Collecting Harry Potter on Stamps

Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opens today at theatres nationwide.

Since the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which was released in 2001, there have been six other films in the series.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is part 1 of the seventh and final film (so they say) dealing with the boy wizard.

Part 2 will be released sometime next summer.

 
As regards Harry Potter on stamps, William Silvester writes on the Suite101.com website,"Stamp collectors are often searching for new, fun and exciting subjects on which to base a topical collection. Harry Potter stamps offer an appealing choice for all ages."

He goes on to say, "Anyone starting a Harry Potter collection in the 1990s would have soon discovered that there were no legitimate Harry Potter stamps available. The early years of Harry Potter collecting were marred by the release of a number of illegal stamps supposedly originating in such places as Benin, Turkmenistan, Congo and Tadjikistan. These 'stamps' were colorful and appealing but unfortunately not authorized by the country whose name was imprinted on the label."

This changed in 2004 when the Republic of China released two miniature sheets of six stamps depicting scenes from the film.  A second set was issued by Isle of Man and includes eight stamps showing characters and objects from the film.

Shown above, the first legitimate Harry Potter stamps which were issued by China in 2004 as a miniature sheet.

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