Postage stamps of Ireland
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Postage stamps of Ireland are the postage stamps issued by the stamp issuing authority of the independent Irish state from 1922 to present.
Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland when the world's first postage stamps were issued in 1840. These first postage stamps, and all subsequently issued stamps, were available for use in Ireland until Irish independence in 1922. Because the new Irish Government did not have their own postage stamps available, they overprinted the existing stamps.
[edit] Introduction
The Irish Free State issued the first overprinted stamps on 17 February 1922 and on 6 December 1922 the Department of Posts and Telegraphs issued a 2d value definitive postage stamp of its own with the Map of Ireland design. Ofig an Phoist, the Irish Post Office, was a section of The Department of Posts and Telegraphs and they continued to issue Irish stamps until the division of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs into two semi-state organisations in 1984 when An Post took over the responsibility for all Irish postal services including the issuing of postage stamps.
Introductory details about the postage stamps issued in Ireland have been taken from the catalogues, handbooks and other publications produced by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, An Post, stamp dealers, philatelic publishers and philatelic societies. The categories of stamps, as normally listed in stamp catalogues like Hibernian, Stanley Gibbons, etc., has been maintained in this article.
[edit] GB used in Ireland
To identify postage stamps used in Ireland, between 1840 and 1922, it is necessary to identify the postmark cancelling the stamp as being from an Irish town. Stamps used during this period are referred to as GB Used in Ireland.
If a sufficient amount of the postmark is showing, it is not necessary for the stamp to be affixed to a cover in order to see the complete postmark for identification purposes. Oftentimes it is possible to identify the town of use from a partial postmark. Between 1840 and 1844 the Penny Black, and other stamps issued, were cancelled with the Maltese Cross obliterator, and while there is no text or numeral to help identify any cancel as Irish, as was the case after 1844, some Maltese Crosses are uniquely identifiable with certain Irish towns. Belfast, Eyrecourt, Cork, Hollymount, Limerick and Mullingar are some examples of towns that had distinctive Maltese Cross obliterators.
Postal history collectors prefer a complete cover because a more complete story can be gleaned from the other postal markings and a complete cover with the stamp affixed is usually worth significantly more than a single stamp.
[edit] Stamp issuing authorities
[edit] Ofig an Phoist
Between 1922 and 1983 Ofig an Phoist, the Irish Post Office, a section the Department of Posts & Telegraphs (P&T) issued all postage stamps in Ireland. During this period they employed some of the following companies to overprint or print the stamps of Ireland: Dollard, Thom, Irish Government Printers, Waterlow and Sons (London), De La Rue and Co., Bradbury Wilkinson and Co., Ltd., (London), Harrison and Sons Ltd., (London) and Irish Security Stamp Printing Ltd.
[edit] An Post
From 1984 until now, An Post issued all the postage stamps in Ireland. During this period they employed a small variety of companies to print the stamps. Irish Security Stamp Printing Ltd., were contracted to print most of the Irish stamp issues and the following were occasionally employed: Harrison and Sons Ltd., (London), Questa, Walsall Security Printing, Prinset Pty Ltd., (Australia) and SNP Cambec (Sprintpak) (Australia).
[edit] Numbering systems
The Irish Post Office has never publicised an official stamp numbering system for the postage stamps they issued, so collectors use a stamp numbering system from one of the most popular stamp catalogues, like SG, Scott, MacDonnell Whyte, MDW (last edition 1991) or Hibernian. There are differences between these stamp numbering systems that may sequence the stamps differently and may include or exclude some stamps, usually varieties that some catalog publishers think do not belong in a general catalogue, from the listings. For instance, Ireland's first postage stamp, the 2d Map of Ireland, issued in 1922 is numbered 68 by Scott, 43 by Michel, D4 by Hibernian and MacDonnell Whyte and 74 by Stanley Gibbons.
