United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland – Queen Elizabeth 2 Special Stamps

3 June 1953 Coronation

When King George VI died on 6 February 1952, his eldest daughter, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, succeeded him as Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey.

On 3 June 1953, the General Post Office (GPO) issued four stamps to mark the coronation. The stamps have a horizontal format twice the size of a definitive stamp. They were printed in photogravure by Harrison and Sons Ltd. in double-pane reel-fed sheets. The counter sheets had 20 rows of six stamps. Stamps are perforated 15x14 and have the multiple Tudor Crown over the Royal Cipher watermark.

Multiple Tudor Crown watermark

The 2½d, 4d, and 1/6 stamps feature a three-quarter face, leftward-looking portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II taken by Dorothy Wilding, on 15 April 1952. The Queen had remarked the photographs showed the diadem too far back on her head and expressed her hope this would be corrected. The final designs show a combination of retouches of the photograph by Michael Farrar-Bell and Edmund Dulac.

3 June 1953, Coronation special stamp set (SG 532-535)

2½d – Basic inland and Empire letter rate (1 oz.)
Design: Edgar G Fuller.
The design shows the St. Edward's and Imperial State crowns, sceptres with cross and with dove, orb, and ampulla, against a background of olive branches.
Printing: 442,332,600 (27,298,600 unsold).
Colour: carmine-red.

4d – Basic overseas surface-mail letter rate (1 oz.)
Design: Michael Goaman.
The design shows the St. Edward's crown, orb, and ampulla, against a background of the regional emblems for England (Tudor rose), Scotland (thistle), Northern Ireland (shamrocks), and Wales (daffodil). There was Welsh criticism of the use of the daffodil as symbol for the country. The majority of Welch favoured the leek that was the official symbol of Wales. The GPO favoured the daffodil as it was easier to represent on a stamp than a leek. It, also, was considered odd to represent one country by a vegetable when the others were represented by a flower or flower leaf.
Printing: 23,347,100 (3,530,200 unsold).
Colour: ultramarine.

1/3 – Basic overseas airmail letter rate to zone B (½ oz.) and second weight-step to zone A (1 oz.)
Design: Edmund Dulac.
The design shows a full-face drawing by Edmund Dulac of H.M. the Queen wearing the Coronation Robes, Imperial State crown and holding the Royal sceptre with cross, and orb, against an ornamental background with the regional emblems for England (Tudor rose), Scotland (thistle), Northern Ireland (shamrocks), and Wales (daffodil). As it was not known what robes the Queen would wear for her coronation, the design was based on the robes worn by King George VI.
Printing: 10,134,700 (2,121,900 unsold).
Colour: yellow-green.

1/6 – Basic overseas airmail letter rate to zone C (½ oz.)
Design: Michael Farrar-Bell.
The design shows the St. Edward's crown over the Royal Cipher, Tudor Crown over a bouquet of the regional emblems for England (Tudor rose), Scotland (thistle), Northern Ireland (shamrocks), and Wales (daffodil), and sceptres with cross and with dove.
Printing: 8,273,400 (2,860,200 unsold).
Colour: grey-blue.

Part of the printings was overprinted for British Post Office Agencies in Eastern Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the international port zone of Tangier.

3 June 1953, Coronation special stamp set overprinted for use at foreign postal agencies

As the stamps overprinted for use at British post offices in the international port zone of Tangier retained their sterling values, they were also valid for postage in the United Kingdom.

On 23 May 2000, the first day of "The Stamp Show 2000" held in London, Royal Mail issued a miniature sheet to mark the occasion. The miniature sheet included a £1 stamp (SG 1492a) in the Edmund Dulac design (1/3) for the original Coronation issue. On 2 June 2003, Royal Mail issued a prestige stamp book "A Perfect Coronation" to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. The fourth of the stamp panes included a slightly smaller version of the miniature sheet issued to mark The Stamp Show 2000. Stamps from this stamp pane have the number "50" as watermark (£1 Dulac design: SG 2380).

23 May 2003, £1 coronation stamp from A perfect Coronation prestige stamp book (SG 2380)

Edmund Dulac never saw his design in use. He died on 25 May 1953, nine days before the issue if the coronation stamps.

Nice write-up and great examples. Thanks for posting.

