Date of Issue : 12 Mar 2024
Postmark : Lyme Regis
Denomination : 4 x 1st Local
Stamp Size : 27 mm x 37 mm (Portrait of Mary Anning and Dapedium politum); 37 mm x 27 mm (Ichthyosaurus communis); 35 mm x 35 mm (Plesiosaurus macrocephalus)
Paper : Self-Adhesive Stamp Paper
Printing Process : Lithography
The Age of the Dinosaurs stamp issue by Royal Mail in 2024 consists of eight regular stamps and four stamps in the miniature sheet. While the regular stamps celebrate iconic prehistoric reptiles, the miniature sheet turns the spotlight to Mary Anning, one of the most important fossil hunters of the 19th century. Born in Lyme Regis, Dorset, Anning spent much of her life uncovering extraordinary fossils from the Jurassic Coast at a time when palaeontology was still emerging as a scientific discipline. Honouring Anning's pioneering work along the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast near Lyme Regis, Dorset, the four stamps in the miniature sheet features a portrait of Mary Anning alongside three of the remarkable fossils associated with her discoveries – Ichthyosaurus communis, Dapedium politum, and Plesiosaurus macrocephalus. Each fossil stamp is presented within a framed display, reflecting the museum-quality significance of these discoveries.