On 21 April 1926, a future Queen of England was born – the first child of the Duke of York and his Duchess, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Five weeks later she was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the chapel at Buckingham Palace, and a new chapter in British royal history officially began.
Issue information
A Celebration of a Remarkable Queen
In 2006 Queen Elizabeth II turned 80. This highly respected and hardworking Head of State has made a remarkable impact on her country and the world stage. Her important personal milestones include her 1997 Golden Wedding and her 2002 Golden Jubilee, and she continues to attend hundreds of public engagements every year.
New Zealand Post and Jersey Post were delighted to honour this momentous occasion with two stamps that reflected Her Majesty’s warmth and regal dignity. Captured in a relaxed style by British press photographer Julian Calder, her image was surrounded by a foiled border of 99% pure silver.
A Lifetime of Achievement
From her youngest days, Queen Elizabeth’s life was influenced by her future prospects – at school she studied constitutional history and law, art and music, combined with horse riding, amateur dramatics and swimming.
Gradually, she accepted more public responsibilities: sending a radio message to the children of the Commonwealth and Great Britain when she was 14; inspecting the Grenadier Guards (of which she’d been appointed Colonel-in-Chief) when she was 16; and, from 1944 onwards, accompanying the King and Queen on many of their tours of Britain. In 1947 she made a personal dedication to the service of the Commonwealth, repeated in 1953 on her accession to the Throne after the sudden death of her father.
Today, Queen Elizabeth II is truly a monarch of her time, and her birthday is one that royalists all over the world will be delighted to help her celebrate.
Isles United
These two stamps featured the same portrait of the Queen but with subtle differences – the individual countries’ names, the prices of the stamps and the inclusion of New Zealand Post’s iconic ‘fern’ brand.
This similarity is just one the two countries share. Both are island states and both are members of the Commonwealth – New Zealand the youngest and Jersey one of the oldest. And of course both have their own postal services; Jersey Post was established in 1969 and New Zealand Post made its first appearance in 1840.
Together, New Zealand Post and Jersey Post have created these stamps of distinction – and to reflect this, New Zealand Post had individually numbered the first 5,000 four-stamp sheets to be issued. These were made available first to limited edition customers and standing order customers, with the remaining stocks issued on a first come, first served basis.
Royal Collectables
The suite of royal birthday stamp collectables included a £5 stamp from Jersey Post and a $5 stamp from New Zealand Post, a miniature sheet and first day cover. The miniature sheet comprised the two stamps along with the flags and maps of the two issuing countries, while the New Zealand first day cover had the New Zealand stamp and an enchanting image of the young Princess Elizabeth, photographed with her mother, the late Queen Mother.
A Birthday Record
The stamp collectables designed for Her Majesty’s birthday were beautifully presented in a presentation pack, which contained the joint New Zealand Post/Jersey Post miniature sheet and the New Zealand Post first day cover.
Together with commemorative photographs of Her Majesty, the presentation pack provided a delightful insight into her lifetime achievements, including her marriage in 1947 to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (now His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) and her magnificent Coronation in 1952.
Commemorative Coins
| Take a look at the commemorative coins that were also part of this issue. Click here to find out more. | |
Product Listing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 80th Birthday
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp | Single $5.00 'Queen Elizabeth II' gummed stamp. | $5.00 |
 |
Single Stamp | Single $12.50 '£5 Jersey Post' gummed stamp. | $12.50 |
 |
Stamp Sheet |
Sheet of four $5.00 'Queen Elizabeth II' gummed stamps (first 5,000 sheets were individually numbered). |
$20.00 |
 |
Miniature Sheet | Mint, used or cancelled joint miniature sheet ($5.00 New Zealand and $12.50 Jesrsey stamps). | $17.50 |
 |
First Day Cover | First day cover with $5.00 'Queen Elizabeth II' gummed stamp affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $5.50 |
 |
Presentation Pack | This was a joint presentaion pack that contained the two stamps along with the flags and maps of the two issuing countires. The first day cover had the New Zealand stamp affixed with an enchanting image of the young Princess Elizabeth, photographed with her mother, the late Queen Mother. | $24.95 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 21 April 2006 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | One |
| Denomination and design: | $5.00 New Zealand Post stamp, $12.50 Jersey Post stamp (£5) |
| Miniature sheet illustration: | Andrew Robinson, United Kingdom |
| Printer and process: | Cartor Security Printing, France by lithography and 99% pure silver foiling |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours plus two special colours |
| Stamp size and format: | 37.5mm x 51mm (vertical) |
| Paper type: | Red phosphor gummed stamp paper 104gsm |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | Four |
| Perforation gauge: | 13 |
| Special blocks: | Plate/imprint blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least four stamps from a sheet. Barcode, value block and logo blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least two stamps from a sheet. Barcode blocks were available in B format. |
| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 20 April 2007. |
