LONDON (AP) -- Britain is turning red into gold.

Some of the country's iconic red mailboxes have painted gold to celebrate gold medals won by British Olympians.

Royal Mail says it has honored champion cyclist Bradley Wiggins and rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning by painting a mailbox gold in each of their hometowns.

The mail service said Thursday it's the first time it has changed the color of its mailboxes in more than a century. The boxes have been red since 1874.

It plans to paint a new gold mail box every time a British Olympic or Paralympic athlete takes a gold medal during the London games.

It is also selling special gold medal stamps to celebrate all of the nation's champions. Stamps commemorating Wiggins, Glover and Stanning go on sale Thursday.