Stamps and Postal History of Snark
Printed From: Cinderella Stamps Forum
Category: Cinderella Stamps
Forum Name: Cinderella Stamps
Forum Description: Discuss your stamps and collections here, latest acquisitions, wish lists and favourites...
URL: https://www.cinderellastampsforum.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=133
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 11:02
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Stamps and Postal History of Snark
Posted By: Keith
Subject: Stamps and Postal History of Snark
Date Posted: 28 June 2010 at 07:36
|
My first Snark cover appeared in the post today (note to self - buy them from phantasmagoria not eBay. It's cheaper and the designer get the money). I thought you'd be interested to see it. And I'll show you others as I accumulate them. Hilary will like this one as it features a cracking Lighthouse. As eny fule kno Snark has been proven to be an island in Indonesia. This cover ( http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii121/TheBywoods/WIPA%201933/Machins/Cinderellas/scan0032.jpg - fron t http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii121/TheBywoods/WIPA%201933/Machins/Cinderellas/scan0033.jpg - back ) is to London and was stamped with the four Hunting Tax stamps made valid for postage by the "Postage" overprint. It is postmarked Snark Island on 6 Feb 1884. From the backstamps it was carried by the Dutch ship Karang and arrived at Singapore on 2 March 1884. It seems to have been surcharged 10c by the Karang (or someone using the same colour ink at any rate). It passed through Southampton on 9 April 1884 and has a London arrival mark dated 10 April 1884. Like all great covers this tells a lovely tale of its passage through the world. So much more interesting than stamps I feel. Keith |
Replies:
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 28 June 2010 at 09:04
|
Not quite Indonesia Keith.
And I quote "If one places Snark Island in its correct alphabetical position (in the SG part one catalogue), it fits snugly between Singapore and Solomon Islands. Study an atlas and the midway point between those teritories turns out to be the north-west tip of New Guinea." ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: toast
Date Posted: 28 June 2010 at 09:56
|
lovely indeed! thanks for scanning and posting Keith
toast |
Posted By: gonarain
Date Posted: 28 June 2010 at 10:30
Very nice envelope, thanks for the scann. ------------- not so bright, so explain a lot please. |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 28 June 2010 at 10:50
|
We are in agreement Steve as New Guinea is in Indonesia.
Keith |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 28 June 2010 at 11:05
|
Are we talking geographically or politically? ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 28 June 2010 at 23:15
|
Both. Geographically, Indonesia is an archipelago between the Indian and Pacific Oceans Politically it is a country which covers most, but not all, of the archipelago. New Guinea is in both. Now stop diverting the thread away from the topic or next time I'm passing Wrexham......!
Keith
|
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 30 June 2010 at 07:13
|
I've just realised that the Hunting Tax stamps overprinted "Postage" do not appear in the catalogue. And they are not part of my collection of stamps. Or I've gone blind. So that suggests that they were overprinted for this voyage because of a shortage of other Snark stamps. Can anyone throw any light on this? Does anyone have them as mint stamps? Keith |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 30 June 2010 at 07:35
They are the Feb 1884 issue. Cat No 28-31 The design represents some of the wuipment needed for Snark hunting; thimble, forks, smiles and soap ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Keith wrote:Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 30 June 2010 at 07:51
|
Sorry Steve. My poor drafting. I know the stamps are the catalogue numbers you quote and I have the mint ones. But those on the cover are overprinted "Postage". They do not appear in the catalogue in this form and I was wondering if anyone can throw any light on the change of use from tax to postage.
Keith |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 04 July 2010 at 05:15
|
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii121/TheBywoods/WIPA%201933/Machins/Cinderellas/scan0039.jpg - Here is a cover addressed to the author Charles Dodgson from the Snark Expeditionary Force of 1874. The cover is franked by Wonderland stamps (types 26 and 27 with colours changed) surcharged and overprinted with the outline of a ship and the letters SEF. The cancellation is that of HMV Snarkfinder and dated Sept 9 1874. It was Feb 1875 before the letter arrived in Southampton and then Guildford three days later. Enjoy! Keith |
Posted By: Daniel
Date Posted: 30 October 2010 at 11:48
Here are 3 Snark Island covers that I recently acquired. Tne Peninsular & Oriental has a nice P&O mark on the back. These are very nicely produced and I particularly like the two with Real World stamps which I assume are Gerald's forgeries
 |
Posted By: Daniel
Date Posted: 30 October 2010 at 12:18
And here are some postcards:
 |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 25 November 2010 at 03:45
|
I thought I should whip up a frenzy of anticipation and extra hits on my website by saying that I now have my mitts on a complete collection of Snark covers. I'll get them onto askmeaboutstamps.com as soon as I've finished the Through the Looking Glass pages. Keith |
Posted By: Bujutsu
Date Posted: 21 December 2010 at 09:21
|
Nice Postal Cards
After looking at them for a couple of minutes, I was prompted to go to my Unitrade Canada Specialized Cataogue because I thought that the 1/2 Penny 'ship' card was the same design as the 10 cents Newfoundland stamp # 59, picturing a schooner. After comparing them, I am 90% convinced that this is the design used on the Postal Card of Snark. There are very strong similarities between the two. Chimo Bujutsu ------------- If it is full of holes, keep it. It might be a perfin. |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 21 December 2010 at 12:41
|
It's no secret that existing designs are used for the Wonderland stamps and postal history. Part of the fun, as you have discoverd, is identifying whats been used where.
