Oh, you’ve got a stamp that says “Old Pence” or has a picture of a chariot? Hold your horses. Stamps from before 1971 (the decimal switchover) are useless for posting a letter today. They’re collectibles, not postage. You might get one penny of value, but the Royal Mail will laugh politely and charge you full price. That’s a bad trade.
But here’s the plot twist: you can still use them as part of a mixed frank. If you glue that 1969 4d stamp onto a letter, you must add modern stamps to make up the current postage. It’s like bringing a vintage coin to a vending machine—it doesn’t work alone, but in a pile? Maybe.
Anniversary of 'Queen's head' design marked with new stamps - BBC News
The Royal Mail's Secret Amnesia
Here’s the most surprising fact of all: Royal Mail will accept Queen’s head stamps indefinitely—as long as they have a clear value. No expiration date. No “best before” stamp. It’s the most forgiving postal policy in the world. You could theoretically mail a letter in 2075 using a stamp your grandma bought in 1995. The Queen’s ghost will be processing it.
So, yes. You can still use stamps with the Queen’s head. They are functionally immortal and utterly chaotic. Think about it: you’re sending a letter that will be sorted by a robot, weighed by a machine, and delivered by a human—all while bearing the face of a monarch who hasn’t been on the throne for years. It’s the postal equivalent of a time traveler.
Now go ahead. Dig out your old stamp collection. Lick it (please don’t—use a sticker or a glue stick, you’re not a dog). Stick it on that birthday card you’ve been procrastinating. And when the mailman looks at it, just shrug and say, “It’s vintage, mate.” He can’t argue with that.
Final tip: if you have a stamp with the Queen’s head upside down, that’s a misprint. Don’t use it—sell it on eBay for £10,000. But if it’s right-side up? Slap it on a letter and feel like a postal pirate. Avast, ye royal postage!
