Description

50p “local post” stamp booklet issued by “Outer Island Agents” in 1971, depicting St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall on the cover, and containing four identical panes, each with a 12½p stamp.

The image shows the cover of the booklet (top) and one of the panes (bottom) – dismantled for the purposes of illustration – but the example you receive will be complete, with the original staples. Be aware that the staples are showing some rust, due to the age of the item.

If you only require a single example of the stamp from the booklet, you can find that here.

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

About the Outer Island Agents

Stamps inscribed "Outer Island Agents" are believed to have been produced in Penzance as emergency strike post issues for during the 1971 national postal strike. During this period, the Post Office's monopoly on delivering mail was briefly suspended, and the Outer Island Agents are understood to have operated a local post service within Cornwall between January and March.

Though its own local post was short-lived, in 1972 the Outer Island Agents company was commissioned to produce stamp issues for Gugh Island, and is thought to have performed this role until the last official Gugh Island issues in 1981.