Welcome to part 2! This month we’ll be looking at the Irish forerunner labels that you are most likely to see in an older ‘schoolboy’ type of collection. In fact, even if you don’t collect Irish stamps in any way shape, or form, there is still a reasonable chance that you own one of these labels, or at least know someone who does! They were produced in two different designs, both of which varied a little over the decade or so that they were produced (more on that later), and are usually referred to as the Sinn Fein labels, as this title was incorporated into both designs.

Before we look at the stamps themselves, I think that, once again, a little historical background may be useful. The Sinn Fein political party was established in Dublin in 1905 by Arthur Griffith. Griffith was born in Dublin in 1872, and worked as a printer for a time before joining the Gaelic League, an organization whose main aim was the restoration of the Irish language. He was also a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the main organization responsible for the 1916 Easter Rising.

In 1899, after a visit to South Africa, he returned to Dublin and, with William Rooney, founded the United Irishman, a weekly newspaper, and in 1900 he established Cumann na nGaedhael, an organization aimed at uniting the various Nationalist and Separitist groups that existed in Ireland at that time.  In November 1905 Griffith put forward his ‘Sinn Fein Policy’ (Sinn Fein is an Irish term which is variously translated as Óurselves’ or Óurselves Alone’). In 1906, after the United Irishman newspaper ceased publication due to legal problems, Griffith re-founded it as ‘Sinn Fein’, and it continued to be published under that name until 1914, when the British authorities suppressed it’s production. In 1907 the Sinn Fein organization merged with Cumann na nGaedhael and a number of other groups to form the Sinn Fein League.

It is believed that Sir Thomas Esmonde, an Irish Parliamentary Party MP, was the first to suggest that Sinn Fein might use stamp size labels to promote it’s cause by affixing them to mail. He suggested that all of the party’s supporters, in both Ireland and the USA, place the labels next to the postage stamp on any mail that they sent in order to promote the party. In fact, he went so far as to suggest that mail sent to the offices of the Sinn Fein party should only be dealt with if it bore one of the Sinn Fein ‘stamps’!

The labels first appeared in late 1907/early 1908.

The ‘Cross of Cong’ or Celtic Cross design
The first of the two designs that we’ll look at is usually referred to as the ’Cross of Cong’, and is far and away the most often encountered of any of the Irish forerunners. Fig 1. It was designed by Lily Williams, who later adapted the design for the 3d and 10d values of the first Irish definitive set, issued in 1922 Fig 2. The central element is a Celtic Cross, which differs from the more traditional form of Christian cross in that in addition to the usual four arms, it has a circle, formed by four arches, connecting the arms of the cross. The two most commonly found (and there are a few) interpretations of the added circle suggest that it represents the risen Christ and/or the Sun shining, particularly on Ireland. It’s interesting to note that the historical Cross of Cong, which was made in the early 12th century for the king of Connaught, then later moved to Cong Abbey in Cong, Co Mayo (that’s where it gets it’s name from), does not appear to have the additional circle element.

Fig 1: Cross of Cong narrow arm version

Fig 2: 1922 3d & 10d definitives based on the Cross of Cong design

 

The original version of this stamp was lithographed in black and green in sheets of 50, and is known both rouletted 10 and perf. 11¼. The rouletted version is definitely the harder to find of the two. The words ‘Sinn Fein’ can be seen twice in the arches forming the circle, with the word Éire’at the centre of the cross. Four shamrocks and two Celtic symbols complete the design. The stamp does not show a face value of any kind.

Not too long after the appearance of the original in 1908, a revised version of the Cross of Cong issue appeared. The same design was retained, but the arms of the cross were widened and the green changed to dull blue-green shade. Fig 3. The stamp was again produced by lithography, and also appears with the same roulette & perforation gauges.  Vertical pairs imperforate between are known.

Fig 3:  Redrawn wide arm design

 

The ‘Hibernia’and wolfhound design
Issued at the same time as the Cross of Cong design, this issue features the allegorical figure of ‘Hibernia’ (the Roman name for Ireland) with a harp, a rather emaciated looking wolfhound at the base, and the symbols of four Irish provinces or ’coigeads’ in the corners; Meath (a single crown) in the upper left, Connaught (eagle and arm – though on some printings you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s a cartoon dragon!) upper right, Munster (three crowns) lower right, and Ulster (the red hand) at lower left. At the top of the design is the word Erin, and Sinn Fein appears in each side panel. Fig 4. The design of this stamp is attributed to W. Kirkwood. Overall, this is a considerably harder stamp to find than the Cross of Cong issues.

