The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Is Getting Many Stamps To Rule The Mail

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first chapter in "The Lord of the Rings" motion picture trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring." It's hard to believe two decades have past since director Peter Jackson ushered us into Middle-earth, but here we are. The fantasy film franchise has done wonders for New Zealand's tourism industry, and now the island nation is celebrating with a collection of stamps inspired by some of the most memorable moments from "The Fellowship of the Ring." Check them out below.

Nerdist brought our attention to these "Lord of the Rings" stamps that are available for purchase at NZ Post, the official issuer of New Zealand stamps and commemorative coins. Unfortunately, that means you won't be able to use the "Fellowship of the Ring" stamps to send mail in the United States, but you can add them to your collection of Middle-earth memorabilia since NZ Post offers international shipping for fans outside of New Zealand. It'll be a good way to pass the time until the "Lord of the Rings" TV series arrives on Amazon in 2022.

With art created by Sacha Lees, who worked on the "Lord of the Rings" films, these stamps are inspired by a variety of scenes from the first film in the trilogy. As you can see, there's an image of the fellowship approaching the Argonath statues of the old kings of Gondor as they float down the River Anduin. Another stamp recreates the scene where Frodo and his three hobbit companions try to stay hidden from the Nazgul, or Ringwraiths. Here are all six stamps in the commemorative collection:

Antony Harris, NZ Post's Head of Stamps and Collectibles, said in a statement, "These stamps acknowledge that this iconic film is now a significant component of New Zealand history, culture, and identity." Indeed, whenever anyone thinks of New Zealand, they know the country as the picturesque landscape where the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was filmed over 20 years ago. 

There are a variety of ways to purchase these "Lord of the Rings" stamps, including a special presentation pack that displays the stamps in a collector friendly fashion. Check out all the options available to you over at the NZ Post website, and stay tuned in October and December to find out what other 20th anniversary memorabilia they'll have in store, including legal tender coins inspired by "The Fellowship of the Ring." Hopefully this is something NZ Post will offer for "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King" as well.