Mythical Creatures – Issue Date: 16 June 2009
There are six Mint Stamps feature the work of Dave McKean, one of the most talented fantasy artists around. He has used his considerable imagination and superb artistic skills to bring each of these creatures to life.
There are two 1st Class stamps, two 62 pence stamps and two 90 pence stamps included in the issue.
1st Class – Unicorns
Traditionally represented as a horse with a single horn, a billy goat’s beard, cloven hooves and a lion’s tail, perhaps the unicorn made sense of travellers’ descriptions of the rhinoceros? Two unicorns support the Coat of Arms of Scotland, while one together with a lion the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.
1st Class – Dragons
Common to the mythologies of many countries the dragon has a reptilian body, traditionally breathes fire or spits poison and often has a pair of bat like wings. Often the guardian of treasure hordes, and frequently the terror of fair maids.
62p – Giants
Legend has it that the Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway is the remains of a pathway between Scotland and Northern Ireland created when the Scottish giant Fingal hurled the first clod into the Irish Sea and the Irish giant Finn McCool hurled more back.
62p – Pixies
Or Piskies as they are known in their native West Country look like old men with wrinkled faces. They are small in stature with red hair and dress in the colours of the earth especially green, usually cheerful and helpful, but they also like playing pranks.
90p – Mermaids
Part woman and part fish the Mermaid would often entrance sailors with their song causing them to run ships aground or jump overboard, then carry them off to their undersea home forgetting that they breathe air.
90p – Fairies
Sometimes good and sometimes bad, the fairy folk come in many forms; here Queen Mab takes to the air in her hazelnut chariot. Queen Mab is described in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as a tiny fairy who drives her chariot across the faces of sleeping people.
Mythical Creatures Technical Details:
| Feature | Type/Detail |
|---|
| Number of stamps | Six |
| Design | Morgan Radcliffe |
| Illustration | Dave McKean |
| Stamp Format | Square |
| Stamp Size | 35mm x 35mm |
| Printer | De La Rue Security Print |
| Print Process | Gravure |
| Number per Sheet | 25/50 |
| Perforations | 14.5 x 14.5 |
| Gum | PVA |
