A royal stamp of approval

Stamp featuring the Queen’s image on an old £1 note featured in the Royal Mail’s Diamond Jubilee Definitives collection (PA)

An enlarged stamp featuring the Queen's image on an old £1 note is one of six featured in the Royal Mail's Diamond Jubilee Definitives collection. The stamps, which will be available across the UK from today, show different images of the Queen used on stamps, banknotes or coins during the past 60 years.

The design of the 1st-class stamp has been updated in honour of the Queen's 60-year reign. Its traditional gold background has been replaced with a blue colour scheme and the words "Diamond Jubilee" highlighted in iridescent ink. The stamp will revert back to its original design in 2013 but is likely to become a collectors' item.

Royal Mail's chief executive Moya Greene said: "The Queen's image is one of the most recognisable in the world and we are delighted to bring these iconic images together."

PA