Charles Dickens has had the ultimate seal of approval - his work on a set of stamps!

The celebrated author, born exactly 200 years ago today, is being celebrated by Royal Mail in a set of 10 stamps to be released on June 19.

But these two stamps have been released as a sneak preview of the set today.

The two stamps feature illustrations from his first novel, The Pickwick Papers (originally serialised and entitled The Posthumous Papers of Pickwick), and his 1838 novel, Nicholas Nickleby.

The character of Mr Pickwick forms a set of six stamps featuring original illustrations adapted from Character Sketches from Charles Dickens, by Joseph Clayton Clarke (otherwise known as Kyd) and originally published around 1890.

The Nicholas Nickleby stamp will be part of a special Miniature Sheet of four stamps of illustrations by Hablot Knight Brown, (known as Phiz ), who illustrated 10 books by the author.

Philip Parker, of Royal Mail Stamps, said: "Charles Dickens was one of the truly great British novelists, a man born into poor circumstances who went on to change the world in which he lived thanks not just to his novels, but his campaigning journalism and philanthropy".

The full set of 10 new stamps will be issued in June and will feature iconic characters from some of his most famous novels, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities.

The KM Group's Dickens: A Love Affair with Kent supplement is free in all KM Group paid-for newspapers this week. It will also be available from Linda Evanslevans@thekmgroup.co.uk

• Dickens' rocky marriage
• Dickens delivers a £4m tourism boost to the county