Collectors tend to use the catalogues produced in their own region and language, so in the United States, Scott is used most often as evidenced by the use of Scott numbers in American stamp auction catalogues as opposed to SG numbers that are used in England and Ireland because Stanley Gibbons, a British publisher is the catalogue of choice in those countries. Advanced and more specialist collectors have used the David Feldman, later MacDonnell/Feldman, then MacDonnellWhyte catalogues between 1978 and 1991 and Hibernian catalogues (1972, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986 and 2002 editions).
[edit] Forerunners
While the name Forerunner in stamp collecting circles more commonly describes a postage stamp used during the time period before a region or territory issues stamps of its own, in Ireland, what the Irish reference books like Handbook of Irish Philately describe as forerunners, are political and propaganda labels that mostly resemble stamps few of which were used on Irish mail and had no legal standing as postage stamps in Ireland.
Four values, 1c, 3c, 24c (deep-green), and 24c (mauve-purple) were produced in New York by the Irish veterans of the U.S. Civil War and are know as the 1865-67 Fenian issue. The 1893 colonial design are unofficial essays and are classed as bogus.
Between 1907 and 1916 Sinn Fein, the principal national organisation at the time, issued propaganda labels symbolising Irish nationhood. Their use was forbidden by Post Office regulations. The first design was a Celtic Cross, similar to a design later adopted for two definitive stamps of 1923 and the second design depicts a female figure and harp in an oval frame. In 1912 the Imperial Union labels showing a larger harp and female figure are believed to have been printed in Manchester as a counter to the previous Sinn Féin labels. Labels appeared after the Home Rule Bill for Ireland was passed in parliament, by an extreme body opposed to the setting up of an independent Irish Republic. Portraits of the three man, Allen, Larkin and O'Brien, popularly known as The Manchester Martyrs against an Irish tricolour background were prepared by Irish Republicans and are shown on these labels issued in 1916. Feldman states that forgeries are common. Following the Easter Rising of 1916, American sympathisers printed eight ERIE PUIST labels showing the seven portraits of the prominent leaders and a harp and shamrock label. The spelling ERIE for ÉIRE could be due to the hasty preparation though this is a correct, old Irish, spelling.
The Irish Republican Army who had control of much of the southern part of the country during the Irish Civil War issued a 1d, 2d and 6d label mainly because of stamp shortage. The labels were printed in Cork and were to be put on sale in August 1922, but before that happened the Irish Free State army landed near Cork and before retreating from Cork the IRA set fire to their own barracks destroying most of the labels.
[edit] Watermarks
The Irish overprinted stamps came, as supplied from the printers in London, with a watermark of the Royal Cypher of George V. The first Irish watermark was a stylised design of the two overlapping letters 's' and 'e' making an 'se' watermark representing the name of the country Saorstat Éireann (Irish Free State). This watermark was discontinued around 1940 when it was changed to an 'e' watermark paper due to the official country's name change to Éire (Ireland).
Around 1974 the use of watermarked paper was discontinued by the Irish stamp issuing authority and current stamps issued by An Post do not use a watermarked paper.
Some stamps come printed on paper where the watermark is in different states of inversion and rotation due to the way the paper was fed into the printing machines.
[edit] Overprints
In 1922, as an interim measure, before the first specially designed definitives were issued, a series of contemporary stamps of King George V were overprinted. These stamps were issued and in use in Great Britain between 1912 and 1922. Two distinct overprints were made reflecting the current legislative status. Three printing firms held overprinting contracts: Dollard Printing House Ltd., Alex. Thom & Co Ltd., and Harrison & Sons. In June 1925 the Government Printers, Dublin Castle, obtained the overprinting contract and completed all overprinting until 1937 when the final, high value, stamps were issued.
Collecting and identifying the overprints can be an arduous task due to the variations in the overprint settings. Feldman states: "the complex details of plating, shading, overprint colours, accurate measurements, to mention a few, often discourage even the most enthusiastic collector". Several specialised philatelic books and exhibits have concentrated on this topic.
