A number of independent states on the shores of the Circle Sea and part of the Klatchian continent have appeared in the Discworld novels. Klatch is large and powerful, and noted for its curry and magic carpets. It was a major setting for the events in Jingo and Sourcery. Tsort is walled in between Ephebe, its natural and historical enemy, and Djelibeybi. Read about it in Pyramids and Small Gods. Djelibeybi is a long narrow country well irrigated by the River Djel - too well in the rainy season. It is famous for its pyramids, worshipping of cats and heiroglyphics. Unsurprisingly then, it features in Pyramids. At the time of writing this no stamps have appeared from Ephebe. This may be because whatever Tsort does, Ephebe does not, but just as likely they are still discussing the philosophy behind the need for a postal service.

Like much that is or happens on Discworld, there are comparisons that can be made with Roundworld, even regarding the postage stamps - or nearly in that particular case. A browse through a Stanley Gibbons catalogue will reveal that in the days of the British Empire quite often stamp designs are often shared between countries and states, with just the issuing postal authority name and a few other details change. The best I can think of are the various stamps issued by the small states that made up the Malayan Federation. These are just a few of one example. There were a lot more states and a lot more values.    

Rumour has it that agents for Teemer and Spools traveled the coast of the Circle Sea, visiting the kings, priests and serifs, trying to flog the same basic designs to the various countries, with some success. However that didn’t last long. Both Klatch and Djelibeybi worship Offler, the crocodile god, but when it came to approving the finished designs Klatch decided that it was a bit too Djelibeybi-ish for them with all the heiroglyphs and such. Tsort likewise rejected a common framework for its stamp, and had a new one designed. So what seemed a good idea at the start did not work out, and all three countries ended up with their own individual stamps. Still it offered the philatelists amongst us a chance to see stamp design in the making and has provided us with some nice additions to the collections.

The stamps were released by the three postal authorities within weeks of each other, suggesting that though the common design element had been rejected Teemer and Spools worked on it as a single project and perhaps even sailed to Al Khali in Klatch first and then traveled widdershins to deliver to Djelibeybi, then finally to Tsort.

Bearing in mind the breakdown in foreign relations between these states, Klatch in particular, it is possible that Teemer and Spools are still awaiting payment for their services.