Everyone appreciates a personal touch, no matter the size, especially this time of year.
The first Valentine’s Day cards are thought to have been sent in the 18th century and would have been handmade. In Ireland, an organised postal system began in the 16th century, where originally letters were delivered by “post boys”. Mail coaches operated from 1789 and this is likely the method used to transport those first Valentine’s Day cards.
But what of the stamps on the cards? The first adhesive postage stamp was issued in 1840 and displayed the head of Queen Victoria, the monarch of the time. In 1922, once Ireland became independent from Britain, Ireland started to issue its own Irish stamps. These first Irish stamps were standard British stamps overprinted in Irish.
Gradually new Irish designs were chosen, the first of which was a 2p green stamp showing a map of Ireland. These stamps have evolved into the stamps of today, with a range of subjects displayed and each year new special stamps are issued.
Eimear Breen, corporate communications executive of An Post gives Irish Country Living an insiders view on the “love stamps”.
“We’d like to think that our stamps are part of lots of love stories over the years.”
During the last 10 years the love stamp, with the inclusion of marriage, has made a comeback due to its popularity in use for wedding stationery, such as invitations and thank you cards
An Post has been producing love stamps since 1985. The love stamp started out as being very popular just for St Valentine’s Day but during the mid-1990s the use of the stamps evolved to be more widely used as a “greetings stamp”, popularly used on birthday cards, well wishes and to mark other happy occasions.
Although there has been a decline in sending letters, according to An Post there are some items of post that are still as popular as ever.
“During the last 10 years the love stamp, with the inclusion of marriage, has made a comeback due to its popularity in use for wedding stationery, such as invitations and thank you cards.
“The approach to the love stamp is now to broaden its relevance so that people can use it for any occasion when they want to send love.”
These stamps are one of An Post’s best-selling products and sell well every year but there are three that stand out as very popular; the 2011 love stamp by Laura Geraghty, the 2016 love stamp by Atelier David Smith and the 2018 love stamp by Liz Rackard.
“An Post will produce 1.5m stamps this year and we have produced over 50m love- and greeting-themed stamps since 1984 when the company formed.”
The process
The process for the design and production of stamps takes approximately 18 months.
The design team receive suggestions from the public and from civic and state organisations. They consider all topics and an annual programme of topics is given the “stamp of approval” by the Government.
“A design team then create stamps, working with a variety of designers, illustrators and others who are among the most talented working in Ireland. Stamp designs are also approved by the Government and go to print in time for distribution and sale in post offices and online.”
The artwork on a stamp is usually commissioned or existing artwork but would on occasion include images from the public.
An Post would often communicate with the public and organisations on the topic of stamps they are making. They do this to make sure that they capture the topic the right way.
1985
The first year, there was not just one love stamp produced but two. D Dubsky designed the 22p stamp, while P Jorgensen designed the 26p stamp.
In stamp collection, the two love stamps from 1985 would hold an approximate value of €2 in mint condition according to the Hibernian Catalogue, which provides a full list of all postage stamps of Ireland. If you have any stamps at home that you think might be of value, why not do some research behind it?
Tying the knot
In 2011, An Post issued a love stamp showing an actual couple, but they weren’t married at the time.
“There was a photoshoot at the GPO, recreating the stamp image and some passers-by thought they were real life wedding pictures taking place in the GPO.”
Now the GPO Witness History Museum is a very popular venue for tying the knot.
2020
An Post have recently released their new love and marriage stamps, but this time with an extra little sparkle.
The 2020 stamp is different to all the ones before it because it’s not just a stamp, it also has the novel design of stickers within the stamp.
These stickers can be used to “seal the envelope with love”. They were designed by the An Post stamp design team and Oonagh Young of Design HQ.