Sark Postal History.
For several centuries it was the practice for letters to and from Sark to be carried by local boatmen in their fishing baskets in view of the proximity to Guernsey. However this ceased when a Sub-Post office was established on the Island under Guernsey in July 1857.
An undated double arc handstamp was issued for use from the opening date of the Office and a larger single circle rubber datestamp was issued in 1885 for use with postal orders. Sark was appointed as a Money Order and Savings bank office from the 1st April 1890 and a small 21mm single circle datestamp was issued for this purpose. It is known mostly with the code letter A inserted whilst examples with the code B and C are very rare.
Several different types of Parcel Post labels were used at Sark from 1902 and an example of a ‘midget’ type label is known used in 1932. A double circle datestamp was issued to Sark in 1926 and the earliest usage recorded is the 31st August. Other sub-types followed in subsequent years.
The first evidence of the use of registration labels in Sark came with a ‘D’ type label used in July 1910. Various types of label followed and perhaps one of the most interesting is the use of old stocks of Herm labels during the German Occupation when supplies of the Sark labels ran out. HERM was erased in ink and SARK written in. Very few examples have survived.
Other styles of registration label were used in ensuing years.
Various types of meter franking are known in Sark and one of the earliest recorded was used on the 29th March 1965.
Postal Independence granted from the 1st October 1969 saw the Guernsey Post Office issue the Sark Sub-Post office with some newly styled datestamps for letters, packets and parcels. Various changes of style occurred over the years.
