A Postage Stamp Blog
This is a new simple to use web app that will hopefully help you find a town that fits with a partial postmark you may have. Updated 30th August 2025 – now with over 50,000 records. Features image uploads, postmark submissions and a comments system. You can find the app here: Great Britain & Ireland Partial Postmark Finder.
I have designed and will continue to work on an online listing of the England, Wales, Ireland & Scotland numeral postmarks used from 1844 up until the cut off date of 1906. The list for each country can be searched for results that contain matches or partial matches to a degree of similarity. The shaped buttons are oval for England & Wales, diamond for Ireland, rectangular for Scotland and a circle for London – as per the shape of the cancels. These will switch between the lists. There is still a lot of work to do, including transcribing the first…
This book is the second edition of Fitz Roett’s book examining the early Britannia issues of Barbados. The editors have taken the opportunity to thoroughly review and update the content since the first edition was published in 2013, as well as making changes to the layout and formatting. Where possible, different images of blocks and covers have been used than those in the first edition. Profusely illustrated in colour, in addition to background details on each stamp and issue, the book provides detailed listings of known blocks and covers along with their provenance. An essential book for the Barbados collector.…
The Somaliland Protectorate issued a definitive stamp set for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at the beginning of her reign. This set included 12 stamps, ranging in denomination up to 10 shillings, and is catalogued in Stanley Gibbons as SG137–148. These stamps were released while Somaliland was still a British protectorate, and they feature classic colonial-era designs with QEII’s portrait. They were printed by Bradbury Wilkinson, known for high-quality intaglio engraving, giving the stamps a crisp, tactile finish. All the stamps of British Somaliland were withdrawn from sale on 25 June 1960 as Somaliland obtained independence and merged with Italian…
For a bit of fun, I coded a little web app to run short quizzes on postage stamps or philately. Here’s the link: https://thestampbook.co.uk/apps/stamp-quiz/ There are a few quizzes there, I will add more when I get time. Have fun!
StampEd is a new digital magazine for the next generation of stamp collectors, powered by the American Philatelic Society. A modern outlook on a traditional hobby. Link: StampEd
The Gambia Colony and Protectorate was the official designation for The Gambia during the colonial era. This administrative arrangement, which existed from the late 19th century until independence in 1965, reflected the dual nature of the territory. The “Colony” referred to the area around the capital, Banjul, and the surrounding areas along the Gambia River, which were directly governed by the British colonial administration. The “Protectorate” encompassed the inland regions and was characterized by indirect rule, where local chiefs and authorities maintained a degree of autonomy under British oversight. This unique colonial structure shaped The Gambia’s development and governance, leaving…
This King George VI stamp continued on from the pictorials that had started within the earlier King George V’s reign. The 3c has several perforation varieties and also watermark varieties. Adam’s Peak is a sacred mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It stands at a height of 2,243 meters (7,359 feet) and is known for the Sri Pada, a rock formation near the summit believed to be the footprint of various religious figures such as Buddha, Hanuman, Shiva, Adam, or St. Thomas, depending on different religious traditions [1]. The mountain is also referred to by other names such as Mount…
Sedgeford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, about 5 miles south of the North Sea and 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the Wash. It is 36 miles northwest of Norwich. ~Wikipedia. Still there today in much the same form. George Harry Jacobs was the postmaster there around 1900 according to Kelly’s Directory of Norfolk.
Freethorpe is a village and civil parish in the English of Norfolk. The village is located 7.2 miles (11.6 km) southwest of Great Yarmouth and 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Great Yarmouth, located within the Norfolk Broads. ~Wikipedia. As can be seen, the building remains with some alterations. Charles John Brock was the postmaster there around 1900 according to Kelly’s Directory of Norfolk.
Barnham Broom is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated on the River Yare, 9 miles (15 km) West of Norwich and 4 miles (6 km) North-West of Wymondham. ~Wikipedia. Still there, and at the time of the Google image taken in 2019 still a post office. This postcard may be from the 1930s; there is no postmark.
Whissonsett is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is 5.0 miles (8.0 km) south of Fakenham and 23 miles (37 km) west-north-west of Norwich. ~Wikipedia. This building is still there, with a few modifications.