This technique produces authentic looking items which coupled with Gerry's humour makes them very satisfying. I take it youve looked at http://www.askmeaboutstamps.com/?page_id=1355 - the listed items here ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 22 December 2010 at 04:31
|
Speaking of Canada (if you'll excuse me for digressing my own thread!) here are a couple of interesting things from the same source. http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii121/TheBywoods/WIPA%201933/Machins/Cinderellas/scan0067.jpg - Here is Unitrade 3. The 12d black of 1851 used alone on cover, 4 margins. And it's a first day cover of 14 June. On the reverse is a boxed two line Liverpool/Ship Lre. If this were genuine I would be rich. Used on cover it was catalogued at $200,000 Canadian in 2005. The first day cover could make it worth anything - even in these poor, miserable, times And http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii121/TheBywoods/WIPA%201933/Machins/Cinderellas/scan0068.jpg - here is a proof pair on laid paper. A mint single with original gum was $180,000 Canadian in 2005. Anyone able to hazard a guess at a value if genuine so that I can daydream? Keith |
Posted By: Bujutsu
Date Posted: 22 December 2010 at 07:23
|
Nice items in there too Steve.
One thing about the regular stream of philately is that when we come across a Victorian era cover so nicely cancelled, we always have to be leery about it being a fake. At least with a lot of the cinderellas, though not all, we can expect better markings and not pay through the nose for them <G> Chimo Bujutsu ------------- If it is full of holes, keep it. It might be a perfin. |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 26 January 2011 at 05:14
|
I have, at last, been able to make a start on the Snark Island postal history and the first page can be found http://www.askmeaboutstamps.com/?page_id=1747 - here . I have a lot of background information from Gerald that I'll try to include if I can. In the meantime get reading the book - short and easily obtainable free on the interweb as it is long out of copywrite. You'll need to have read it if you want to understand all the references on the covers. Anyway, its great fun. For me the covers in this series are the absolute pinnacle of the cinderella cover-maker's art. They merge the fiction of the Snark story into the real postal history of the times (for instance the Dutch East India company ships and dates used for carriage to the UK are all real and all accurate) in a quite brilliant way. Real genius. Keith |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 16 February 2011 at 00:05
|
I have seen Gerald King's stamps advertised for sale on eBay and always through the same dealer. The dealer always states that firstly Gerald King no longer produces his cinderellas, and secondly that Gerald no longer has a perforator so could not ever reprint even if he wanted to. Yet clearly, based on the knowledge gleaned on this forum and on askmeaboutstamps.com neither of these statements is true. Does Gerald realise this because I think someone should tell the dealer he is misleading collectors. If Gerald cannot do this then perhaps, collectively, we should.
Gerald, if you read this, I think your Wonderland stamps and envelopes are most charmimg and so well researched they should be kept in a museum somewhere, they are truly beautiful and I intend to add some to my cinderella collection. I don't mind that they are sometimes based on existing stamps, to me this only adds to their credibility and the double-take effect of seeing something I recognise but noticing it has something oddly different about it, and so, completely in keeping with Alice visiting Wonderland.
More please!
|
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 16 February 2011 at 00:19
|
eBay references often suggest that Gerald died in late-Victorian times - or certainly that he was working at a time contemporary with the dates of the actual stamps. Whether this is just misinformed or trying to talk up prices is never clear. Certainly prices for the Lundy covers on eBay are far in excess of what Gerald actually charges. You might be able to make a living buying his covers and selling them on!!
Gerald doesn't seem to mind - I suppose it is never a bad thing to have an active secondary market. I've added some more of the early covers to the Snark page on askme and also started to add short explanations. You can find them http://www.askmeaboutstamps.com/?page_id=1747 - here . Keith |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 16 February 2011 at 06:39
|
Well now I feel even sadder for Gerald.
When I next get a moment I shall email the seller and put him right.
|
Posted By: Colin
Date Posted: 16 February 2011 at 09:30
|
Its a noble thought, but I doubt it would have a complaint from an individual would have much effect on the seller.
You could try writing to ebay instead and point them at Keith's askme site and comments here on the forum.
Or an alternative would be to buy something from the seller then black-mark him for selling something that was misleadingly described.
