Can you use the UK mail stamps in France?

Can I use 1st class stamps to pay for the cost of sending a parcel? (UK)?

• I need to send a parcel and it will cost me about £10 with Royal Mail. Since the recipient is a philatelist, I want to pay for this £10 in stamps including using 1st class stamps (which I believe are worth 41p). Will Royal Mail let me do that? I prefer to ask before going to the post office so that I don't look too ridiculous with my dozens of stamps :)

• Answer:

  It depends. IF the stamp has a price on it, then it is worth the face value of the stamp, for example a 41p stamp is worth 41p (surprise!), however if it specifically says 1ST then it is worth the current cost of a 1st class stamp which would be 41p at the time I write this. HOWEVER, if you purchase stamps marked as 1ST class BEFORE a price rise, then they are worth the cost of a 1ST class stamp, many businesses save money by purchasing their stamps before a price rise. Think of it like petrol, buy your petrol before the price goes up, your car still travels the same distance but for less than if you filled it AFTER the price went up....see what I mean, sounds crazy but its true. Also the reason why the 1ST class stamps change colour every time the price changes, so they know which version of stamp you used.