The Royal Mail has been releasing stamps for every Olympic gold medal winner (pictured top), with the current tally of British Olympic champions this summer standing at 28.

For the Paralympians winning gold they will be featured on a series of six stamps instead.

This is because, according to the Royal Mail, it would be "logistically impossible" to create individual stamps for what could be double the number of Olympic Games gold medallists.

"This is not the exactly the same as Team GB where each gold medal winning performance is commemorated by a stamp, but this is for a very good reason," reads a statement on the British Paralympic Association website.

"In Beijing, ParalympicsGB won 42 gold medals over 10 days of competition, including nine in one day, and we are expecting a similarly world-class level of performance from our athletes this time around.

"As a result, it is logistically and practically impossible for Royal Mail to produce an individual stamp for every one of the gold medallists for ParalympicsGB."

Post boxes in the home cities and towns of British gold medallists at London 2012 are being given a suitable makeover by the Royal Mail

Royal Mail have also been painting a gold post box in the towns of each gold medal winner and will continue to do the same for those winning Paralympic titles.

The company is also creating a prize fund of £200,000 (€254,000/$312,000) to be divided up between the gold medallists.

Royal Mail will also be the first postal service in a host country to issue stamps to mark the start of the Paralympic Games on August 29.

The Royal Mail's Tim Cowen said: "We're honoured to be celebrating the achievements of ParalympicsGB.

"We will be doing more than any other postal administration in history to celebrate the Paralympic Games and Paralympic athletes.

"For the first time ever, all gold medal winning Paralympic athletes will be asked to appear on Royal Mail's ParalympicsGB gold medal winners stamps."

The six stamp series will be issued on September 27, just over a fortnight after the Games finish.

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