The Bailiwick of Jersey, under the control of Great Britain, has issued its own postage stamps inscribed JERSEY since 1969. Before that, beginning in 1958, British regional stamps were issued for Jersey — part of a series of stamps with no inscriptions except the value, that commemorated various possessions of the United Kingdom and were valid for postage in all parts of the UK. Jersey’s regional stamps showed the usual portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, plus the Royal Mace and the coat-of-arms of Jersey (both of which would feature on various stamps, coins, and banknotes of Jersey).
German occupation stamps, 1941 — 1946
The very first Jersey stamps, however, were issued by Germany when the Nazis occupied Jersey beginning in 1941. There were two different designs, and several different denominations, and these are popular with collectors. These were not overprints, but actual stamps inscribed, in English, JERSEY POSTAGE. These stamps were used until the year after the end of the war.
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Jersey’s stamps often feature subject related to the sea, to maps, or to exploration — not surprising for an area made up of several islands. All include a silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II, or a royal cypher. Other subjects include the wildlife of Jersey, famous British figures in history, and various others. Special collectible postal items, like souvenir sheets, have been made available to collectors over the years, and these are easily found for sale today and include some very nice items. Look also for examples of the several Jersey postage due stamps that have been issued for sale.
