Souvenir Sheet or Miniature Sheet ~ What They Are

A souvenir sheet or miniature sheet is a small group of postage stamps that are still attached to the sheet on which they were printed. They are usually commemorative stamps that are issued in connection with an event, such as a national anniversary, a philatelic exhibition, or some government program. The number of stamps on a mini-sheet ranges from one to five or six; larger sheets of stamps are simply called "sheets."

The stamps on the souvenir sheet may be perforated or imperforate. The margins or selvage of the sheet (the part that's not a stamp) often has an additional design that frames the stamp(s). This additional design could be as simple as a mere text statement that describes the occasion being commemorated, a beautifully designed image of which the stamp(s) form just a small part, or anywhere in between.

Both the stamps and the entire miniature sheet can be used for mailing, although they are almost always sold above face value and kept in mint collection by collectors; usages on cover are not terribly easy to find.