New Issue: Passenger Vessels (Jersey)

Here's another review and it's another one about ships. Ships on stamps must be like buses - you wait aged for one then two come along at once. This set is from Jersey and will be issued tomorrow. The stamps show passenger vessels that "delve into the vast array of vessels utilised by Jersey in recent history". They are based on illustrations by Martin Mörck.

There is a disappointing lack of detailed descriptions on the Jersey Stamps website, but the ships shown are: 82p - Normandy (1863), which was a paddle-steamer operating between Southampton and Jersey. £1.25 - Isle of Jersey (1930s), a ferry that also operated between Southampton and Jersey and for a time was used as a hospital ship. Isle of Jersey was also featured in a 2020 Mail Ships issue. £1.40 - Ibex (1891), a steamer that ran between Weymouth and Jersey, which had an interesting history including being used to fire on a German u-boat. It featured in the 1989 and 2011 Ships issues. £1.95 - TSS Brittany (1933), a turbine steamer that could carry up to 850 passengers and worked on the Jersey - St Malo (France) route. Brittany was also on the 65p stamp in the 2001 Maritime Links with France issue. £2.35 - DUKW (1972), also known as "Aquaduck", was a six-wheel "amphibious" ferry service from St Helier to Elizabeth Castle. £3.10 - Earl Granville (1973), a Sealink ferry that operated between Weymouth and Jersey. £4.00 - Condor I (1964), a hydrofoil ferry linking the Channel Islands with France. £5.00 - Falaise (1967), the first drive-on car ferry service between Weymouth and Jersey.

The cost of both the set and the miniature sheet is £19.87, while the first day cover costs £21.37. A prestige booklet is also available for £34.74. Not surprisingly for an island, it's far from the first time Jersey has featured ships on its stamps. Here are a few previous issues:

Postal Boats, 1978

1984, Ships

1987, Jersey Adventurers

1989, Railway Ships

1992, Shipbuilding

2000, Maritime Heritage

2001, Maritime Links with France

2001, Ferry Service to France

2002, States Vessels

2009, Naval Connections

2010, Mail Ships

2011, Ships

2013, Visiting Tall Ships

2020, Postal Mail Ships

2025, Shipbuilding

This is not a list of all the Jersey stamps focusing on ships - there are many more! These are just some of my favourite sets and I wanted to show how this new issue fits into Jersey Stamps' tradition of creating stamps that focus on maritime history.

So, what do I think of the latest set and how does it compare to the others? Design Quality - I think it's a good design but doesn't really have the "wow" factor. Sometimes I prefer artistic illustrations to photographs, but this is one issue where photographs could have worked well especially as Jersey Stamps hasn't used photographic images for previous ship-related issues. I like the style but the colours could definitely be brighter and more vibrant, while the stamps all feel a bit too similar to each other. It doesn't really stand out enough from the other historic Jersey stamps that focus on ships. 5/10

Theme and Subject Choice - Jersey is an island so ships are always going to be a good theme. It is one that has been done many times before and while this takes a slightly different angle (passenger vessels) some of these ships have appeared on other stamps. 7/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - There is obvious historical relevance and these stamps fit into a long history of Jersey celebrating shipping history. 8/10

Innovation and Creativity - I think the illustrative style is quite creative but unfortunately the colours feel a bit faded and the stamps feel quite similar. Perhaps it would have worked better in a smaller set? 7/10

Collectability - There are people who are really into ship thematics and there are definitely people who appreciate Jersey stamps. There is something special about Jersey's maritime stamps, and they're clearly very proud of their shipping history. 7/10

Personal Appeal - I think this is a good issue overall. Is it as good as some of the other historic issues, for example last year's fantastic set about Jersey shipbuilding? No. But like all Jersey stamps it has really good connection with local history and is a great set for people interested in the island's maritime past - I certainly learned a few things about the history of these interesting vessels. On the downside, £19.87 is a bit much for someone like me to splash out and there have been lots of historical issues that I feel are stronger and more affordable. 6/10

Overall score - 40/60 Thanks to Jersey Stamps for another interesting issue.