Channel Islands Specialists’ Society

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Report on the CISS Auction NS19 – November 2022

This was another good auction with sales of £17,400 with 94 bidders participating.

The quality and variety of material on offer, from early postal history to modern Jersey stamps, generated much interest especially those items which are rarely available as well as material not usually found in the commercial auction houses’ sales.


An 1819 letter sent from Jersey by a private in the Grenadiers 55 Regiment Jersey had a fine Jersey Scroll on the cover. The reserve was £40; however it was sold for £375 (NS19006).

A September 1840 Mulready from Guernsey to London with a fine red Maltese Cross on the front sold for £500. (NS19011)

A Guernsey 1851 cover to Edinburgh with a 1d red imperforate cancelled by a 324 obliterator with a CATEL undated circle next to it sold for £250. (NS19017)

There were several covers sent out from the islands to various destinations. An 1872 wrapper from Jersey to Denmark attracted several bids and sold for £60. (NS19030)

There were a couple of Victorian Parcel Post labels on offer. One, a very scarce item, from Alderney with 4x 1d lilacs sold for £375. (NS19061)

One of the Postal History stars was a rare cover salvaged from the wreck of the SS Ibex. It sold for £800. (NS19062)


The early 20th Century covers with sub post-office datestamps from Guernsey and Jersey continued to prove to be popular.

Another unusual item; a 1911 Special Coronation Aerial postcard addressed to Jersey and sent on the first Air Mail flight from London to Windsor attracted several bids and was knocked down for £110. (NS19096)

A 1935 Experimental Flight cover flown from Plymouth to Jersey and was one of twelve signed by the pilot, sold for £80. (NS19142)

There were several “Service Suspended” covers which could not be delivered to the Islands from the UK because the German Occupation had commenced. An unusual Jersey cover with a “Return to Sender” cachet was endorsed “Evacuated” sold for £55. (NS19171)

The range of Guernsey Arms and Jersey Arms and Views stamps were popular with a Guernsey 1d Arms imperforate block of 4 selling for £80. (NS19200)

Commercial usage of the stamps on cover during the Occupation, especially if they have surcharges or Instructional cachets, is always in demand. A 1941 Guernsey underpaid sealed letter with a fine “3d TO PAY / 324” handstamp fetched £80. (NS19238)


The use of sub post-office Registration Labels during the Occupation was limited so a 1944 Guernsey registered cover with a Forest datestamp and a Forest Registration Label sold for £130. (NS19255) A 1944 Jersey registered cover with a set of Views stamps cancelled with a St. Martin Jersey datestamp with the rare “D” type registration label sold for £200. (NS19311)

Red Cross material sold well as did a range of Occupation ephemera such as Ration Books which went for modest prices. A Jersey 1942/43 Textile and Footwear book sold for £10. (NS19365)

Another star of the sale was a superb collection of proposed designs and original drawings by Victor Whiteley who designed the first Jersey Independent Post Office 1969 Definitives. The 16 sheet collection sold for £800. (NS19440)

A lot of scarce material from Herm and Jethou was included in the sale. Many lots attracted high bids. A sheet of Herm 1953 ½d Coronation stamps sold for £60 as did the sheets of the 1d and 2d stamps. (NS19474)


A postcard with a Herm bisect of a triangular stamp produced some fierce bidding and it was sold for £170. (NS19484)There was a good range of proofs of the Jethou stamps, all of which were sold such as a 1961 Europa proof of the black print selling for £60. (NS19529) After a long gap between sales, this one offered a nice range of Guernsey and Jersey Revenues. A set of 1935 “Accidents, Widows, Old Age, Orphans” sold for £60. (NS19548). A Jersey 1936 Social Insurance block of 4 perforated 3d colour trial in blue sold for £44 (NS19577)

The postcard section of these sales remains very popular, especially cards of hotels, the LLs and Allix’s. A real photo card of the Terminus Hotel at St, Aubin’s sold for £32. (NS19594). A coloured Jersey Allix card No. 77 of a General View of Corbiere, even with the stamp on the front, sold for £90. (NS19606). A coloured Allix card of the Greve de Lecq caves, unused went for £80. (NS19634). A very scarce sepia LL card No. 48 with the inscription mis-spelt “Guernesey Desembarkement from Sarck” sold for £180. (NS19656)

The next general auction (Room and Postal) will be held at the Society’s meeting in Guernsey in April. A wide variety of material from all the islands will be available.

Fun with Postcards

Collectors of picture postcards will, from time to time, almost certainly have come across, either in their own collection or else from amongst the stocks of dealers through which they may have been searching, a card whereon the inscription there printed contains a typographical error, most probably an error of spelling.  No where is this more true than for collectors of LL postcards, those produced by Lévy Sons & Co., later Lévy and Neurdein Réunis following the merger of Lévy with Neurdein & Co. in 1922.  In the case of cards produced by them this is perhaps understandable as the inscriptions on their cards, printed in France, were typeset by citizens of that country whose command of English may well not have been such as to ensure the correct spelling of place names on postcards depicting scenes from cities, towns and resorts in England, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands where the cards were ultimately destined to be offered for sale.

