Mongolia released its annual Lunar New Year stamp issue on January 13 marking the Year of the Rabbit, the latest in a series begun in 2017. The two designs are printed using offset lithography in panes containing five horizontal strips of two stamps and a central decorative label. The stamps are denominated at 1500 ₮ (Mongolian tögrög) each and measure 48 x 22 mm. They have perforations of 13¼ x 13¾.

People born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to live life free from constraints and are in constant pursuit of their ideas. Because of their weak wills, however, they have difficulty achieving great things. In addition, Rabbits are sometimes too guarded and delicate when managing human affairs and personal matters. While they tend to be tenacious and ambitious, these characteristics may also lead to jealousy when they don’t get their way.

Rabbit people do not like to argue, preferring peace and quiet. They are good listeners, excellent negotiators and tend to work well on a team. They can be artistic and creative but also have a strong desire to avoid stressful and risky situations. They can also be pessimistic and insecure and therefore are hesitant to make quick changes.

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Diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) were established on January 23, 1963. The UK was the first Western nation to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia, among 24 other countries at the time that had previously established relations. Contact between the two nations actually goes back much further. On January 5, 1290 or 733 years ago, an envoy of Arghun Khaan, the ruler of the Ilkhanate, delivered a letter to Edward I of England. A copy of the response letter of King Edward has been preserved, which testifies his full support.

On January 23, Mongolia released a miniature sheet containing two 3000₮ stamps to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. The stamps each portray a single stamp from one of the two countries — the 1-cent Scepter of Indra issued on July 1, 1924, as Mongolia’s first postage stamp (Scott #1) and the Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp released on May 6, 1840 (Scott #1).