Jolly George

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Jolly George

Post by shipstamps » Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:31 pm


A most interesting little stamp is the Russian 10k. commemorative for the 80th anniversary of the birth of Harry Pollitt, the British Communist leader. The ship is shown being welcomed in London on her maiden voyage last year. On the ship's stem can plainly be seen the name Jolly George in English. As readers familiar with Russian ships will be well aware, ships of the U.S.S.R. always have their names in Russian characters, which are quite unreadable to the average Englishman. It would seem that the stamp has been specially printed to please English Communists and the name on the stern has been altered for this reason. However it is not the name of the ship that is actually shown in English, for I have it on the authority of Lord Leathers that the vessel is actually named Harry Pollitt. One wonders why the Russians did not give the ship her correct name in English lettering on the stern instead of a fictitious one, as it is a commemorative stamp honouring the well-known Communist who died in 1960.
SG3899 Sea Breezes Jan 1972

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