Limited edition stamps to mark Royal Marines’ 350th birthday

A limited edition series of stamp sheets have been produced to celebrate 350 years of the Royal Marines.

Now available from the Royal Mail is a commemorative sheet of ten stamps charting key moments and actions involving the Corps since it was formed in the 17th century.

The sheet, entitled ‘By sea, by land’, has been endorsed by the Duke of Edinburgh as Captain General of the Royal Marines, who has provided a short quotation extolling the virtues of the Corps.

Ten first-class Union Jack stamps sit alongside iconic images from the Corps’ illustrious history – from its birth as the Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot back in 1664, through the American War of Independence and clashes with Napoleon to the invasion of Walcheren in 1944, the liberation of the Falklands and present-day Royal Marines operations.

Ten thousand of the sheets have been produced – the stamps are not available individually – with each one numbered.

Each sheet is accompanied by a ‘backing sheet’ which features a brief history of the Corps, unit crests, a list of Victoria Cross winners, a genealogical tree tracing the roots of the Royal Marines back three and a half centuries, and some of the most common slang used by green berets (such as ‘hoofing’ – outstanding; ‘chad’ – rubbish).

“The Royal Marines have served our country for the last 350 years and through dedication, impressive training and incredible resilience, have played a crucial role in keeping our country safe,” said the Royal Mail’s Philip Parker.

“This commemorative sheet helps us celebrate their devotion to the UK and provide a perfect way to acknowledge their fantastic contribution to our history.”