01 May 2022
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Guernsey’s contribution to the Jubilee adds a unique twist to the celebrations, with a clear theme and the addition of collectable black and white versions of the stamps. We spoke to Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post, to find out more about the set.
Like many postal authorities with links to Great Britain, Guernsey have issued stamps to mark the Queen’s reign since the Silver Jubilee in 1977.
Back then, Bridget Yabsley was still at school – like many of us she remembers receiving the Silver Jubilee Crown from her teachers – but now she is directly involved in the celebrations, overseeing the release of a new set to mark the Platinum Jubilee.
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‘We’ve covered all the Jubilee celebrations in one form or another, whether it’s a stamp set or a miniature sheet,’ she says. ‘We actually started planning for this set about two years ago. We didn’t want it to be just another set of Jubilee stamps; we wanted to issue something a bit different with a theme behind it.’
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee necklace
Aware of the significance of the Queen’s jewellery and of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee necklace, Bridget began researching the subject in more depth and soon discovered that the Queen wears the necklace at many events and ceremonies, such as the opening of parliament.
The theme was decided upon and the history of this precious piece is explored in more detail in the accompanying prestige stamp booklet.
But it isn’t just the theme that sets the stamps apart from others. ‘We wanted it to be special,’ Bridget explains, ‘so we used silver foil on the stamps and gloss UV on the necklace. I wanted to make the necklace sparkle! We don’t often go for additional print techniques, but wanted to for this set.’
Limited edition black and white versions
Another unique aspect of the stamps is the release of 5,000 limited edition stamps comprising black and white versions of the colour mint stamps.
‘I’ve had this in my mind for a few years, thinking about how we can encourage collectors to research, find, swap and collect stamps,’ says Bridget. ‘The “Willy Wonka golden ticket” competition was in my mind, and with the Platinum Jubilee stamps I thought it would be really nice to have some black and white stamps, reflecting the history and the length of the reign. We kept the silver foil and the gloss UV but knocked the images back to black and white, to give them that really nice retro feel.’
Keen to not add more expense for regular Guernsey collectors, Bridget decided the black and white versions should be given away rather than sold, and so one black and white stamp was inserted into the first 4,000 sets of the issued stamps.
The stamps won’t be included in Guernsey’s year set and will not be included on album pages.
The colour mint stamps, prestige booklet and miniature sheet are available to order at www.guernseystamps.com