Overview
Located some 2,600 kilometres north-west of Perth, in the Indian Ocean, Christmas Island was named by Captain William Mynors, who sailed past it on Christmas Day 1643.
Australia Post has produced stamps for Christmas Island since 1993. This light-hearted Christmas stamp series features Santa Claus interacting with various personified island fauna.
This year, Sonia Kretschmar has created a whimsical scene set under a fig tree in the Christmas Island Dales. Santa is conducting a carol-singing choir of island birds, renowned for their distinctive calls, while Rudolph leads a band of local percussionists. In the broader minisheet scene is a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, with a Christmas Island Emerald Dove perched on top, and endemic butterflies are dancing overhead.
*The on-sale date for international-rate Christmas stamps was 1 October 2020. This is to help ensure that our customers’ international Christmas mail reaches its intended destination on time, in light of the impacts of COVID-19 on worldwide mail delivery.
Technical specifications
- Issue date
- 30-October-2020*
- Issue withdrawal date
- 31-December-2021
- Denomination
- 65c x 1, $2.20 x 1
- Stamp design
- Sonia Kretshmar
- Product design
- Sonia Young, Australia Post Design Studio
- Paper: gummed
- Tullis Russell
- Paper: self-adhesive (sheetlet of 5)
- Arconvert Securpost
- Paper: self-adhesive (sheetlet of 10)
- Raflatac Cast SP34
- Printer
- RA Printing
- Printing process
- Offset lithography (Sheetlet - Inkjet with cold foil)
- Printer (sheetlet)
- Rapid Labels
- Stamp size (mm)
- 37.5 x 26
- Minisheet size (mm)
- 135 x 80
- Sheetlet size (mm)
- 192 x 120
- Perforations
- 13.86 x 14.6
- Sheet layout
- Module of 50
- FDI Postmark
- Christmas Island WA 6798
- FDI withdrawal date
- 31-January-2021
This stamp shows Santa conducting a festive carol-singing choir of island birds. In the soprano line is a Hawk Owl duet, a Christmas Island Goshawk, a Christmas Island Thrush and a White-tailed Tropicbird, who has flown out front to perform a solo. A Christmas Island Frigatebird and some Red-footed Boobies and Common Noddies are joyfully singing the bass line.
Accompanying the carol-singing choir is an enthusiastic band of percussionists, led by Rudolph playing his Malaysian kompang. Some Red Crabs and Giant Geckos are bashing their cymbals and gongs, which they also enjoy playing during the island’s Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.
Shop our stamp collectables
Set of stamps:
This set of stamps contains the two gummed stamps from the Christmas Island Christmas 2020 stamp issue.
Sheetlet pack:
The Christmas Island Christmas 2020 embellished sheetlet pack contains two foiled highlight sheetlets of 10 x 65c stamps from the stamp issue presented in high quality folder.
Minisheet:
The Christmas Island Christmas 2020 minisheet consists of the two stamps from the issue incorporated into a special Christmas themed miniature stamp sheet.
Sheetlet:
The self-adhesive sheetlet contains 10 x 65c embellished Santa stamps from the Christmas Island Christmas 2020 stamp issue.
- Set of stamps
- Sheetlet pack
- Minisheet
- Sheetlet
Additional products:
This content was produced at the time of the stamp issue release date and will not be updated.