LL postcards first appeared for sale in England in mid-1905 in a number of South coast resorts.  Cards featuring views of London appeared a year later, followed in 1907 by cards of Jersey and in 1908 of cards both for Guernsey and Sark.

In this brief article I have not attempted to list all of those many errors already identified and listed elsewhere.  Rather I have confined myself to detailing a few which I have come across and added to my own collection and which I have not found mentioned in other publications.

Beginning with cards of Sark you might assume that the publishers would at least have been able to ensure that their own name, appearing as part of the imprint on the reverse of many cards, when it did appear, was correctly spelt.  Sadly this was not always the case.  An example of card no. LL 4, depicting the boat “Alert” in harbour bears the imprint “EVYL Sons & Co, Paris” on the reverse (Fig. 1).  Another card from Sark, no. LL 16, featuring the Natural Arch, Dixcart Bay, bears the imprint “EYY Sons & Co, Paris” (Fig. 2).

Turning to Guernsey I have an example of card no. LL 97, which depicts the Victoria Tower and Garden.  The inscription on the front has the no. “97” omitted, possibly because of its positioning to the far left of the card, but to my mind of far more interest is the spelling “CUERNSEY” (Figs. 3 & 4). 

Finally, but by no means least, to Jersey and here I have an example of card no. LL 74 depicting the “Battle of Jersey 1781 (Court House.), “where both the English and French inscriptions include the name of the island as being “Jersez” (Figs. 5 & 6). 

Next, an example of card no. LL 108 entitled “General View” bears the imprint “LEYY Sons & Co, Paris” on the reverse (Fig. 7), yet another example of the publisher encountering problems with the spelling of their name.  One final card from Jersey, an example of card no. LL 217, showing the “Baie (sic) of St-Brelade.”, in my collection features the inscription commencing “JERSEV” with the “V” then overprinted with the letter “Y” (Figs. 8 & 9).  This appears to be an example of an error discovered by the printers and somewhat crudely corrected because they were unwilling to destroy those cards already printed.

I should perhaps mention that I have a number of examples of each of the above cards in my collection differing slightly in either their inscriptions on the front of the card or else in regards to either the imprint or other wording on the reverse and emanating from different printings, but that only a single example of each shows the error so mentioned and illustrated.  I don’t doubt, but that there are many other examples of each of these errors in existence as well as other errors not as yet discovered or recorded.

In closing I hope that collectors of these fascinating series of cards may possibly be encouraged to seek out examples of such errors for their own collections and that others, not until now collectors of postcards, may perhaps be prompted to add another proverbial string to their collecting bow.

Bibliography.

“LL Postcards of the Channel Islands” by Stanley Newman, (Fifth edition, 2006).

“A Catalogue of Jersey Postcards Published by Levy Sons & Co., Paris” by Bob Mallet, (2014).

““LL1” All the LL Postcards of the UK” by John Wood, (2017).

Jersey 1995 Wild Life Flowers aerogramme used in July 2007


I don’t know when Rob Chew was on the Isle of Jersey, but he did mail an aerogramme and it did get in transit postmarked on June 22nd, 2007, in Vancouver. This was approximately when Royal Mail decided that aerogrammes did not need to be postmarked, as they had already done with other forms of British postal stationery. The ruling may have extended to the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands in some way. These days I am almost always asking staff at postal outlets to cancel things I send. It seems that you cannot count on the postal authorities almost everywhere to do such.

One does wonder, if the postal authorities in Jersey know that their covers going overseas are promoting their product, why they cannot cancel all such mail, irrespective of such regulations?

I have written up this form TWICE before so I wanted to see if I could find out some more facts and this time to look up more illustrations, “Jersey Wild Flowers” and “Jersey Wildflowers”, Channel Islands philatelic sites, floral societies, floral philatelic societies, etc. Sometimes the non-philatelic groups write up articles on philatelic items that have more information on the philatelic item in them than the philatelic sources do.

As I remember Rob stated that they were still on sale at the post office along with another type of aerogramme, which would be correct in so much as the form was first issued on July 4th, 1995, at a selling price of 41p (36p in postage). There was another aerogramme issued on October 24th, 1995 (41p cost and 36p in postage). At the time of mailing the aerogramme rate from Britain was 48p so I am not sure what this form would have cost in 2007. There is an online illustration of one of these forms used in 2010 with 2p in postage added on. It has a Jersey postmark or two. I have just come across one online example used on August 29th, 2013 with a Jersey Philatelic Service hand cancel. Such would seem to indicate that the Post Office was still selling them then.

