Vintage Irish Stamp Appraisal

Irish 'Sword of Light' 2d Stamp

This item is an Irish postage stamp, commonly known as the 'Sword of Light' issue, depicting the map of Ireland. The primary colors appear to be variations of green and white/cream, with a darker green for the border and text, and a lighter cream for the map itself. The stamp is rectangular with perforated edges, typical of postage stamps. The central design features an arched banner at the top with the word 'EIRE' (the Irish name for Ireland) inscribed in a decorative font. Below this banner, a stylized map of Ireland is prominent, bordered by decorative elements. On either side of the 'EIRE' banner, in the upper corners, there appear to be clover or shamrock motifs, symbols often associated with Ireland. The lower section of the stamp displays the denomination '2' on the left and right sides. Between these numbers, the text 'dh' pinsiun' or similar (likely denoting the currency and value in Irish, as 'pionsin' means pence) is visible, though somewhat blurred. The stamp shows signs of age and handling, with some discoloration or yellowing of the paper which could be due to age or storage conditions. The perforations are present, but their exact condition (e.g., whether any are torn or missing) is not perfectly clear from the image. There is a faint, dark inscription or mark, possibly a cancellation mark or part of a collection annotation, above the stamp, partially obscuring the top left corner. The image quality is somewhat low, making it difficult to discern subtle details or manufacturing marks. The overall impression is of a historical or classic Irish stamp, likely from the early to mid-20th century, given the 'EIRE' designation which was introduced in 1922.