Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is an important occasion for many Chinese-speaking populations around the world and for people with a Chinese cultural background, including in Australia.
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Year of the Pig 2019 runs from 5 February 2019 to 24 January 2020. Those born under this sign are considered happy, sincere, kind and placid.
To help celebrate the Year of the Pig, we are releasing the Year of the Pig 2019 stamp issue on 8 January 2019, including a special joint issue sheetlet pack with China Post and an attractive Lunar New Year medallion collection. Plus, there are limited edition Lunar New Year collectables available as part of our Impressions range.
Year of the Pig stamps and minisheet
The stamps in the Year of the Pig 2019 stamp issue, which will be released on 8 January 2019, feature the Chinese calligraphic symbol for the pig on the $3 stamp. The $1 stamp features a pictorial version of the pig, using the popular Chinese art form of papercut.
The minisheet tells the story, in English and Chinese, of how in ancient times, a Chinese house was only considered a home if it included a pig, because the pig’s rotund appearance was seen as a symbol of abundance and happiness. This is why the Chinese character 家 (family) comprises 宀 (roof) and 豕 (pig).
Zodiac sheetlet and prestige booklet
This year’s zodiac sheetlet of stamps pairs each animal of the Chinese Zodiac with an equivalent Australian animal, based on personality and other characteristics.
The prestige booklet features stamps from the zodiac sheetlet in various configurations, as well as information on each animal pair, incorporating ancient Chinese legends and stories from the Aboriginal Dreamtime.
Joint Australia Post and China Post release
This cheerfully designed sheetlet pack includes three sheetlets celebrating the Year of the Pig – two from China Post as well as Australia Post’s Year of the Pig 2019 zodiac sheetlet.
Lotus sheetlet pack
The Year of the Pig 2019 stamp issue is the final in the series of Lunar New Year stamp issues designed by graphic artist, Dani Poon.
With all 12 of Dani’s designs complete, this year’s Lotus sheetlet is an attractive way to bring all 12 of the domestic rate designs from this series together. Each self-adhesive stamp is positioned in a circle, forming a pattern resembling a lotus flower, lotus being an important flower in Chinese culture – a symbol of purity and long life as well as the holy seat of Buddha. In the centre of the sheetlet is a special $2 round Happy New Year stamp, exclusive to this product.
Special Lunar New Year medallions and medallion collection
To mark the conclusion of the latest series of Lunar New Year stamps, we are releasing a stunning collection of 12 coloured 30 millimetre medallions, one to represent each animal of the 12 year zodiac cycle. Inside the lid of the presentation box is the Lotus sheetlet.
From 5 February 2019, each medallion will also be available separately, presented on a backing card.
Personalise your Lunar New Year greetings!
The Year of the Pig 2019 $1 stamp design will be available as part of our Personalised Stamps™ service, from 8 January 2019. This allows customers to produce a sheetlet of stamps with their own image in the stamp tabs, which adds a very special touch to your New Year greetings.*
Simply go to the Personalised Stamps website, select the design, upload your photo and complete the online checkout process. Once your photo is approved, we will print and send you your personalised stamp sheetlets and send them out to you in around 10 business days (standard postage within Australia is free).
Silk minisheet pack
The Lunar New Year silk minisheet collection, limited to 5,000, will be released with this year’s stamp issue and makes for a very special New Year gift or keepsake.
It includes three minisheets: a traditional gummed and perforated minisheet, a gummed and perforated minisheet printed on silk, and a self-adhesive minisheet printed on silk-like paper. The stamps and minisheets are embellished with a Milford Astor foil.
Year of the Pig gold minisheet
The Year of the Pig 99.99% pure gold minisheet with colour over-printing comes gift boxed and includes a clear perspex presentation mount. Only 500 of these spectacular minisheets have been produced.
Year of the Pig postal numismatic and medallion covers
The Happy New Year postal numismatic cover contains a colourful dragon coin from The Perth Mint, dragons being a traditional Chinese good luck symbol.
The Year of the Pig postal numismatic cover features an uncirculated coin featuring a pet pig and her piglets. Issued by The Perth Mint, the coin also includes the new effigy of Her Majesty the Queen on the obverse.
The limited edition medallion cover released with this stamp issue contains a 60 millimetre gold-plated medallion with a central square hole. Each animal of the Chinese Zodiac is featured around the outline of the coin, with a particular focus on the pig. Coins with a square central hole are strung together and hung as decorations during Chinese New Year.
Our Impressions range also features some spectacular coins that celebrate the Year of the Pig 2019, including a magnificent ¼oz gold proof coin and a 1oz silver proof coloured coin.
The Christmas Island Year of the Pig 2019 stamp issue is available from 8 January 2019, online, at participating Post Offices and via mail order on 1800 331 794 (+61 3 9887 0033 from overseas), while stocks last.
The Lunar New Year individual medallions are available from 5 February 2019.
View the gallery and technical details for this issue
*Terms and conditions apply to the use of the Personalised Stamps service, including that customers must own copyright in the photos they upload. While every endeavour will be made to ensure that the Personalised Stamps™ will be produced and dispatched within 10 business days from receiving your order, delivery delays may be experienced. If you wish to use the Personalised Stamps™ for a special event, you should ensure that the order is placed early enough to allow sufficient time for the order to be fulfilled to meet the date of your event.
This article was produced at the time of publication and will not be updated.
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