Checking on “POST OFFICE (FOREIGN POST PROVISIONS) (JERSEY) ORDER 2005” which gives a price of 58p for aerogrammes,  it does not say whether this is the postage cost alone.

July 4th, 1995 was also the day and year that Jersey Post issued a set of stamps designed by Nick Parlett showing Jersey wildflowers to commemorate European Nature Conservation Year. Unlike the aerogramme the stamps were withdrawn from sale on July 31st, 1996. So to try and find something using that angle.

Reports made for the Council of Europe for the second session in Strasbourg, France, May 30th to June 1st, on the subject state that some postal administrations were to issue stamps to mark the year, but Jersey was not on their list;

“Many officials from postal services in countries participating in ENCY – Andorra, Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech and Slovak Republics,  Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland and the Holy See – have expressed a wish to support the campaign with a special stamp issue devoted to European Nature Conservation Year. Similarly several ministerial departments from various countries have chosen a postmark caption for their mail relating to ENCY and with the  slogan “Look to the future, look after nature”

Lastly a number of countries are still working on their projects. Philatelists, to your tweezers!!” Please let the Editor know if you can help add to my knowledge.

New Guernsey datestamps

Guy first sent an image of a cover with a 29mm Alderney datestamp of December 2022 to us and this led to John making enquiries at the Guernsey Philatelic Bureau from where he learned that the three datestamps shown below have been in use for some years at the Bureau for philatelic purposes only, such as trade orders. The Alderney and Herm datestamps are of 29mm diameter and the Sark datestamp is a standard SID example

WAR DAMAGE DEPARTMENT circular cachet


I refer to Geoff Cory’s article on this subject in Les Isles Normandes Volume 41 No 1 (March 2022) and write in response to his enquiry regarding the above cachet. I have found three very nice examples in my collection including one which is complimentary to that shown in Geoff’s article  and I illustrate these below.

This first invoice is from W.C. Bruce of Vale Road, St. Sampson’s for interior decorating and the client is once again, Miss Peake of Delancey, the same client in Geoff’s article. The value of the invoice is £0.19.7 of which 7d relates to Sales Tax, with four 1946 Sales Tax stamps making up the required rate. At the centre of the invoice is the circular “WAR DAMAGE DEPARTMENT/3 MAR/1948” cachet applied in violet.  

The second invoice is from the Guernsey Gas Light Co. Ltd to E.L. Trealic in Vale for £21.10.4. of which £1.12.6½ relates to Sales Tax. This has been made up, somewhat unusually, by two circular 15/- embossed revenue stamps and two 1946 issued Sales Tax stamps for the remaining 2/6½d. Also shown is a 2d embossed revenue stamp on the receipt, cancelled in manuscript.

Top centre is the circular “WAR DAMAGE DEPARTMENT/28 AUG 1947” cachet applied in black.


The third invoice is from I.C. Fuzzey Ltd also to E.L. Trealic and is for £38.5.10, a considerable amount of money at the time and now worth around £1,050. In this instance, Sales Tax of only 11/1d applies made up of a 1d first type and two 1946 second type Sales Tax stamps (1/- and 10/-) making up the tax. These have been cancelled by square “Fuzzey” handstamps in violet. Also shown is a 2d orange revenue stamp on the receipt, cancelled in manuscript.

Top right is the circular “WAR DAMAGE DEPARTMENT/28 AUG 1947” cachet applied in black.

I, too, was aware that the States of Guernsey set up a Rehabilitation Compensation Scheme in 1946 and I tend to support the views expressed by Geoff that the addition of the cachet being applied to the invoice is in confirmation that it had been seen by the States Department and that it was agreed as a War Damage claim. It is also my view that the cachet was produced and used exclusively on the Island as I have not seen it used anywhere else.

A late 19c Jersey Illustrated Advertising cover

I was very pleased to acquire this 19c advertising cover in the Society room auction at the meeting on the 24th September 2022 in London.

The envelope flap on the back has some useful information for customers in regard to their medicines.

A chemist and druggist, John Baker, had moved into 25, Halkett Place by 1881, living there with his wife Barbara, mother Mary, and two young daughters and a baby son. By 1891 the occupants of 25, Halkett Place in St. Helier. Jersey were still chemist John Baker, his wife Barbara, five daughters aged from one year to 17, and John’s widowed mother Mary. Ten years later they were still there, the property having been re-numbered as 45, Halkett Place and known as The Waterloo Pharmacy facing the Market.

Inside the envelope is a letter head as shown above, but without date. The envelope and its contents above had not been posted.

And then there is this Oddity?

An inkpen overprinted 9d Jersey aerogramme with 9d crossed through and 4p written beside in reddish ink. Could a postal employee there have done this informally?

