Jersey stamps remember the 1990s

1990s popular culture is the subject of a set of six stamps, a miniature sheet and a souvenir sheetlet to be issued by Jersey Post on 14 July 2021.

The fifth and final instalment in a five part series looking back at popular culture through the decades, this new stamp issue follows on from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s to explore different aspects of 1990s culture; namely language, music, fashion, events, food and drink, and leisure pursuits. Once again, the concepts and designs for the stamps have been created by Hat-Trick Design (London) Ltd, working with specially commissioned illustrators.

The miniature sheet which accompanies the six stamps has been created by digital art collective eBoy, who also illustrated the computer for the £1 event stamp. It features a colourful and vibrant representation of Jersey’s main shopping street in the 1990s using colours, styles and typical shop-fronts of the time. Designed in the style of a pixelated computer game, it is a nod to the technological advancement of the decade.

A souvenir sheet, containing all six stamps has also been produced with the addition of a timeline, showing significant events of the 1990s including the release of Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ album, the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the founding of Google.

The 1990s was an eclectic decade, perhaps most notably on the music scene which saw the rise of Britpop, boy bands, the emergence of grunge and, of course, the Spice Girls who burst into the charts championing girl power. In the world of fashion, crop tops and combat trousers became wardrobe staples and in the world of technology, home computers and the internet were gaining momentum.

In Jersey, the 1990s saw significant developments to St Helier, the Island’s capital, including the building of Liberation Square in 1995 and the opening of the new Elizabeth Marina in 1998. Elsewhere, as decreasing air fares to destinations such as Spain and Turkey caused Jersey’s tourism sector to shrink, the Island’s financial sector grew, with the creation of the Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Channel Islands Stock Exchange in 1998. 

Jersey Post’s Popular Culture – The 1990s stamps will be available to buy from all branches of Jersey Post from 14 July 2021. Philatelic stamp products such as miniature sheets, souvenir sheetlets, first day covers and presentation packs will be available from the Jersey post offices at Broad Street, St Helier and Rue Des Pres, St Saviour on issue day and can be ordered now at www.jerseystamps.com Alternatively, you can email the Jersey Philatelic Bureau at stamps@jerseypost.com or telephone us on: +44(0) 1534 616717.