Great Britain Used in Ireland, Part 1. [044]

Great Britain Used in Ireland


Many people do not realise that Ireland issued the world’s first postage stamp. As a memberthe United KingdonGreat Britain and Ireland, the famous Penny Black stamp was issued in Ireland as well as the restthe kingdom. Great Britain Used in Ireland is a category of collecting stamps that were used in Ireland. Before 1922,  irubber-stamped markings, numbers, name cancels were used. Some cancels are well known by certain distinctive qualities to identify the source, but on others, use of auxillary markings can assist in identifying their source..

Until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, this was the only way to collect Irish stamps and there are still uses that appeared after 1922 during the Transition Period before new Irish stamps were issued.   While these are generally oddities, it doesn’t mean they aren’t collectible.

Below is a small selection of covers/entires where the adhesives were used in Ireland with different styles of cancellations that changed many times during the period.


Penny Black

A large margins 1d black, an early impression tied to entire from Limerick to Dublin by distinctive red Limerick Maltese Cross. Use of the red ink dates this cover to the period between May 1840 and February 1841 when the red ink was replaced by black ink.

Moate Diamond Killer & CDS

Moate Numeral ’33’ obliterator applied to adhesives with cds dated August 16, 1868 alongside to Geneva, Switzerland. The postage was fully paid 5d to destination as indicated by the red ‘PD’ in circle marking.

Irish Duplex Cancel

1873 mourning cover franked 6d from Bray, Co. Wicklow to Malta. The cancel is a combinationthe stand-alone numeral cancel and the circular town name in a single unit. Bray was assigned the number ’72’.


© 2005 ÉPA, Éire Philatelic Association
Last Update: 8 July 2018