Description

Showing some minor damage (see details below), this is a very rare descriptive folder containing an unofficial Lundy souvenir sheet, issued on 1 July 1978 to commemorate the retired postmaster of Lundy, Felix W Gade.

Gade was the island agent for owner Martin Coles Harman, who had bought the island in 1925, and lived on Lundy from 1926 until his death in 1978.

50 mint examples were presented to Gade at the time of release, and then, following Gade’s death in October that year, a further 225 copies were affixed to grey descriptive folders – of which this is one – and distributed for free by the Lundy Philatelic Service to its customers.

With a catalogue value of £150, this is one of the rarest and most sought-after Lundy issues.

Unfortunately, this particular example was glued to an album page, and though it was successfully removed, some album page residue and minor thinning remains on the outside cover (see second picture). When opened, the inside of the folder and the sheet itself appear in perfect condition.

Our retail price reflects the imperfections of this particular example.

Listed in Jon Aitchison’s Lundy catalogue as number 240(a).

About Lundy

Lundy is a three-mile-long island in the Bristol Channel, whose stamps are among the longest-established and most sought-after local issues.

Unlike many labels that bear the name of British offshore islands - such as Eynhallow or Staffa - Lundy's stamps have always performed a genuine local postal function. When the British General Post Office withdrew its services from the island in 1928, the then-owner Martin Coles Harman introduced the first Lundy stamps in 1929 to cover the cost of carrying mail to the mainland. Those and subsequent stamps are denominated in "puffins", with one puffin equivalent to one penny.

To avoid confusion, Lundy stamps initially had to be fixed to the reverse of any postal items. From 1962, Lundy stamps were allowed were allowed to be affixed to the address side of postcards - but still well away from the 'official' British stamp - with this policy extended to all mail in 1992. These days, mail from the island only requires a Lundy stamp, which now incorporates the Royal Mail charge - indicated by an additional metermark - alongside the extra "puffinage".

Since 1969, Lundy has been owned by the National Trust, but financed, administered and maintained by the Landmark Trust, who continue to issue Lundy stamps. As of 2024, over 400 Lundy stamps have now been produced over the past nine decades, and 40,000 items of mail are sent annually.

You can read more about the Lundy postal service on the Landmark Trust website.