Paralympic Gold Medal Winner Stamps: Britain's Paralympians show off their abilities
Royal Mail issued a Gold Medal Winner miniature sheet to celebrate each British success in the Paralympic Games in London.
Each sheet comprised two self-adhesive 1st class stamps of the same design, showing the medallists either in action during their event or on the podium.
As with the Olympic Games six-stamp sheets (October issue, page 20), base sheets designed by True North and pre-printed by Cartor were overprinted with images and inscriptions by six different regional printers, whose identities had not been released as we went to press.
A total of 34 miniature sheets were issued between August 31 and September 10. They were available from the same 518 post offices as the Gold Medal Winner stamps for the Olympic Games, although not necessarily on the very next day.
VERDICT
COMMEMORATIVE WORTH Winning Paralympians deserve acclaim like winning Olympians, although their events are less well understood
QUALITY OF DESIGN 
The two-stamp miniature sheet format was arguably more successful than the larger Olympics format
WOW FACTOR 
The Paralympic issues did not capture the public imagination as much as the Olympic ones
1st class Cycling: women’s C5 pursuit
Sarah Storey flew to her, and Britain’s, first gold of the Games on August 30. The stamp was issued on August 31.
1st class Swimming: men’s S7 100m backstroke
Britain’s first success in the pool came on the same day as Storey’s, but Jonathan Fox’s stamp was issued on September 1.
1st class Cycling: men’s C1 pursuit
Mark Colbourne won his gold on August 31, breaking the world record twice. The stamp was issued on September 3.
1st class Athletics: women’s T34 100m
Hannah Cockcroft, aged only 20, won the first of her two gold medals on August 31. The stamp was issued on September 3.
1st class Cycling: Men’s 1km time trial B
This tandem event, where a visually-impaired athlete is piloted by another cyclist, saw Neil Fachie team up with Sarah Storey’s husband Barney to win gold on September 1. The stamp was issued on September 3.
1st class Athletics: men’s T42 200m
A late surge from Richard Whitehead brought him a world record time on September 1. The stamp was issued on September 3.
1st class Equestrian: individual championship test, grade II
Natasha Baker, riding Cabral, won with a new Paralympic record on September 1. The stamp was issued on September 3.
1st class Cycling: women’s 500m time trial C4-5
Sarah Storey’s second gold came on September 1, and the stamp was issued on September 3.
1st class Swimming: women’s 400m freestyle S6
Having won two gold medals in Beijing 2008 at the age of 13, Ellie Simmonds won the first of another two in London on September 2. The stamp was issued on September 3.
1st class Rowing: mixed coxed four LTAMix4+
Pam Relph, Naomi Riches, David Smith and James Roe, with cox Lily van den Broecke, beat the German boat to gold on September 2. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Athletics: men’s F42 discus
Aled Davies, aged just 21, won gold with a throw of 46.14m on September 2. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Cycling: men’s individual sprint B
With the help of pilot Craig MacLean, Anthony Kappes beat 1km time trial winners Fachie and Storey into second place on September 2. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Swimming: Women’s S14 200m freestyle
Jessica-Jane Applegate won with a new Paralympic record time on September 2. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Equestrian: Individual championship test grade Ia
Sophie Christiansen rode her horse Janeiro 6 to a winning score of 82.750 on September 2. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Athletics: Men’s 5000m T54
David Weir won his first of four gold medals on September 2. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Equestrian: individual freestyle test grade II
Natasha Baker capped her Games with a second gold on September 3. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Swimming: Women’s 200m individual medley SM6
Ellie Simmonds equalled her Beijing tally with a second gold medal on September 3. The stamp was issued on September 4.
1st class Athletics: Men’s 100m T53
Beijing silver medallist Mickey Bushell claimed the top step of the podium this time, on September 3. The stamp was issued on September 5.
1st class Archery: Women’s individual compound open
Danielle Brown defeated fellow Briton Mel Clarke in the final on September 4. The stamp was issued on September 5.
1st class Swimming: Women’s 100m backstroke S8
Heather Frederiksen successfully defended her title from Beijing on September 4. The stamp was issued on September 5.
1st class Equestrian: Individual freestyle test grade Ia
Sophie Christiansen won her second individual gold medal on September 4. The stamp was issued on September 5.
1st class Athletics: Men’s T54 1500m
David Weir’s second gold came on September 4, and the stamp was issued on September 7.
1st class Cycling: Women’s time trial C5
Sarah Storey collected her third gold medal of the Games in the velodrome on September 5. The stamp was issued on September 7.
1st class Swimming: Men’s 200m individual medley SM8
Oliver Hynd beat elder brother Sam to gold on September 5. The stamp was issued on September 7.
1st class Equestrian: Team Open
On the same day she won her second individual gold medal, September 2, Sophie Christiansen had combined with Deborah Criddle, Lee Pearson and Sophie Wells to win the team event. But the stamp was delayed until after the medal ceremony, being issued on September 7.
1st class Sailing: 2.4mR Single person keelboat
Helena Lucas became the first British sailor to win a Paralympic gold medal on September 6. The stamp was issued on September 8.
1st class Cycling: Women’s C4-5 road race
Sarah Storey’s fourth gold came on the circuit at Brands Hatch on September 6. The stamp was issued on September 8.
1st class Swimming: Men’s S7 400m freestyle
Josef Craig became ParalympicsGB’s youngest 2012 gold medallist at the age of 15 on September 6. The stamp was issued on September 8.
1st class Athletics: Women’s T34 200m
Hannah Cockcroft blasted to her second gold in the Olympic Stadium on September 6. The stamp was issued on September 8.
1st class Athletics: Men’s 800m T54
David Weir proved he was invincible on the track by winning his third gold. The stamp was issued on September 10.
1st class Athletics: Men’s 100m T44
The much anticipated clash between Oscar Pistorius, Alan Oliveira and Jonnie Peacock ended in victory for Peacock on September 6. The stamp was issued on September 10.
1st class Athletics: Women’s discus F51/52/53
Ex-wheelchair rugby player Josie Pearson took gold with a world record score of 1122 points on September 7. The stamp was issued on September 10.
1st class Cycling: Mixed road race T1-2
David Stone won gold at Brands Hatch on September 8. and the stamp was issued on September 10.
1st class Athletics: Men’s marathon T54
David Weir finished off a successful Games for himself and for Great Britain by winning a fourth gold on September 9. The stamp was issued on September 10.
PRICES
Miniature sheets (x29) £40.80
First day covers (x29) £65.28
TOTAL £106.08
