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The first Jersey stamps featuring the royal cypher of King Charles III have been designed to mark the Year of the Rabbit.
The cypher is the Sovereign’s monogram, consisting of the initials of the monarch’s name, Charles, and title, 'Rex', which is Latin for 'King', alongside a representation of the Crown.
It appears in stamps issued this week by Jersey Post celebrating the Lunar New Year, the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar.
Illustrated by Wang Huming, the Deputy Chief Designer of the Postage Stamp Printing Bureau of China Post, they mark the movement into the Year of the Rabbit later this month.
The image of the rabbit on the new 98p stamp symbolises health and longevity.
Pictured: The new miniature sheet depicting a Rabbit holding a cabbage with a cricket on it and the King's cypher.
This stems from a well-known tale in Chinese culture entitled 'The Legend of the Jade', in which the rabbit lives in a moon palace with Lady Chang’e, who has taken an immortality pill and flown from Earth to the moon. The rabbit keeps her company and grinds magical immortality medicine, which is why it is said that the rabbit brings health and longevity.
The miniature sheet depicts a rabbit holding a Chinese cabbage with a cricket on it. Cricket-fighting is a tradition in China that is thought to date back over 1,000 years and the cricket is associated with happy and relaxing times.
Chinese cabbage is a very popular vegetable in China and was historically one of the few vegetables available during Chinese winters. Furthermore, in Chinese, the pronunciation of cabbage is 'Baicai', which is the same as the pronunciation of '100 fortunes'.
Pictured: The King's cypher, consisting of the initials of the monarch’s name, Charles, and title, Rex, which is Latin for 'King', alongside a representation of the Crown.
Chinese New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the lunar month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In 2023, the first day of the Lunar New Year falls on Sunday 22 January.
As of Thursday, the new Year of the Rabbit stamps are now available at all Jersey Post branches, as well as online.
Pictured top: The upcoming 98p stamp celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, featuring the King's cypher.
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