Éire - Ireland 1922 Irish Symbols Definitives

Introduction


The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 6 December 1921 ended the Irish War of Independence. The treaty provided for the establishment of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) within a year. The treaty also provided for six provinces in the northeast of Ireland to opt out of the Irish Free State.

For the time that elapsed between the signing of the treaty and the constitution of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State it provided for the administration of Southern Ireland by a provisional government. The arrangement remained in force for no longer than twelve months after the signing of the treaty.

On 16 January 1922, the provisional government of Ireland (Rialtas Sealada#263; na hÉirann) was established. It administered Southern Ireland until the Irish Free State was established on 6 December 1922. The British government formally transferred its power to the provisional government on 1 April 1922. The Irish Free State was established as a Dominion of the British Commonwealth of Nations on 6 December 1922.

On 1 February 1922, the Postmaster-General of the provisional government called for designs of Irish stamps. The design and printing of Irish stamps would take time. The Postmaster-General, therefore, decided to overprint the British stamps of George V that were in use in Great Britain and Ireland with the words "Rialtas Sealada#263; na hÉirann 1922." The overprinted stamps were those of the current "Mackennal" low value and "Seahorses" high value designs. The British postal authorities that would not pass full control of the post office to the Irish authorities until 31 March 1922 agreed to this.

danstamps54 posted his Irish overprints on British stamps
http://goscf.com/t/53500&whichpage=1

On 6 December 1922, when the Irish Free State was established, only the 2d "Map of Ireland" stamp was ready to be released to the public. A new overprinting of British stamps with the wording "Saorstát Éireann 1922" was approved on 5 December 1922. Over the course of 1923, the MacKennals were replaced by new Irish definitives as they became available.

Designs

In February 1922, James Joseph Walsh, Postmaster-General of the provisional government, launched a competition to design the postage stamps of the Irish Free State. The designs had to be symbolical in character and have inscriptions in Gaelic characters. A prize of £25 was offered for each accepted design. Four designs were accepted.

Map of Ireland
The first stamp issued was a 2d stamp that featured a map of Ireland. The map did not show the border between Southern and Northern Ireland. The design thus made a political statement. The map of Ireland appeared in a Romanesque arch with Celtic-revivalist zoomorphic ornaments. Over the arch appear the shamrock and further Celtic ornaments. The stamp was designed by James Ingram.


An Claidheamh Soluis
The second accepted design was by John J. O'Reilly. It featured the Sword of Light (An Claidheamh Soluis) in a mandorla set against zoomorphic ornaments. The top of the mandorla appears the inscription "An Claidheamh Soluis."

The Sword of Light appears in Gaelic tales from Ireland and Scotland. In Irish folktales, typically, the sword appears as a quest item. The tales often involve the hero's would-be bride or lost bride. There also are scholars that relate it to Excalibur. An Claidheamh Soluis also was the name of the journal of the Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge). Among its editors was Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais, one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.


Cros Chonga
The accepted design by Lily Williams featured a Celtic Cross (Cros Cheilteach) surrounded by shamrocks. The design is based on the twelfth-century Cross of Cong (Cros Chonga) made for the high king of Ireland, Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair.


Cúigí
The final accepted design by Millicent Grace Girling featured a shield with the arms of the old Irish fifths (cúigí) against a background of shamrocks and zoomorphic ornaments. These fifths were the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland. After Leinster (Laighin) and Mide (Mhídhe) had merged, four provinces remained. Clockwise starting with the northeast quarter appear the arms of
• Connacht (Cúige Chonnacht),
• Munster (Cúige Mumhan),
• Ulster (Cúige Uladh), and
• Leinster (Cúige Laighean).

Very interesting. Thanks so much for this helpful post!

1922-1923 issues

Between 6 December 1922 and 21 December 1923, 12 stamps were issued in values ranging from 1/2d to 1/-. The values were inscribed in pingin (plural pingine), the Irish Gaelic word for "penny."

Watermark

The stamps, originally, were printed on wove paper with a multiple "Se" watermark. The watermark has a Gaelic "s" set within a Gaelic "e." The letters stand for "Saorstát Éireann."



From 1940, this watermark, gradually was replaced by the multiple "e" watermark.

Once again, NSK, your pages show the beauty of home-made over ready-printed. The Gaelic script you've incorporated is a lovely thing.

Thanks Geoff.

I use the Seanchló font.

NSK. Wonderful presentation. Appreciate the history you provided, as well as the insights into the political subtleties (of stamp design) of the period.

Beautiful custom pages. Great contrast to ready-made.

Similar to other young collectors of the early 1960s, the first issues of independent Ireland were among my early finds. They were often included in
"dime store" beginner packets. However, your narrative has provided important context to these historically significant issues.

Great contribution to the hobby NSK.
thank you
Don

Hello.
I do this series and other basic ones from Ireland.
It gives for a lot of entertainment; watermarks, perforations, coils, sizes, variants .....
I hope more is said about her. I will also take advantage of the knowledge spilled when I mount them.
Regards.

Thanks guys.

Coil stamps

Rolls of stamps were made up from sheets of stamps. The sheets of stamps were cut or torn into horizontal or vertical strips. The strips were pasted together by the sheet margin, the so-called coil joins, to make longer strips. The paste-up strips were then coiled into rolls.

These rolls of stamps were produced for businesses that used stamp affixing machines. The device would hold a roll of stamps. It had a water reservoir, so the stamp could be moistened and affixed to the mail item. This was quicker than manually detaching a stamp from a sheet, licking the gummed side, and affixing the stamp.

In the early 1930s, the post office experimented with stamp vending machines. The stamps from the past-up rolls occasionally jammed the vending machines. The solution was found in the production of stamp rolls from continuous reels. The stamps from these rolls have imperforate edges.

Rolls of the 1d "Map of Ireland" stamps from continuous reels for use in vending machines with vertical delivery were introduced in April 1933. The stamps had horizontal perforation gauge 15. The vertical sides were imperforate but for a single perforation hole at the top of the stamp. From July 1934, the stamps from such rolls had fully imperforate sides. In 1935, the 2d "Map of Ireland" stamp also appeared perforated 15 x imperforate. This stamp is very rare.



In November 1934, rolls of 1/2d "Sword of Light" and 2d "Map of Ireland" stamps with sideways delivery were released. These were imperforate horizontally and had a vertical perforation gauge 14. These stamps, exclusively, were produced for businesses with stamp affixing machines.

1933 - 1934 Coil stamps



Only one unmounted mint copy of the 2d imperforate vertically stamp is known to exist. It was on offer earlier this year.

1933 Coil stamp watermarks

The 1d "Map of Ireland" coil stamp for use in vending machines had imperforate vertical edges. The first such coil stamps issued in 1933 had a single feed perforation hole at the top. The stamps exist with both upright and inverted watermark.



The feed perforations were a failure and coils with completely imperforate vertical edges were introduced in 1934. These, only, are known with upright watermark.

Hello.
I've only seen them virtually, yet I still look for them.
Regards.

Roberto,

I hope you will encounter them. They, only, were in use for 1 1/2 year. The Hibernian Handbook prices used higher than unmounted mint and notes that a contemporary dated cancel commands a 150% premium. That might be indicative for the rarity of these stamps in fine used condition.