The Gibraltar 2023 stamp program bids a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth with their February In Memoriam issue. It serves as a nice companion piece to Bee Design’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee series. Beyond that, the usual themes are already evident, starting with the annual Lunar New Year issue and Gibraltar’s fun Post & Go stamps. Canada doesn’t have Post & Go and I feel like we are missing out over here.  Both the Year of the Rabbit and the EUROPA stamps were issued in both Post & Go and regular stamp formats. The separate Post & Go FDCs carry slightly different graphics, making them an attractive addition to a Gibraltar collection. 

Looking back on 2022, the best of the season was the yearly Christmas release. Last year’s theme was the 12 Days of Christmas. 

 Chief designer and current Creative Director for Gibraltar Post, Stephen Perera created a warm, traditional feel with this 6 stamp set.   

So, let’s hop right into the first stamp, the Year of the Rabbit, and hope you forgive me for sneaking one more rabbit reference into the title. 

February

Year of the Rabbit
Topic: lunar new year

2 stamps, sheets of 10, FDC, cancel, presentation pack
offset lithography

Gibraltar Post had a good writeup on the Year of the Rabbit which is a nice synopsis of the rabbit symbol:

The Year of the Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol. Legend has it the Rabbit was proud of its speed. He was neighbours with the Ox and always made fun of how slow Ox was. One day, the Jade Emperor said the zodiac order would be decided by the order in which the animals arrived at his party. Rabbit set off at daybreak. But when he got there, no other animals were in sight. Thinking that he would obviously be first, he went off to the side and napped. However, when he woke up, three other animals had already arrived. One of them was the Ox he had always looked down upon. Year of the Rabbit | Stamps | 2023 | Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau (gibraltar-stamps.com)

Designer: Stephen Perera using illustrations by © Bajena and Siewhoong 

Release date: February 20, 2023

HM Queen Elizabeth II – In Memoriam
Topic: royalty

3 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, presentation pack
offset lithography

Designer: Stephen Perera using works from Royal Collection Trust & Getty Images

Release date: February 20, 2023

March

EUROPA – Peace
Topic: EUROPA 

2 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, presentation pack
offset lithography

Designers of Peace Knot: Linda Bos & Runa Egilsdottir
Designer: Stephen Perera

Release date: March 30, 2023

Post & Go Year of the Rabbit
Topic: lunar new year

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Designer: Stephen Perera using illustrations by © Bajena and Siewhoong

Release date: March 30, 2023

June

Gibraltar Wildlife
Topic: fauna

6 stamps, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, stamp pack, presentation pack
offset lithography

• Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus)  Bluefin Tuna | Species | WWF (worldwildlife.org)
• Andalusian Wall Lizard (Podarcis vaucheri) – Podarcis vaucheri – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio
• Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) – Barbary macaque : the species | BMAC
• European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) – European Robin – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio
• Sardinian Warbler (Curruca melanocephala) – Sardinian warbler – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio
• Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) – Eurasian Hoopoe – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio
• Iberian Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes silacea) 

Designer: Stephen Perera
Photographer: Nicholas Ferrary
More of Ferrary’s photography can be found on his Instagram account Nicholas Ferrary (@nicholasferrary) • Instagram photos and videos

Release date: June 30, 2023

July

Post & Go – Europa 2023
Topic: EUROPA

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Designer: Stephen Perera

Release date: June 4, 2023

September

Butterflies of Gibraltar

6 stamps, miniature sheetlet, 2 FDCs, cancel, stamp pack, sheetlet pack
lithography

• Red Admiral
• Brimstone
• Monarch
• Small Copper
• Swallowtail
• Long-tailed Blue

Designer: Stephen Perera
Illustrator: Jon Pointer
Wales based artist Pointer supplied the artwork for this set. 

Inspired by Victorian art, Jonathan’s work has a traditional feel, combining realism and a strong sense of narrative. His approach to painting is highly individual with all the elements within the painting – subject, flora and landscape – being treated with equal importance. His work is therefore, part portrait, part botanical and part landscape, an approach that places the subject within the context of habitat, time and place and gives added opportunity for narrative within the painting. 
Jonathan Pointer – Sporting & Natural History Artist (pointer-wildlife-art.co.uk)

Release date: September 22, 2023

The Coronation of King Charles III

6 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, stamp pack, souvenir sheet pack
lithography

Designer: Stephen Perera using photos supplied by Getty Images + Hugo Burnand/Buckingham Palace

Release date: September 22, 2023

November

Christmas 2023

6 stamps, mini sheet, 2 FDCs, 2 packs
offset

Designer: Stephen Perera

Release date: November 2, 2023

Working Trains on the Rock

3 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, 2 packs
offset

Designer: Stephen Perera
Illustrator/photographer: Gil Podesta Collection

Release date: November 20, 2023

Definitive 2023 

10 stamps, FDC, cancel, stamp pack, 10 sheets of 50
offset

Gibraltar based artist Leslie Gaduzo provided the artwork for the new Charles III definitives. 

Designer: Stephen Perera
Artist: Leslie Gaduzo

Release date: November 24, 2023

December

Visit Gibraltar II

5 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset

• The Gibraltar Skywalk
• The Great Siege Tunnels
• The Garrison Library
• Sailing and yachting
• The Gibraltar Trinity Lighthouse

Designer: Stephen Perera

Release date: December 24, 2023