UK CHANNEL ISLANDS 1941 WWII 1d BISECT ON COVER GUERNSEY LOCAL USAGE
1940 (February 10), Local usage cover in Guernsey during the World War II German Occupation period, franked with a diagonally bisected 1d red-brown George VI definitive stamp serving as a 1/2d value to satisfy the local postal tariff, tied by a sharp 'GUERNSEY / 9 - AM / 10 FEB 1940' circular datestamp, with manuscript 'Local' notation at lower left. Please review scans for more information.
Addressed to Miss Yeaman at Les Granges, Ivy Gates, Guernsey[cite: 166], this local cover represents an iconic provisional franking necessitated by acute stamp shortages and wartime disruptions in the Channel Islands. The authorized diagonal bisect of the 1d stamp provided the exact postage required for local letters during the early occupation era, making Channel Islands bisects among the most sought-after rarities of British postal history.
Technical & Social Commentary
- Technical Analysis: Local cover franked with a diagonally bisected 1d George VI stamp tied cleanly by Guernsey postal datestamp, bearing manuscript 'Local' notation[cite: 166].
- Geopolitical Context: Documents wartime emergency postal expedients and provisional franking authorized during the German occupation of the Channel Islands.
- Logistical Narrative: Processed locally through Guernsey postal sorting facilities for domestic island delivery under occupation administration[cite: 166].
- Social/Mercantile Insights: Preserves a legendary and scarce occupation-era bisect cover reflecting civilian postal survival under wartime isolation[cite: 166].
Please examine lot scan carefully and please send any questions at least 48 hours before the auction closes. Please note that cover condition usually includes normal wear and tear to cover edges, opening tears and some creases and wrinkles. Only exceptional or extreme condition issues will be mentioned.
Legend:
PS - Postal Stationery
FL - Folded Letter
SFL - Stampless Folded Letter
RPO - Railway Post Office
CDS - Circular Date Stamp
DPO - Dead Post Office
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