A collection of stamps commemorating children's author Beatrix Potter. [Photo/Weibo account of China Philately]

A set of postage stamps to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the children's author, Beatrix Potter's birth, went on sale at post offices across Britain Thursday.

Potter was born in London on July 28, 1866, with more than 100 million of her famous books sold since she started writing.

The new Royal Mail collection includes characters and scenes from her first book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit".

Depicted on the stamps are favourite characters, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Squirrel Nutkin, Tom Kitten, Benjamin Bunny, as well as Peter Rabbit.

Potter wrote and illustrated a number of children's books in the early 1900s.

An auction of Beatrix Potter memorabilia held Thursday included a first edition of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" which was sold for $57,000, more than $10,500 above the estimated auction price.

Royal Mail spokesman Philip Parker said the stamps depicted some "unforgettable characters which have been loved by successive generations".

Potter started to sell her first drawings at the age of 23, creating Peter Rabbit in 1893, naming the character after her own pet.

Potter later moved to the English Lake District and lived there until she died in 1945.

Potter's links to the scenic Lake District attracts visitors from across the world to the area. She left a number of farms and farmland she owned to the National Trust, keeping alive the name of Beatrix Potter and her many characters from her books. Every year more than 100,000 fans visit her former home at Hill Top in Cumbria.

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