Main page and Index of Breeds
Stamps of
Irish Water Spaniels
The Irish Water Spaniel does not have a lot of stamps, but the ones that it does have are most impressive and attractive.
This stamp was issued in 1983 by Ireland as part of its "Flora and Fauna" set. The other Irish breeds represented are the Irish Wolfhound, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, and the Irish and Red and White Setters. The set is reasonably available, but rather expensive.
$6.95 each
This stamp from Laos in 1986. I have learned to like the stylized effect that this set shows. Years ago, this was easily available, but it is becoming rarer with time.
$7.95 each
Like the stamps below, this one was issued just last year by a local Russian State, Ingushetia. I always love to see new Irish Water Spaniels and they seem to pop up in the most unusual places.
$7.95 each
The Russian economy is in such sad shape right now that the government is looking for ways to generate hard currency without any extra expense. The overprinting of stamps is a perfect solution. It turns stamps that would normally be used to mail letters (a service that would have to be provided) or ones that are obsolete, into an item that is bought simply for its topical value. I am not going to complain since it gives us another opportunity to have an interesting item for display in our breed. That is what happened here. This Irish Water Spaniel stamp was overprinted on a set of four postage stamps from the old CCCP. Inflation had gotten so out of hand, that the background stamps were not sufficient to mail letters, so they took four of them and printed a new value. It comes in
five different colored backgrounds (red, green, dark blue, turquoise, and tan) and the set of five stamps is priced at
$12.95
Cards of
Irish Water Spaniels
This card was issued by John Player and Sons was issued in 1994 as a reprint of the original from 1914. On the back it says, "Irish Water Spaniel. Many shooting men maintain that the Irish Water Spaniel is the finest rough-shooting and wild-fowling breed in existence. The watertight curls and the dash and courage, typical of all Irish breeds make this Spaniel impervious to icy water and punishing cover. The breed first came into prominence through a Justin McCarthy, who had a famous dog, Boatswain whose progeny were sent all over Ireland and some to England. Early Irish Water Spaniels were of two types (known as Northern or Southern McCarthy's strain), but only the latter has survived. The breed has considerably more supporters than its public appearances would suggest.
Card 2 -- $5.95 each
This card was issued in 1938 by Gallaher to be put in their packets of 10 cigarettes. On the back it says, "The Irish Water Spaniel. Thought by some to be an ancestor of the French Poodle (see No. 2 of this series) which it somewhat resembles, the Irish Water Spaniel, as its name implies, originated in Ireland. The old type of this dog was curly-coated but lower to the ground; and it is stated that a Pointer (see No. 36 of this series) was used to improve the breed -- a theory which seems to be proved on examination of the face. Although there are many of these dogs in Ireland they are exceedingly rare in England.
Card 3 -- $8.95 each
This photographic card was issued in a set of 48 cards by Senior Service cigarettes. On the back it says, "Irish Water Spaniel. The Irish Water Spaniel is an odd looking dog which can stand cold and wet all day. Makes an excellent companion or dog for a marshy shoot."
Card 4 -- $7.95 each
This lovely card was intended to be issued by John Player & Sons in about 1940, but a paper shortage due to the outbreak of World War II prevented this. Fortunately, a number of the cards were printed and made available to collectors. The cards were intended to be inserted singly into packets of 20 cigarettes. The title of the set is: "Dogs: A Series from Paintings by Arthur Wardle". On the back, it says, "Irish Water Spaniels. That this bred came from Ireland is about all that is known of its origin. Two varieties were known at one time, but the one that has survived is the Southern or McCarthy strain, so-called because it belonged to the South of Ireland and was cultivated by a Justin McCarthy, who seems to have been the first known breeder of these dogs. This distinctive breed, with its puce-liver coat of tight crisp ringlets, is a wonderful water-dog and is regarded by many as the ideal animal for wild-fowling, for which a strong-swimming, bold dog, with the endurance to withstand ice-cold water for lengthy periods, is necessary. The breed owes much to Mr. F. Trench O'Rorke, the founder of the Irish Water Spaniel Association, for its existence in this country, and, thanks to his efforts, its prowess as a gundog is annually demonstrated at the association's field trials.".
Card 1 -- $14.95 each
We are fortunate to have a service that will gold leaf and frame
your stamps for a very reasonable price.
To see more samples, Click Here.
If you want to buy one, a set or just to comment, please email me at
Francie@Borzoi.com
or call 1-800-658-6699 toll free
(for locally, or out of the US: (512) 280-1867) for current availability.
* We can take visa/mc/amex/disc or a check, but they are first come first served,
so let me know if you are interested.
* We do have discounts if you want to buy more than one.
* We have a couple of copies of some of these cards, and since they are much more
fun when you have a "set", we would be happy to give a discount for multiple
purchases. This can make a set of interesting breed cards quite reasonable.
Truly one of the cheapest unique treats for yourself or a friend (great for
club trophies as well!)
* It is absolutely true that you will often find some of these stamps at very
reasonable prices -- some can be had for under a dollar. On the other hand, if
you add in the gas, hours, and hassles that it has taken to find them, you may
find it easier to just get them from us while we have them :*) I don't always
count on getting more in the near future. I get them when I can find them and
the stock is not always constant.
* I do have other breeds available. Let me know and perhaps I can do a page for
your breed.
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~*~ Francie Stull ~*~
8708 Grelle Lane, Austin Texas 78744
Toll free (800) 658-6699, (512) 280-1867
last updated: February 10, 2001
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