Can any member clarify this oddity on this used Jersey Aerogramme form?  Comments to the Editor please.

Ed. I have made a number of enquiries without success and also searched our old Bulletins as I have a complete run of these, but also without success. I could find no mention of this particular 1971 AIR LETTER which was unusual at that time as so many news items were covered and this resulted from the slightly earlier decimalisation of our currency.

Can someone search the Jersey Philatelic Bulletins of the time which I no longer have.    DG.

The Stopford Road, Jersey 1930s datestamp

This note is a follow up to my enquiry in Les Isles Normandes, Volume 41 No 4. page 6.

I recently obtained the above cover addressed to Captain Hugh C.G. Stewart of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers which I showed to our member,  Mike Moody, a retired officer in this Regiment. This encouraged me to research both the regiment and the addressee.

The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968 The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot. It saw service in the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War.

Importantly for my cover, it is reported that the Regiment was stationed in Northern Ireland from 1927 to 1933 before moving to Aldershot. They resumed foreign service in 1934, moving to Shanghai, which ties in with the address on my cover.

Captain Hugh C.G. Stewart was born on the 13th April 1897. He was the son of Sir George Powell Stewart, 5th Bt. and his wife, Florence Maria Georgina Godfrey. He succeeded to the title 6th Bt. upon the death of his father in 1945. He was a Major in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers World War I (wounded) and World War II. He died on the 31st July 1994 at the age of 97.

This is a scarce airmail cover from Jersey to the Army Post Office No.1, Shanghai Area Command, China and has been sent at the 1/- rate made up of a KGV 2d stamp and 4 x KGV 2½d stamps. It has been cancelled by the ‘STOPFORD ROAD’ 24mm single circle struck in such a way that the outer circle of the rim of the datestamp is clearly shown. Whilst the date is indistinct, this Regiment is known to have been in Shanghai in 1934.

Note that the cover has the BY AIR MAIL label deleted with black bars indicating that the letter completed its Air Mail journey. Another example is known of a cover with the two cancel lines over the Air Mail label flown by KLM in the period 1933/4 which ties in with the explanation of the 1/- rate being via Holland. My grateful thanks to Alan Moorcroft FRPSL for providing this piece of information.

Finally, I am also grateful to Guy Dandoy for responding to my enquiry by sending me an example from his collection of the 1930s single circle cancel on a superb, registered letter addressed to Hounslow, Middlesex shown on the previous page. This, too, shows the 4½d embossed stamp cancelled by the ‘STOPFORD ROAD’ datestamp struck on the 4th April 1933 with the outer rim of the cancel clearly evident. A very rare use of this datestamp.

News of Members

We are pleased to welcome the following new members:
2232 Richard Johnson, Northamptonshire, 2233 Abhishek Bhuwalka FRPSL, India, 2234 Tom Dellar, Surrey, 2235 Daniel O’Toole, Jersey.

Rejoined: 435 Graham Gleeson, France, 1121 Raymond Dixon, Canada,
2100 Howard Wunderlich, New York

Very sadly, we regret to record the deaths of the following members:
1194 Michael Lowick, 1809 Jim Parsons.

Member Profiles: Ron Osborne

When and why did you start collecting C.I. stamps/postal history?

I had outdoor sporting hobbies – tennis and bowls, but although I had other interests I wanted something additional for autumn and winter indoors. I thought of my boyhood hobby of stamp collecting. Where to start? Coincidentally at that time the Channel Islands announced they were going to issue their own stamps and then added postcards etc. My interest grew from there – there was more than I expected.

When did you join the CISS? What/Who introduced you to the CISS?

I was introduced to the Society by the Late Phil Patrick whom I had met at a number of fairs. He asked me to join the C.I.S.S. I was a little reluctant at first, but did join and have since been a member for 30 years.

What benefit have you got from your membership of the CISS?

I have received much help from Members and learned the various aspects and areas of collecting. For example although I knew the Islands were occupied I did not know about events during the war. I cannot recall having news from the Islands as we did from other areas of operations. I have also made friends ready to impart their knowledge. 

What aspect of C.I. stamps/postal history do you collect?

I have a general collection of postal history and also LL postcards of all the Islands.

Do you have a favourite item or group of items in your C.I. collection?

I have no specific favourites. Some items I have are scarcer than others, but they all form part of my collecting.    

Do you collect other non-C.I. stamps/postal history?

I do not collect any other areas. I do have other interests which do not involve collecting.

What has the hobby of philately meant to you?

It has given me the opportunity to learn the history of the postal system and its variations. I have enjoyed going to the Society meetings in London and the annual weekend get-togethers.

During the last few pandemic years I have been able to keep in touch with the help of the Society quarterly Journal and Society Auctions. I am pleased I joined the Society.