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Jersey Stamp Bulletin

SPRING 2025

Welcome to Jersey Stamps

Welcome to the second edition of 2025, our spring bulletin.

As always thank you for your continued support and we hope you enjoy reading all about our upcoming issues!

Spring is well under way and with it a new stamp bulletin.

A huge thank you to the Société Jersiaise, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Heritage team for their dedicated assistance with the research of each issue. We put a lot of time into unravelling the stories behind every issue and we couldn’t do that without the help of local organisations such as these.

Talented artist Hannah George, who you may remember as the illustrator behind the Post & Go: Protected Plants issue, returns to illustrate EUROPA: Archaeological Discoveries. From mammoth bones to Britain’s largest coin hoard, the stamps depict an array of unique finds that have amazed the world.

100 Years of Gerald Durrell: Dedication is a celebration of key moments throughout Gerald Durrell’s life, including the time he kept animals in his sister’s back garden! The miniature sheet portrait was illustrated by Jason Butler, an amazing local artist who has truly captured the spirit of Durrell within his work.

Jersey Opera House 125 Years celebrates one of the most recognisable buildings on the island. Talented local artist Abi Overland was inspired by the theatre’s rich history and intricately illustrated noteable events for the stamp images.

As always, thank you for your continued support and we hope you enjoy reading about our upcoming issues!

The Jersey Philatelic Team

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES

The Channel Islands Specialists’ Society was founded in 1950 to study the stamps and postal history of the Channel Islands. For information about the society, please visit www.ciss.uk. Membership requests should be directed to Membership Secretary, Mark Bailey at membership@ciss.uk or write to Mark Bailey FRPSL at 36 Jerrymore Hill, Finchampstead, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 4UG.

The Royal Philatelic Society, London is the oldest philatelic society in the world, established in 1869. There are now over 2,000 members worldwide with a wide range of collecting interests. Visit www.rpsl.org.uk to find out more about ‘The Royal’ and how to become a member. Alternatively, you can contact John Triggs, FRPSL the Channel Islands representative for further details, brochures and membership packs phone +44 (0) 1481 725847 or email guern1974@cwgsy.net

If you live in Jersey and would like to find out about the Jersey Philatelic Society, phone Ian Everson on +44 (0) 1534 758727 or email ianeverson@aol.com.

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HOW TO ORDER

By Post

Send the completed order form to: Jersey Philatelic Bureau, FREEPOST JE793, Jersey Post, JERSEY, JE1 1AF

us on:

(0) 1534 616717 between 8:30am and 5pm Monday to Friday

EUROPA: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES

The chosen subject for EUROPA 2025 was national archaeological discoveries.

Despite Jersey’s geographical size, its location within the channel and close connection to France during the Ice Age makes it a hidden treasure chest filled with extraordinary archaeological finds, including mammoth bones and structures older than the Great Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge!

This collection includes a set of six stamps, a souvenir miniature sheet, a souvenir sheetlet, presentation packs, first day covers, a special postmark and postcards.

Souvenir Miniature Sheet size: 90mm x 110mm ARTIST

Illustrator:

Hannah George

Printer: bpost

Process: Four colour process lithography

Stamp die size: 30mm x 40mm

British illustrator Hannah George was commissioned by Jersey Post’s Philatelic team to create the artwork for this issue. Hannah commented to the Philatelic team that she thoroughly enjoyed the project and found it fascinating to work on, saying that the issue felt like a history lesson due to the nature of the series. You can find out more about Hannah on our blog page: www.jerseystamps.com/blogs/news

Products: Set of six stamps (£10.55), souvenir miniature sheet (£4.20), souvenir sheetlet (£10.55), stamp first day cover & presentation pack (£11.85 each), souvenir miniature sheet first day cover & presentation pack (£5.50 each), block of four (£42.20), pair set (£21.10) and individual sheet sets (prices vary).

Following on from January’s conservation issue, 100 Years of Gerald Durrell: Dedication celebrates the man behind the legend, Gerald Durrell.

Each stamp provides a snapshot of Gerald’s life and legacy. In acknowledgement of Gerald’s artistic talents, some of his playful illustrations or ‘zoodles’ as he affectionately called them, have been imposed on top of each image and outlined in magenta, said to be one of his favourite colours.

Prestige booklet

Born in India in 1925, Gerald “Gerry” Malcolm Durrell would have turned 100 this year. The images featured in this issue were kindly sourced from Gerald’s widow, Lee Durrell, and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust archive team.

The 100 Years of Gerald Durrell: Dedication prestige booklet includes three panes of perforated stamps and expands on the stories behind each of the images chosen. For example, the text relating to the first stamp in the series Life in Corfu, details Gerald’s childhood and love of animals, whilst also explaining his mother, Louisa’s, choice to move back to London.

