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The stamps were issued by Royal Mail to mark the anniversary of the landmark date in the abolition of the slave trade.

They portray key individuals from the Abolition movement set against backgrounds linked to their work.

Along with Granville Sharp, other individuals featured are William Wilberforce, former slave Olaudah Equiano, Thomas Clarkson, Hannah More and Ignatius Sancho.

The stamp is one of six to be issued

Granville Sharp, who was born in Durham in 1735, features on the 50p stamp.

His portrait is set against a backdrop of rebellion on board a slave ship and a piece of writing from the Minute Book of the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, which he co-founded with Thomas Clarkson.

Royal Mail head of special stamps Julietta Edgar said: "The work of the Abolitionists galvanised thousands of people from all walks of life and their long and dedicated struggle against slavery culminated in the 1807 Act of Parliament.

"The stamps will be seen by millions of people around the world and, I hope, make a fitting tribute to the men and women who dedicated their lives to bringing slavery to an end."

Granville Sharp wrote a number of books on the subject and several of them are in Durham University Library's archives, which holds a rich source of historical documents relating to the slave trade and its abolition.