New Jane Austen Stamps Arrive

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, the Royal Mail in Britain yesterday issued six commemorative Jane Austen stamps.  Each of her novels is represented by a separate stamp.  The artwork was produced by Angela Barrett.

You can order the stamps (even from America), as well as other commemoration material, via the Royal Mail website.

Active stamp collectors might remember this isn't the first time the Royal Mail issued Jane Austen stamps.  Four Austen stamps were also released in 1975, when rates were a bit cheaper.

In another celebratory gesture, the Royal Mail is using a special postmark this week only for any letters mailed from Chawton or Steventon (i.e. Jane Austen Country), which will include an oft-quoted line from Pride and Prejudice, "Do anything rather than marry without affection."