You’ll also find quotes referenced from various biographies by Gerald Durrell. Gerald was a prolific writer and published a combination of non-fiction and fictional books, all centred around his love of the natural world.

Research behind the issue

Gerald Durrell sadly passed away on 30 January 1995, after contracting septicemia following surgery. To gain a more insightful understanding of the man behind the legacy, the Philatelic team reached out to Gerald’s widow Lee Durrell, who continues their vital conservation work.

While meeting Lee and archivist Catherine Kirby at the Gerald Durrell archive within Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, our designer was inspired to incorporate Gerald’s zoodles into the imagery.

The archive details Gerald’s life and legacy and includes various books, accessories, photographs, posters and illustrations providing a clear image into who he was as a person. In addition to meeting Lee and Catherine, we also read ‘My Family and Other Animals’ and the posthumous biopic ‘Myself and Other Animals’.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about the research process of our stamp issues. Let us know via stamps@jerseypost.com if it’s something you’d like us to spotlight in the next bulletin.

ARTIST FEATURE: JASON BUTLER

Jason Butler is an acclaimed artist, reknowned for his portrait commissions. Butler, who has his own harbour-side studio in St Helier, Jersey, has work residing in private collections in the UK, Europe and America and has exhibited in The National Portrait Gallery, London multiple times.

Jersey Post’s Philatelic team found Jason to be the perfect choice to capture Gerald Durrell’s likeness. In constrast to the stamp set which depicts black and white photographs of key moments in Gerald’s life, the team opted to commission the portrait, which features on the miniature sheet, in colour.

Gerald’s widow, Lee Durrell was delighted with the finished piece. The painting has been gifted to Lee in honour of Gerald’s memory. You can find out more about Gerald Durrell’s life and legacy at: www.jerseystamps.com/blogs/news

Printer: Brebner

Process: TBC

Prestige Booklet size: 98mm x 162mm

Products: Set of eight stamps (£19.30), miniature sheet (£5.00), stamp first day cover & presentation pack (£20.60 each), miniature sheet first day cover & presentation pack (£6.80 each), prestige booklet (£32.15), block of four (£77.20), pair set (£38.60) and individual sheet sets (prices vary).

Images: Courtesy of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

FEATURE:

Jersey’s iconic Opera House is celebrating 125 years since its opening in 1900. From it’s first renovation by local architect Adolphus Curry, who designed the theatre’s exquisite façade, to hosting the V.E Grand Variety Show following the island’s liberation in 1945, the Opera House has had a rich legacy of theatre and continues to inspire anyone who is lucky enough to spend an evening inside its Edwardian walls.

Products: Set of six stamps (£10.55), souvenir sheetlet (£10.55), stamp first day cover & presentation pack (£11.85 each), souvenir sheetlet first day cover & presentation pack (£11.85 each), block of four (£42.20), pair set (£21.10) and individual sheet sets (prices vary).

Illustrator: Abi Overland

Printer: bpost

Process: Four colour process lithography

Stamp die size: 40mm x 30mm

Souvenir Sheetlet: 90mm x 120mm

Abi graduated with a BA (Hons) in illustration art from the University of Brighton in 2014 and now specialises in producing detailed illustrated imagery for a variety of clients.

As an artisit Abi has a very distinctive style that perfectly reflects the tone and aesthetic of Jersey’s Opera House. From the grandeur of the iconic chandelier to the intricate details of the buidling’s façade, the artwork is perfectly constructed to tell the story of the Opera House’s rich history. Find out more about the artist at: www.jerseystamps.com/blogs/news

ARTIST

The States of Jersey has been producing its own currency since July 1963. Jersey banknotes and coins are available for sale in mint, uncirculated condition, accompanied by a beautiful commemorative wallet. All of Jersey’s mint banknotes bear a hand-engraved, intaglio portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the words ‘States of Jersey’ above the island’s crest. The central vignettes on both the front and reverse feature important Jersey landmarks.

The coins have a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, and the reverse of each coin features iconic imagery of the island.

Jersey Stamps and Collectables stock a variety of albums and stamp accessories as well as stamp themed home accessories, stationery and gifts for stamp lovers and philatelic enthusiasts.

• Royals & Definitives Collection

• Albums

• Year Pages

• Artwork & Prints

• Postcards

• Yearbooks

• SEPAC Folders

SUBSCRIBE & Save

Did you know Jersey Stamps offer various subscription packages to accommodate your preferred collections? As well as a range of first day covers, presentation packs and sheet set subscriptions, we also offer:

• Stamp sets

• Miniature sheets

• Souvenir miniature sheets

• Souvenir sheetlets

• Prestige booklets

By having a subscription, you can save on postage and set up your preferred start date and payment method.

If you’re interested in finding out more about our subscription service, then please visit www.jerseystamps.com/collections/ subscriptions or email our Customer Care team on stamps@jerseypost.com.