[edit] Provisional Government of Ireland
Rialtas Sealadach na hÉireann, the Provisional Government of Ireland overprints were initially issued on February 17, 1922 with eight low value and three high value stamps being overprinted by Dollard and four stamps overprinted by Thom. This overprint is composed of the four words Rialtas Sealadach na hÉireann and the numeral date 1922 arranged in five lines of seriffed text.
[edit] Irish Free State
Saorstát Éireann, the Irish Free State overprints were issued on December 11, 1922. This is a three line overprint using a sans serif typeface. Thom, Harrison and the Government Printers overprinted these stamps. The last overprined stamps were the Waterlow & Sons re-engraved [1] King George V 2/6, 5/- and 10/- values issued in 1934 and overprinted in 1937 for use in Ireland.
[edit] Essays
The postmaster general of the Irish Free State issued an invitation for the submission of designs for a permanent definitive stamp issue on February 1, 1922 and by March several designs had been submitted. The following companies and printers provided essays: Dollard Printing House Ltd., Hely Ltd., Perkins Bacon & Co., and O'Loughlin, Murphy & Boland.
[edit] Definitives
As of now nine Irish definitive stamp series have been issued. Some series changes are not just design changes but utilise a different watermark while others have been due to currency changes; sterling to decimal, and decimal to Euro.
The first twelve stamps, the low values up to 1 shilling, were issued during 1922-23 while the three high values, 2/6, 5/- and 10/- did not appear until September 8, 1937. Designs included: Sword of Light, Map of Ireland, Celtic Cross, Arms of the Four Provinces and St. Patrick. Watermark and value changes were made until new designs were issued in 1968 known as the Gerl definitives using early Irish art motifs for the designs. These were the first new designs in 31 years for the high values and 46 years for the low values.
A series based on Irish architecture down the ages with line drawings by Michael Craig with graphics by Peter Wildbur. Between 1982 and 1988 28 values were issued starting with the lowest value being 1p and the highest value of £5. A new series based on Irish Heritage and Treasures followed between 1990 and 1995. Irish birds feature in the 1997 stamps that span the changes of currency used from the Irish pound, through dual currency issues to the introduction of the Euro. The first definitives where all values were printed in full colour and many different values were issued until stamps featuring flowers native to the Woodlands and Hedgerows of Ireland were issued on September 9, 2004.
Several Irish definitives have been issued in booklet and coil formats.
[edit] Commemoratives
Irish postage stamps have been issued to commemorate a wide variety of Irish topics that include: Irish notable events and anniversaries, aspects of Irish life and culture, famous Irish people (statesmen, religious, literary and cultural figures, athletes, etc.), fauna and flora, works of art, Christmas, Europa. International events have also been commemorated.
The first commemorative, a Daniel O'Connell set of three stamps, was issued on June 22, 1929. Until the mid-1990s it was policy not to issue stamps showing living persons, but this policy has been put aside and there have been several issues showing living person. For the Millennium, 30 stamps were issued showing living Irish sportsmen.
[edit] Miniature sheets
Some stamps were also issued in the form of a miniature sheet comprising from one to sixteen stamps of a single, or multiple, design from one issue printed on the same sheet and sold in that format. The miniature sheets are most often issued in addition to the same designs issued as single stamps.
The first miniature sheet of four stamp on stamp postage stamps was issued in 1972 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Irish postage stamp. This was followed by a four (different) stamp sheet to commemorate the Bi-Centenary of American Declaration of Independence that were also issued as separate stamps. Another sheet of four different stamps, also issued as single stamps, was issued in 1980 showing Irish wildlife.
From 1983 the regularity of miniature sheets increased from at least one per year to several sheets more recently.