Fig 4: The 1908 Hibernia design

The Hibernia stamp was lithographed in black, green and orange, in sheets of 100, and, as with the Cross of Cong, can be found rouletted 10 and perf. 11¼. It is quite a bright and vibrant stamp, particularly when compared to it’s rather sombre companion issue, but it also has a rather interesting philatelic ‘surprise’! The first stamps in the second and third row of the sheet were printed upside down resulting in both vertical and horizontal tete-beche pairs or larger multiples. These are a little pricey, with the 2009 Hibernian catalogue listing vertical pairs at €600, and horizontal pairs at €750, but an example would certainly enhance any collection.

The Hibernia stamps were printed by Walker & Co. of Dublin. There seems, however, to be a little confusion about where the Cross of Cong stamps were produced. Catalogues and handbooks variously indicate that either Dollard Printing House, or Thom, both of Dublin, were responsible, but a statement from W. Layne-Joynt, in correspondence to the London Philatelist in early 1908, seems to indicate otherwise: ‘the labels, in an edition of 250,000, were printed by James Walker and Co. of Dublin. They were distributed by Seamus Whelan, Secretary of Sinn Fein, 17 Ormond Quay, Dublin, and were sold for 2s6d a gross’.

The Sinn Fein stamps were not at all popular with the British authorities, who soon took action to curtail their use. The following decree was issued by the Post Office on July 21st, 1908:

‘The practice has recently been adopted by some persons of affixing to the covers of letters, adhesive labels, somewhat resembling postage stamps, which are used for advertising or other purposes. Although these labels are obviously not issued with any intention of defrauding the revenue, their use on postal packets, especially when they are placed on the address side, causes embarrassment to the officers of the Post Office, and gives rise to delays in the treatment of other correspondence. In these circumstances, the Postmaster General has deemed it necessary to issue instructions that, after the 31st July, any letter or other packet observed in the post bearing on the front a private label in any way resembling a postage stamp shall be returned to the sender’.

This didn’t completely deter the Sinn Fein supporters, and some continued to stick the stamps on to the backs of their envelopes, but their use certainly declined. For this reason, any of the labels used on cover or even on piece, particularly where they are affixed next to the postage stamp as originally intended, are particularly scarce Fig 5.

Fig 5: Sinn Fein label and postage stamp tied to piece

Both the Celtic Cross and Hibernia designs were re-issued in 1916 during the Easter Rising. There were changes to both stamps. The Celtic Cross appeared in the ‘wide arm’ version, and was printed in sheets of 72. The main difference is the shade of blue that was used, with the 1916 version being a much deeper, slightly greenish blue Fig 6 There is also a printing of the ‘narrow arm’ version of this design from around this time in a paler shade of blue, which is only known imperforate. It is believed that this was a trial printing, possibly to see if the original printing stone was still in good enough condition to be used. As the vast majority of the 1916 reprints are the later ‘wide arm’ version, we can assume that the stone wasn’t up to scratch!

Fig 6: Block of 4 of the 1916 Cross of Cong in deep blue shade

The 1916 reprint of the Hibernia stamp had a number of fairly minor design changes. The most prominent of these is the shape of the crown in the upper left corner. The original 1908 printing has a broad, low crown, while the 1916 reprint has a narrower, taller crown. Fig 7. Other important differences are that these stamps were printed in sheets of 50, and the tete-beche varieties are not found in the 1916 narrow crown version. You may also be happy to know that the poor old wolfhound appears to have had a few good feeds since 1908!

Fig 7: The 1916 Hibernia with the narrow crown

So now you can drag out all of your old, childhood albums, you know, that’s the one that you had as a youngster, as well as all the ones that you bought since you started collecting and put aside to look at ‘later’. I suspect there’s a reasonable chance you’ll turn up one of later Cross of Cong stamps in there somewhere, and if luck (maybe the proverbial ‘luck of the Irish’) is on your side, there might even be a Hibernia tucked away in there!

Remember, you can always contact me at mlphilatelics@bigpond.com, or via Stamp News, if you have any questions or comments.

Until next month, happy collecting!

Mike