Mary Anning: Stamps celebrating pioneering fossil hunter revealed

Mary Anning fossil hunted along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset

Stamps celebrating a pioneering palaeontologist have been revealed.

The sheet of four stamps recognise the contribution Mary Anning made to the modern understanding of dinosaurs.

The designs include a portrait of Anning, as well as three of her most famous finds whilst fossil hunting along the Jurassic Coast near her home in Lyme Regis.

Eight other stamps featuring illustrations of different species of dinosaurs will also be released.

Mary Anning made a series of discoveries in the 19th century that helped the scientific community better understand the dinosaurs.

An Ichthyosaurus Communis skeleton fossil found by Anning features on one stamp

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy at Royal Mail said: "It is fitting in the week of International Women's Day that we pay tribute to Mary Anning with four images of some of the fossils she discovered."

He added that Anning was "one of the greatest fossil hunters of the 19th century", who made a "major contribution to our understanding of the majestic creatures that roamed the Earth hundreds of millions of years ago."

The stamps to commemorate her findings show a near-complete Dapedium Politum fossil, a complete Ichthyosaurus Communis skeleton fossil, and a near-complete Plesiosaurus Macrocephalus fossil - all of which were discovered around the early 1830s.

A near-complete Plesiosaurus Macrocephalus fossil also features

The eight other stamps include dinosaurs and other prehistoric reptiles from the Jurassic and Cretaceous eras.

Their designs are scientifically accurate, with species such as Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Diplodocus all featured.

Eight other dinosaur stamps released were created with help from the Natural History Museum

Royal Mail worked with experts at the Natural History Museum on the stamp design.

Maxine Lister, Head of Licensing at the Natural History Museum, said: "Our mission is to create advocates for the planet and we hope these stunning designs inspire everyone to discover a bit more about our natural world, whether that be the creatures that lived here before us, or the pioneering figures who shaped our understanding of them today."

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