 1st commemorative set issued for Catholic emancipation centenary in 1929 showing Daniel O'Connell |
 1972 Miniature sheet commemorating the 50th anniversary of independence |
 Commemorative stamp from An Tóstal, 1953. |
 Commemorative stamp from An Tóstal, 1953. |
[edit] Airmails
Seven Irish airmail stamps were issued between 1948 and 1965 in the 1d, 3d, 6d, 8d, 1/-, 1/3 and 1/5 values.
Designed by R.J. King and recess printed by Waterlow and Sons, London, until 1961, and thereafter by De La Rue & Co, Dublin. The designs feature the Flight of the Angel Victor - Messenger of St. Patrick - carrying the Voice of the Irish Vox Hibernia over the world flying over four well known Irish historical landmarks each being in one of the four provinces of Ireland; Lough Derg (3d and 8d values), Rock of Cashel (1d, 1/3 and 1/5 values), Glendalough (1/- value) and Croagh Patrick (6p value).
Printed in sheets of 60 stamps with an 'e' watermark.
[edit] Postage dues
Surcharges imposed by the Irish post office on mail bearing insufficient pre-paid postage had the postage due collected by the use of these labels. Between 1925 and the present there have been six issues of Irish postage due labels. Collectors should note that, without knowing the date of use and specific colour, the currency is not stated on the labels except in Irish as pingin for penny without distinguishing £.s.d or decimal currency. So the 1, 3, 5 and 8 pence values are seen in two different colours depending on the issue. Except for the sixth issue, that has Éire written on the labels, there is no identify of the country of issue; all words are in Irish.
[edit] First issue
Four values were issued on February 20, 1925; 1/2d, 1d, 2d and 6d. Typographed by the Government Printers in Dublin Castle on 'se' watermarked paper. The sheets were printed in sheets of 180 divided into three panes of 60 labels.
[edit] Second issue
Ten values, 1/2d, 1d, 1 1/2d, 2d, 3d, 5d, 6d, 8d, 10d and 1/-, were issued on 'e' watermarked paper between 1940 and 1969. Other details are the same.
[edit] Third issue
Seven labels were issued in decimal currency in the following values: 1p, 1 1/2p, 3p, 4p, 5p, 7p and 8p.
[edit] Fourth issue
The 3p, 4p and 5p values were reissued in unwatermarked paper on March 20, 1978.
[edit] Fifth issue
A new design, printed by photogravure, were issued on June 20, 1980 in ten values: 1p, 2p, 4p, 6p, 8p, 18p, 20p, 24p, 30p and 50p. Sheet format was two panes of 100 divided by a gutter margin.
[edit] Sixth issue
Ten postage due labels were issued in a new design by Q Design and lithographically printed by ISSP on unwatermarked paper on October 6, 1988. The values are: 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p, 5p, 17p, 20p, 24p, 30p, 50p and £1.
[edit] Booklets
Stamp booklets were first put on sale on August 21, 1931. Booklet construction was a lightweight cardboard cover stitched on the left-hand side with panes of stamps (usually four panes), advertising panes and interleaving bound in. Until 1956 most booklet had half the front cover devoted to advertising. Until 1963 booklets also had serial numbers on the front cover; two numbers, indicating the year of issue and serial number (in that order on the early issues but the order reversed for later issues), up to 1963 when the serial numbers ceased. Since 1983, most booklets are no longer stitched; the stamp pane/s glued into a folded card cover.
Until 1988, when the Dublin Millennium booklet, that contained commemorative stamps was issued, all booklets contained only definitive stamps. Since then, An Post have issued both commemorative and definitive booklets with three times as many commemorative booklets issued. In 1990 the first booklet with a mixture of both definitive and commemorative stamps, both in one booklet and also on one pane, were issued.
Many booklet stamps can be identified by one non-perforated edge though some booklet stamps are perforated on all edges. The printing plate construction, on booklet up to 1977, enabled both upright and inverted watermarks in equal quantities due to a gutter dividing rows 6 and 7 in the sheets of 12 x 10 stamps. The gutter was used for stitching during assembly requiring turning rows 4-6 and 10-12 through 190 degrees so those panes could be stitched on the left of the booklet.
