1st October 1969

Jersey starts issuing its own stamps

A fundamental reorganisation of the British Postal Service led to the formation of independent postal services for the Channel Islands. Thus, on 1 October, Jersey Post issued its first peace-time stamp. It had made the decision to develop its own postal service in January 1968, so the road that led to the stamp’s introduction was a long one.

Local stamps had been issued during the occupation when an inability to source stamps from the mainland initially led to existing stocks being physically sliced in half and then, when these were exhausted, designed and printed on the island. However, the stamps issued in 1969 were the first civilian stamps originated locally.

Mainland stamps in Jersey

Prior to issuing its own stamps, Jersey (like Guernsey) had used stamps produced on and valid in the mainland, including regional variations, although these could no longer be used to settle postage costs once the islands’ post offices gained their independence.

Over the years, Jersey has issued a wide range of stamps, some of which have become collectable including, in 2013, a series called Man of Steel, commemorating Jersey-born actor Henry Cavill starring as Superman in the movie of the same name. This was an ambitious issue, with a different print technique used for each stamp. As explained by Jersey Post Philately, “These techniques are brought together for the first time in one issue. They include glow in the dark, silver foil, heat sensitive ink, embedded Jersey granite, a moving image ‘Lenticular’ miniature sheet and a stamp which employs image recognition to launch an app featuring movie trailers, bonus images and a filmed introduction from Cavill himself.”