out of this world landed yesterday to celebrate the latest Star Wars movie.
Droids and aliens from Star Wars: The Last Jedi are featured in the eight special stamps unveiled by Royal Mail.
Four “droid” stamps use special fluorescent ink to feature secret details that will only become visible under an ultra violet light.
The stamps feature images that appear in the iconic film series, including a mix of new and classic characters, Maz Kanata; Chewbacca; Supreme Leader Snoke; Porgs; BB-8; R2-D2; C-3PO; and K-2SO.
They have been illustrated by British artist Malcolm Tween – who also designed the hugely popular Star Wars stamp set issued in 2015.
Each stamp shows a scene created by Tween especially for the stamps that also includes the hero character as well as an iconic spaceship or vehicle.
A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said the stamps hail the British expertise behind the Star Wars films as each episode was made with a large British cast and crew.
Star Wars fans can now pre-order the stamps – but they will not go on sale at Britain’s 7,000 post offices until Oct 12.
The Royal Mail spokeswoman said the new stamps reflect the passion of the British public.
Characters featured on the stamps include the wise, boisterous figure of Maz Kanata, over a thousand years old and an ex-pirate herself. She holds court within the galaxy’s underworld: smugglers, bounty hunters and thieves.
Another stamp focuses on small, flightless birds called Porgs, native to the remote planet Ahch-To, where Luke Skywalker is living in exile.
Meanwhile, the trusty little droid R2-D2 gets his own stamp after an adventurous life, first on board Queen Amidala’s ship during the Battle of Naboo, then in the Clone Wars alongside Anakin Skywalker, and with Luke Skywalker in the fight against the Empire.
– Bernama