[edit] Postal stationery
Postal stationery have been issued in the form of registered envelopes, postcards, envelopes, letter cards, newspaper wrappers, airletters and telegram forms with several different designs of impressed stamp were applied to show that postage had been pre-paid. With the exception of limited early usage of previously issued British postal stationery, without being overprinted like the postage stamps, all, pre-1984, post-paid impressed stamps are based on variations of a design showing the country's name in Irish, Éire with appropriate values in text and numeral tablets centered around an Irish harp motif. This design was, initially, superseded by a design with a shamrock design that later became designs loosely based on the An Post logo of wavy lines and the word POST as used from 1984. Additionally An Post have also used some postage stamp based designs as post-paid impressed stamps on Irish postal stationery.
A few early issued items were embossed but generally the post-paid impressed stamps were typographed. The Revenue Stamping Branch, Dublin Castle, applied the impressed stamps until 1984 when An Post printed the impressions by typography.
[edit] Official
At independence a King George V 5 pence registered envelope and 1 shilling telegram form were printed in green for use in Ireland until domestic products became available. Irish telegram forms were only issued in 1/- and 1/6 values. Registered envelopes have been issued in many different values and sizes. Because the printed, but non-stamped, registered envelopes were produced by private firms, stored by the Irish post office until needed, so often envelopes from former periods, showing out-dated fees in the text, received an impressed stamp for the current postal rate, creating many subtypes for collectors. Of the remaining products that carried post-paid impressed stamps, commemorative and special issue postcards have been issued by An Post especially an annual series of for St. Patrick's Day cards since 1984.
Up to 1987 airletters, also known as aerogrammes, did not have an impressed stamp applied and were available free from post offices upon payment of the appropriate rate in force for the postage stamp purchased to mail the airletter. A premium over the normal postal rate has been charged on airletters to which an impressed stamp has been applied.
[edit] Stamped-to-order
Known as the stamping privilege, companies, associations and individuals were permitted to submit their own designed and pre-printed envelopes, cards, letter sheets, etc., to the Irish Post Office for impressing with a post-paid imprint stamp. Window envelopes were popular for printed matter rate mail. The most prolific user was Electricity Supply Board who used meter reading and appointment cards for over forty years. A selection of stamped-to-order postal stationery users are: Blackrock College, Córas Iompair Éireann, Esso, Great Northern Railway, John Player & Sons, Dublin. No stamped-to-order registered envelopes are known. Apparently An Post have withdrawn the stamping privilege without any public notice because, since An Post took control of the Irish Post Office in 1984, stamped-to-order postal stationery is seldom seen with only five users recorded by Jung. A small number of philatelically influenced items are known by six users between 1963 and 2000.
[edit] Exhibition souvenirs
[edit] Collecting Irish stamps
Newly issued Irish postage stamps are available from the Philatelic Bureau of An Post in the G.P.O. Commemorative and special issue stamps are usually available for one year from the date of issue.
Until the mid-1960s the Irish stamp issuing policy was very conservative with only a few new stamps each year; up to four or five commemorative issues, usually of two values, plus the occasional update, or new, definitive issue. During the 1970s and beyond the number of stamps issued by Ireland has risen considerably, more in response to a view of profit rather than the real function of the postal service. In the 1980s and 1990s, some collectors became disillusioned by the new, prolific, stamp issuing policy and stopped adding new issues to their collections, concentrating instead on the older issues, or postal history that started to become more popular around this time.
Some collectors try to acquire a basic collection of the more common stamps issued from 1922 to date, though that is difficult now due to the quantity of stamps issued. Many collectors concentrate on one issue, or one even type of stamp; definitives, commemoratives, etc., or even one issue, like Gerl definitives. First Day covers, especially commemoratives, are popular though the older issues are quite hard to find due to the low quantity of the high value stamps printed in the early years (1929-1940s) of which less than 1,000,000 were printed.
