Britain’s Royal Mail Group plc (Pink: ROYMY) is releasing a series of commemorative stamps celebrating Paul McCartney while forecasting a profitable fiscal year aided by parcel deliveries during the pandemic.
What Happened: The new stamps encompass McCartney’s solo career and make no mention of his Beatles years.
The series consists of eight stamps featuring a selection of McCartney’s album cover art from his 1970 solo debut album “McCartney” to his most recent release, 2020’s “McCartney III,” released by Universal Music Group, a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings (Pink: TCEHY) and Vivendi (Pink: VIVHY).
Also included are four black-and-white stamps of McCartney in recording sessions during the past five decades.
Absent from the stamps are images of McCartney’s collaborators during his years with the band Wings, including his late wife Linda.
The Royal Mail is also offering 39 gift items that incorporate the new stamps, including framed stamp sheets, limited edition stamp books, a limited-edition medal cover with a plectrum medal struck by the Royal Mint and postcards featuring the stamp designs. All of the McCartney-related items will be available beginning May 28.
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“Paul McCartney remains a vital figure at the center of rock and pop, an artist whose legacy is immense, but whose work continues to generate popular attention and critical acclaim,” said David Gold, director of public affairs and policy for Royal Mail.
McCartney is the third music star to be honored by Royal Mail with a commemorative series, following the late David Bowie in 2017 and Elton John in 2019. Unlike the stamp program from the U.S. Postal Service, which only produces commemorative stamps featuring deceased figures, Royal Mail policy enables the issuance of stamps honoring living subjects.
What Else Happened: While Royal Mail’s new stamp series will certainly enjoy a flurry of sales from McCartney’s fans, the organization is holding its own in today’s digital age.
Last month, Royal Mail reported that was forecasting more than $1.25 billion in revenue for the fiscal year that ended in March, adding it expects an adjusted operating profit of roughly $972 million when it releases its full-year earnings data on May 20. Royal Mail said it intended to pay a dividend of 13 cents per share, adding the spike in parcel shipments during the pandemic helped boost its financial health.
(Photo courtesy Royal Mail.)
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