A joint issue miniature sheet commemorating the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II was issued on her birthday - the 21st of April - by New Zealand Post and Jersey Post. The stamps feature a portrait of the Queen by photographer Julian Calder with a 99% silver foiled border and text.



The stamps were issued in two shades with the differences being most apparent in the shade of the background - green blue (left) and ultramarine blue (right). However, the colour differences also affect the shade of the text on the sheetlet margin and the skin tones have more of a red tinge on the ultramarine blue stamps. Page 157 of The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Volume X suggests that one shades originates from the miniature sheet and one from the sheetlet - however we have seen sheetlets in both shades.



The stamps were issued in sheetlets of four stamps and the first 5000 sheetlets were numbered.