COVER N. 302 - JERSEY

Postmark: ? 08.08.23

Posted on the 8th August; Received on the 16th August 2023

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Yesterday I was writing about the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey being  rather unusual institutions in what concerns territorial administration and today, right on the money, I pulled out of the stash this great cover that Eric - one of the most usual culprits here - so kindly sent me, with  the Jersey version of a joint issue  Jersey-Guernsey  souvenir sheet, celebrating the first 25 years of Post Office independence of both Bailiwicks. Muito obrigado Eric! Abraço!

The colourful souvenir sheet was issued on 01OCT1994 and further to the five stamps it included a lengthy (considering the available space...) text highlighting the significance of an independent Postal Administration as a symbol of territorial independence. 

The five stamps depict aircraft and ships that had been used  to ferry mail in and out of Jersey and a map of island (the Guernsey Version, uses the respective Bailiwick map, comprising Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark and leaves the Jersey map imperforated).

The 18 p stamp depicts Condor 10, a Catamaran Ferry built in Hobart Australia in 1992, which operated between  Jersey and Weimouth, Dorset, in the South West of England between April 1993 and October 1994;

The 23 p stamp shows the map of Jersey and a red Jersey pillar box; 

the 35 p stamp is illustrated with a image of a Vickers Type 953 Vanguard of B.E.A. - British European Airways, which began to operate in 1960. BEA would cease to exist in 1974, after merging with BOAC to form British Airways;

The 41 p stamps depicts an Aurigny Shorts 360, Aurigny being the flag carrier of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and one of the longest operating regional airlines in the world. In 1993, Aurigny got an exclusive contract for Mail transport between the Channel Islands and the Uk;

The 60 p stamp is dedicated to Ceasaria one of the last two passenger ferry built for the Channel islands service (the other being its sister ship Sarnia) and it operated in this role from 1960 to 1975. 

The cover also includes a stamp illustrated with a Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) issued on 08NOV1979, part of a five stamp set dedicated to Jersey's Wildlife Preservation Trust, nowadays the Durell Conservation Trust, in homage to its founder, naturalist Gerald Durell.

By the way, if you have not seen the Durrells series (4 seasons), I urge you to do so, and also to read the books that inspired it, the Corfu trilogy by Gerald Durrell.... it seems good writing was genetic in the family since Gerald was the brother of Lawrence Durell of the Alexandria Quartet fame.

Once again the postmark, or better, the postmarks, since further to the manual postmarks  there is also a machine applied one, are illegible.