------------- My Etsy shop - FarFetchedPhilately - Check regularly for updates and special offers... https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FarFetchedPhilately . |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 05 July 2011 at 23:44
|
I am so pleased to have at last found a website that appreciates Gerald King's stamp designs
Google is a wonderful thing
 |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 06 July 2011 at 04:28
Welcome and good on Google for bringing you along. You should find threads on Snark, Wonderland/Looking Glass and Lundy somewhere in here. Feel free to add things! One day, if I am very lucky and get a move on, I'll get all the covers onto askmeaboutstamps.com and we can all sit and drool at them. If I live a very long time I might even get around to scanning the stamps one day! Keith |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 15 February 2012 at 05:31
|
I have, at last, found time to finish uploading Gerald's Snark Island covers to askme. Three pages of delights which start http://www.askmeaboutstamps.com/?page_id=1747 - here . If any of you have covers which are not illustrated I'd be interested to know - and interested to have scans! Keith |
Posted By: Daniel
Date Posted: 31 May 2012 at 05:04
|
I couldn't resist this sheet but wonder if Gerald has these currently or if they are old: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280891851234?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648 - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280891851234?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648 |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 01 June 2012 at 07:53
|
Thanks for finding these Daniel. My Gerald King search would never have found them. I've asked Gerald what the provenance is. I'll let you know what he says - generally he denies everything. Keith |
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 01 June 2012 at 08:51
|
Gerald says " Yes seller is Rushstamps..... . these are the ones dating back to about 1987 or thereabouts which I sold to Glass Slipper Cinderella auctions of York. I'm not sure if they are actually proofs on board, or on normal paper which are in fact just a sheet ready for perforating. If no gum on back then they are proofs; and not many exist, unless Glass Slipper repro'd them.They are no longer in existence as far as I can gather. Rushstamps also bought a couple of sets of Alice from me, the earlier printings. I note they have also got on offer some Alice postcards which date back a fair way. And also the book (now of course way out of date) I also note a personal envelope to an old customer which I find annoying to be up for grabs. The proofs are probably about the right price, but my own proofs had larger margins, were done singly and signed. Don't think I have any left. Hope this helps" We'll have to see what turns up in the post. Keith |
Posted By: Daniel
Date Posted: 06 June 2012 at 11:02
|
I received mine today and can confirm that it is indeed a proof printed on card. I'm surprised that Rushstamps didn't make this clear (I accept that it was stated to be a proof) in their description but this is not untypical of sellers who give the briefest of descriptions followed by paragraphs and paragraphs of terms and conditons. Also, they seem to have found more and have put the price up from £25 to £35. So, I'm glad to have got one at the cheaper price and pleased that it is a rarity. A very nice and attractive item. There is also another sheet for sale featuring the Queen Victoria definitives of Snark. Daniel
|
Posted By: Keith
Date Posted: 07 June 2012 at 04:33
|
Mine are also on card so it looks like we have the real things. I bought both items but they are very large - how to display them well will now be hard to decide. Thanks again for spotting these Daniel. Keith |
Posted By: OlFella
Date Posted: 07 June 2012 at 22:19
 Well that makes three of us that purchased sheetsOlfella ------------- Also OlFella on http://www.thegomc.com |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 13 October 2013 at 04:07
|
Happy to say I got my hands on some of these Snark Island beauts. Nothing that Keith hasn't posted up http://www.askmeaboutstamps.com/?page_id=1747 - on AskMe ,but nice to have. ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Colin
Date Posted: 14 October 2013 at 21:29
|
I have also been quietly adding to my collection of classic Gerald King wonders. And looking forward to any new issues he might produce ------------- My Etsy shop - FarFetchedPhilately - Check regularly for updates and special offers... https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FarFetchedPhilately . |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 23 October 2013 at 11:56
I have now got some Snark Island proofs printed on thin card. I have seen these before as part of a large sheet, but these have been separated out into sets - approximately  ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 20 February 2014 at 04:48
|
Some more of Gerry King's Snark Island Island creations. These are the first issues produced after the expedition made landfall; the earlier Beaver essays do not count as they were never used on post. The green and yellow and the Varnishing/Vanishing Fee overprints appear to uncatalogued. Must be worth £000s!  ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 24 July 2025 at 03:38
|
Nice to have some Snark Island covers. Gerald King put so much into these making them seem credible and expanding the narrative of the poem.   ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Colin
Date Posted: 24 July 2025 at 23:02
|
Some fantastic details here, particularly in creating the 'back story'. ------------- My Etsy shop - FarFetchedPhilately - Check regularly for updates and special offers... https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FarFetchedPhilately . |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 18 August 2025 at 01:05
|
More Snark Island mail, this time maritime post vis the Dutch East Indies. Note the stamps. I haven't seen the GB 2s 6d nor the Dutch stamps as unused singles or in any sets  ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 03 September 2025 at 04:33
|
I have been able to add some stamps to my Snark Island collection. Pink paper where I only had white paper, and white paper where I only had pink paper Some new surcharges and others with noticable shade differences to those already in my collection  ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 08 September 2025 at 05:31
The first Snark stamps were overprints of Wonderland stamps with SEF (Snark Expeditionary Force) and a new value on some. They would allow postage when the MS Snarkfinder pulled into various ports en route to Snark Island. While they are from the 4th printing of Wonderland stamps one can find colour variations.  ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 09 September 2025 at 08:41
|
Found that I had some more SEF stamps. Different Wonderland stamps used and different overprints. These do not even feature in the Snark Island catalogue.  ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |
Posted By: Steve
Date Posted: 21 October 2025 at 02:31
The SEF stamps  ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discworld-Stamp-Collector/809424215750892" rel="nofollow - The Discworld Stamp Collector on FaceBook Have a look! |