A joint issue is the release of stamps or postal stationery by two or more countries to commemorate the same topic, event or person. Joint issues typically have the same first day of issue and their design is often similar or identical, except for the identification of country and value.
Continental joint issues
* Europa postage stamps : Between 1956 and 1973 the postal authorities of several European nations issued stamps with a common design but since 1974 a common topic is used on stamps issued each year. These are not true joint issues, because they do not share the same designs or dates of issue.
An early unrealized trans-Atlantic joint issue
* 1914 peace commemoratives: In 1914, the United Kingdom, the Dominion of Canada and the United States agreed on a plan by which each of the three nations would issue its own series of stamps that year to commemorate the 100 years of Anglo-American peace that had prevailed since the end of the War of 1812. After the outbreak of World War I later that year, however, the UK and Canada deemed it inappropriate to issue peace stamps and withdrew from the project. The US had already produced
essays
An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...
for 2¢ and 5¢ stamps but canceled further plans for the designs. (This would not have been a true joint issue because each country would have designed its stamps individually.)
Australia
The Australia Post has collaborated several times with the postal administration of another country to release a joint issue.
West Berlin
West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...
prior to
German reunification
German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
Canada Post has released the following joint issues. The
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
has been Canada Post's most prolific philatelic partner.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
Deutsche Post
(, ) is a brand of the DHL Group (listed as ), used for its domestic mail services in Germany. The services offered under the brand are those of a traditional mail service, making the brand the successor of the former state-owned mail monopoly ...
of the
German Democratic Republic
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
prior to
German reunification
German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
Deutsche Post
(, ) is a brand of the DHL Group (listed as ), used for its domestic mail services in Germany. The services offered under the brand are those of a traditional mail service, making the brand the successor of the former state-owned mail monopoly ...
German reunification
German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
in 1990, collaborates with the postal administrations of other countries to release joint issues on a regular basis.
India Post has collaborated a number of times with the postal administration of other countries to release a joint issue.
India Post has released 36 Joint issues until Sep 2024.
India Post planned joint issues that did not materialize.
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, has collaborated a number of times with the postal administration of other countries to release a joint issue.
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
, has collaborated with some postal administration of other countries to release a joint issue.
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, has collaborated with some postal administration of other countries to release a joint issue.
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, has collaborated with some postal administration of other countries to release a joint issue.
Korea Post has collaborated a number of times with the postal administration of other countries to release a joint issue, mainly commemorating diplomatic relations.
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
collaborates with the postal administration of another country to release a joint issue on a sporadic basis. With seven joint issues,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
is the most prolific philatelic partner of the United States.