New Stamps Celebrate 90 Years of Monopoly

A new set of stamps is being issued to mark 90 years since classic board game Monopoly launched in the UK.

John Waddington Limited of Leeds secured the European licence to make the game in 1935 - following its original release in the US - and Monopoly was manufactured in the city up until the 1990s.

The 10 new commemorative stamps released by Royal Mail include images of some of the locations from the classic game, including Old Kent Road, Liverpool Street Station and Park Lane, as well as Free Parking and Chance. A Royal Mail spokesperson called Monopoly a "cherished part of British family life" and said the stamps would offer fans a "nostalgic journey around the board". The Royal Mail shop has even produced a colourful commemorative collectible featuring all 10 Monopoly stamps individually mounted in a premium black frame.

Commemorative collection

Monopoly is now played in 114 countries and has been translated into more than 40 languages. But it was Norman Watson, managing director and later chairman of John Waddington Ltd, who was the very first person to play the game in the UK, at his home in 1935. Waddingtons was sold to US toy giant Hasbro in 1994, with Monopoly now played by more than a billion players across the globe.

The new stamps follow on from the success of the Royal Mint's introduction of a new coin to mark the same milestone. The colourful new 50 pence coin features familiar symbols from the board game.

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