Jaja

This page is part of: Heraldic collector's items catalogue

Heraldic albums Heraldic postcards Heraldic stamps Heraldic cinderellas Heraldic cigarette cards Heraldic coasters Heraldic trade cards Heraldic cigar bands Heraldic calendars Heraldic coffee creamer lids Heraldic games Crested china Heraldic matchbox labels Heraldic phone- and chipcards Notgeld (emergency money) Heraldic coins Heraldic tiles Heraldic seals Heraldic police badges Heraldic books Total pages in the collector's items section : 39,467

JaJa Postcard series

Date of issue : 1905-17 (approx.)
Number of cards : over 850
Image variants : Several

Company

The cards were issued by Stoddart & Co, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. The company was established in 1905, but had ceased publishing postcards by 1917. Their specialty was heraldic postcards using the trade mark Ja-Ja (trademark assigned 26th July 1905). They issued both plain heraldic postcards as in the series mentioned here, as well as city views with a small coat of arms, of which one example is shown here.

The company most likely also issued postcards for the Canadian market as BACT, as the design of those cards is very similar to the Ja-Ja cards.

Series and Variations

The Heraldic series is a large series of postcards with mainly arms of cities in the UK and Ireland and a few elsewhere (Halifax, Canada and Potchefstroom, South Africa as examples). It is not clear when the series were first issued and for how long the series was issued, but based on postmarks the dates are around 1905-1915.

Although the basic design is similar, there are at least 4 different types of the design on the front and at least 9 for the reverse. In addition there have been several 'special issues' which do not fit these types.

Examples of the four types of the design on the lower left-front corner
Type 1 :	Type 2 :
Type 3 :	Type 4 :

The different types of the reverse (Back types 1-8) can be divided by colour, image and the numer of text printed, see table below. Many cards have been issued with different fornt and back printings, which is indicated in the series overview below.

Examples of the four types of the design on the reverse of the cards

Back type 1 : Red print on reverse, no text on left.	Back type 2 : Brown print on reverse, no text on left.
Back type 3 : Red print on reverse, text on left	Back type 3b : Red print on reverse, text on right (only one known to me, Bolton)
Back type 4 : Brown print on reverse, text on left.
Back type 5a : Red print on reverse, with logo. Text on left 'Printed in Great Britain".	Back type 5b : Red print on reverse, with logo. Text on left 'Heraldic Series. Printed and Designed in Great Britain' or Designed and Produced in England' or 'Heraldic Tartan Series. Printed in Great Britain'.
Back type 6 : Brown print on reverse, text on left with logo	Back type 8 : Brown print on reverse, text on left with logo, less text

Cards issued

The list below is the list of the +/- 660 cards that I know of that have been issued, as well as many examples (clickable). Most likely the list is not complete. Several cards have been issued with different back or front variations as well. For example, Aberdeen in the list below has been published with front type 2 and reverse types 1 and 3. For London there are even 4 different variations with three different front types.

UK town and regional arms

See the special overview. This is a large file with over 500 images. Loading the page may be slow and sometimes reloading may be needed !

The page includes towns and regions in the UK as well as Ireland.

Colleges and Schools

Bangor Normal College
Front type 1, Reverse type 5a
Bangor North Wales' Training college
Front type 1, Reverse type 5a
Belfast Queen's College
Birmingham University
Cambridge Christs College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Clare College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Corpus Christi College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Emmanuel College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Gonville & Caius College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Jesus College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge King's College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Magdalene College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Pembroke College
Cambridge Queen's College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge St. John's College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge St. Peter's College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Sydney Sussex College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Trinity College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge Trinity Hall College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Cambridge University of Cambridge
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Clarks College London
Dollar Institution
Durham College of Medicine Newcastle-upon-tyne
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Durham University
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
Edinburgh University
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
Eton College
Front type 1, Reverse type 5a
Harrow School
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
King's College
Front type 1, Reverse type 5b
King Edward VIth School, Nuneaton
Front type 1, Reverse type 5b
Oxford Balliol College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Brasenose College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Christ Church College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Corpus Christi College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Exeter College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Lincoln College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Magdalen College
Oxford Merton College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford New College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Oriel College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Oxford University
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Queens College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford St. John's College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford University College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Wadham College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Oxford Worcester College
Front type 1, Reverse type 3
Sheffield University
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
St. Leonards School (St Andrews)
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
Tonbridge School
Front type 1, Reverse type 6

Personal arms

Earl of Ancaster
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
No-image.jpg

Arms of The Duke of Newcastle
Arms of The Duke of Portland
Front type different, Reverse type 5b
Hereward the Wake
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
Lancashiremon's Coat of Arms
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
No-image.jpg

Scotchman's Coat of Arms
Shakespeare's Arms
Front type different, Reverse type 6 (with extra publisher name in Stratford-upon-Avon)
Shakespeare's Arms
Front type different, Reverse type 6 (with extra publisher name in Stratford-upon-Avon)
Yorkshireman's Arms
Front type 1, Reverse type 6

Non UK town arms

Halifax (Canada)
Front type 1, Reverse type 6
Potchefstroom (South Africa)

The Potchefstroom card does not show the JaJa logo and is, according to the reverse, printed in Saxony. The card is generally listed as a JaJa card based on its front design, but may actually not be part of the series.