The overprints, that proved very popular during their early years, are a complex collecting area giving an advanced collector a great philatelic challenge. Irish collectors can also expand their collections by collecting, stamps with an Irish connection, Irish people on stamps, etc.
[edit] Stamp societies
[edit] Local societies
- DSS, Dublin Stamp Society
- IPS, Irish Philatelic Society, is over a century old having started as the Irish Philatelic Club following a meeting in Dublin on February 12, 1901, of nineteen people who responded to a notice in the Irish Times.
[edit] International societies
- ÉPA, Éire Philatelic Association is a US based Irish philatelic society
- IPC, Irish Philatelic Circle is a British based Irish philatelic society
- FAI, Forshungs und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e.V. is a German based Irish philatelic society
[edit] See also
[edit] Stamp catalogues
[edit] Postage stamps
- Europa postage stamp
- Irish philately
- Joint issues
- List of people on stamps of Ireland
- Postal history of Ireland
- Timeline of postal history
[edit] References
[edit] Books
Buchalter, M. Don (1972). M. Don Buchalter: Hibernian Specialised Catalogue of the Postage Stamps of Ireland 1922-1972. Hibernian Stamp Co Ltd, Dublin, Ireland.
Dulin, Dr Cyril I. (1992). Ireland's Transition: The Postal History of the Transitional Period 1922-1925. MacDonnell Whyte Ltd, Dublin, Ireland. ISBN 0-9517095-1-8.
Feldman, David (1968). Handbook of Irish Philately. David Feldman Ltd & the Dolman Press Ltd, Dublin, Ireland.
Hamilton-Bowen, Roy (2001). Roy Hamilton-Bowen: Hibernian Handbook and Catalogue of the Postage Stamps of Ireland 1922-2001. Rodgau Philatelic Service GmbH, Rodgau, Germany. ISBN 3-9807973-0-9.
Jung, Otto (2003). Irish Postal Stationery Stamped to Order. FAI, Forschungs- und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e. V. FAI
Jung, Otto, & Clancy, Bernard (2002). Postal Stationery of Ireland. FAI, Forschungs- und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e. V. FAI
Jung, Otto (1992). The Irish Architecture Definitives. FAI, Forschungs- und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e. V. FAI
Mackey, James A. (1982). Irish Postmarks Since 1840. James A. Mackey, Dumfries, Scotland.
Miller, Liam (1983). William Kane: Postage Stamps of Ireland 1922-1982. Philatelic Section, Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Dublin, Ireland. ISBN 0-946521-01-8.
Reynolds, Mairead (1983). A History of The Irish Post Office. MacDonnell Whyte Ltd, Dublin, Ireland. ISBN 0-9502619-7-1.
Warren, Brian & Fitzgerald, Edward (1978). The Gerl Definitives. Ian Whyte. ISBN 0-9506415-0-2.
Warren, Brian & Jung, Otto (2000). Irish Heritage and Treasures. FAI, Forschungs- und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e. V. FAI
[edit] External links
- An Post Irish Post Office
- Dr Charles Wolf's collection of Irish postage stamps Forerunners Overprints
- Effects of the Partition of Ireland on the postal service (1920-1922)
- IPTA, Irish Philatelic Traders Association Irish stamp dealer's trade group
- Irish Stamp Images A Search Site for European Stamps
[edit] Philatelic societies
- ÉPA, Éire Philatelic Association US based Irish philatelic society
- FAI, Forshungs und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e.V. German based Irish philatelic society
- Irish Airmail Society specialises in Irish Aerophilately
- Irish Philatelic Circle British based Irish philatelic society
[edit] Stamp catalogue publishers
- All World Stamps Online stamp catalogue by Stanley Gibbons
- Michel German stamp catalogue publishers
- Scott Publishing US publishers of the [Scott Catalog]
- Stanley Gibbons Ltd World's oldest stamp catalogue
- Yvert French stamp catalogue publishers
