Agatha Christie Postage Stamps, 1996 – 2016
By Nava Atlas | On October 7, 2017 | Updated December 6, 2022 | Comments (0)
You know an author has become a cultural icon when they’re depicted on a postage stamp (or set of stamps). Here’s a selection of beautiful Agatha Christie postage stamps from around the world.
Stamps about Christie, alternately known as the “Queen of Crime” or “Queen of Mystery,” are the subject of a triple-honor treatment, with her portrait gracing a number of stamps from various countries, along with her iconic characters and even her books. Let’s take a look:
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Dominica
In 1996, Dominica issued a series of stamps titled “100 Years of Cinema.” This one portraying Agatha Christie’s iconic detective Hercule Poirot was part of a subset of “Legendary Sleuths of the Silver Screen.”
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Guernsey
Similarly, Guernsey issued a set of stamps in 1996 commemorating “100 Years of Cinema in Guernsey.” This one features a sketch of Margaret Rutherford as another Christie detective, Miss Jane Marple. Rutherford played Miss Marple in a number of early 60s films, starting with Murder, She Said, in 1961.
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Somali Republic
Agatha Christie was part of a set of stamps put out by the Somali Republic — “20th Century People” — in which she was surrounded by portraits of other notable women of that century including Princess Diana, Golda Meir, Josephine Baker, Mother Theresa, and others.
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Sierra Leone
2001 saw a stamp set from Sierra Leone that focused on the history of the Orient Express, the actual train, and acknowledged Agatha Christie’s role in bringing fame to the legendary train with her 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express.
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Isle of Man
This stamp from the Isle of Man (2003) was part of a series of stamps honoring writers and books associated with the island. Agatha wrote a mystery story titled “Manx Gold” (1930) that ran in the daily newspaper as a way of enticing visitors to the island.
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Three years later, in 2006, the Isle of Man issued another set of stamps to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the National Portrait Gallery in London.
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Republic of Guinea
Murder on the Orient Express was part of a “Classic Train Films” set of stamps from the Republic of Guinea, 2001.
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Republique Centrafricaine
For Dame Agatha’s 125th birth anniversary year (2015), the Republique Centrafricaine (Central African Republic) issued this beautifully illustrated set of stamps portraying her as well as Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.
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Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands also issued a set of stamps in 2015 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth year of the prolific Dame Christie.
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Great Britain
This set of six stamps from Great Britain (2016) are clever, atmospheric illustrations of the authors most popular books, Murder on the Orient Express; And Then There Were None; The Mysterious Affair at Styles; The Murder of Roger Ackroyd; The Body in the Library; and A Murder is Announced.
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You might also like: Jane Austen Postage Stamps: 2013 & 1975
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