Description

Hard-to-find 5m stamp forming part of Calf of Man’s first ever issue, from 1962. The stamp depicts the famous three legs (triskelion) symbol of the Isle of Man, alongside the inscription “Sea Mail Service”.

U/M / Unmounted Mint / MNH / Mint Never Hinged.

About Calf of Man

Denominated in “Murreys” (after John Murrey, who issued the first Isle of Man coins in 1668), Calf of Man local stamps were issued between 1962 and 1973, theoretically for use on mail being carried from the island to the Isle of Man mainland.

In reality, they are thought to have been produced more with an eye on the stamp collecting market, and when the Isle of Man took over its own postal service from the British Post Office in 1973, Calf of Man’s own issues came to an end.

However, whatever the reasons for their existence, Calf of Man stamps remain an interesting piece of Cinderella philatelic history.