1 August 1957 Scout Jamboree

Robert Baden-Powell was born on 22 February 1857. An officer in the British Army in Africa, he wrote "Aids to Scouting." The book was a summary of lectures he had given about military scouting. When he returned to England, he found the book was being used by teachers and youth organisations and decided to re-write Aids to Scouting to suit a youth readership. Encouraged by a friend, Baden-Powell conceived the idea for a book "Scouting for Boys" aimed at boys. From 1 to 8 August 1907, he held a camp for boys on Brownsea Island to test out his ideas. "Scouting for Boys," published in 1908, started the scouting movement.

Already in 1955, the Boy Scout Association contacted the Post Office to issue a stamp marking the centenary of the birth of Robert Baden-Powell, on 22 February 1957. The Post Office declined the request. It was its policy to restrict the issue of special stamps to events of greatest importance to the nation or major postal significance.

The Boy Scout Association did not give up on the idea. From 1 to 12 August 1957, the World Organization of the Scout Movement organised the 9th. World Jamboree in the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield. The Jubilee Jamboree marked both the centenary of the birth of Robert Baden-Powell and the 50th. anniversary of the camp he held on Brownsea Island. Still in 1955, the Boy Scout Association suggested the Post Office to issue a stamp to mark the jamboree that would take place in the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, in 1957. The Post Office, again, rejected the idea.

The Boy Scout Association continued its campaign and found support with Collectors Magazine that urged its readers to write to their Members of Parliament. In the spring of 1956, the Post Office gave in to the pressure to issue special stamps to mark the World Jamboree and the British Empire Games. It invited several artists to submit designs symbolising the jamboree. The artist's brief instructed the artists the design should not bear the effigy of Robert Baden-Powell or any other person. It should, however, include a photograph of the Queen's head.

On 1 August 1957, the GPO issued three stamps to mark the Jubilee Jamboree. The stamps have a horizontal format twice the size of a definitive stamp. They were printed in photogravure by Harrison and Sons Ltd. in double-pane reel-fed sheets. The counter sheets had 20 rows of six stamps. Stamps are perforated 15x14 and have the multiple St. Edward's Crown over the Royal Cipher watermark.

Multiple St. Edward's Crown watermark

In 1955, a new dandy roll to watermark the paper used for printing of stamps had to replace the worn-down old one. The St. Edward's Crown replaced the Tudor Crown in the watermarks used for stamps printed from the reign of King George V. The Tudor Crown. The St. Edward's Crown was made in the 11th. century for King Edward the Confessor. The existing crown was made in 1661 for King Charles II. It, traditionally, is used for the coronation of the Monarch. The crown was used for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, who had chosen it as symbol for her Royal Authority.

From 1902 until 1953, the Tudor Crown symbolised the British Monarch and the Crown as institution. It was a heraldic symbol, as the Tudor Crown itself had been broken up and sold in pieces by the republicans in 1649. The oldest record of the Tudor Crown dates to 1521 as the crown of Henry VIII. It was either commissioned by Tudor King Henry VII, or King Henry VIII.


The stamps feature a three-quarter face, leftward-looking portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II based on a photograph taken by Dorothy Wilding.

1 August 1957, Jubilee Jamboree special stamp set (SG 557-559)

In addition to sheets, rolls of 4,800 stamps were ordered for use in machines that affixed the stamps to first day covers. The machines were developed for this purpose. The rolls were placed on sale at the London Chief Office. To make them more attractive to collectors, from 2 September 1957, some were rewound into smaller rolls of 480 stamps (2½d and 4d), or of 240 stamps (1/3). The issue was withdrawn from sale at post offices on 11 September 1957.

2½d – Basic inland and Empire letter rate (1 oz.)
Design: Mary Adshead.
The design shows a rope coiled to make a 'rolling hitch' knot, enclosing the Boy Scout badge in one loop and the Queen's portrait in the other. The stamp design includes the years 1907 and 1957 and the inscription "Jubilee Jamboree."
Printing: 195,729,600 (58,009,463 unsold).
Colour: carmine-red.

4d – Basic overseas surface-mail letter rate (1 oz.)
Design: Pat Keely.
The design shows swallows flying towards the portrait of the Queen in the centre of the stamp, symbolising the gathering of Boy Scouts in Britain as the home of the movement. The Queen's head was framed in a light ornamental oval to suggest a cameo locket. The stamp design includes the year 1957, the arrowhead from the Boy Scout badge, and the inscription "Jubilee Jamboree."
Printing: 34,932,000 (25,128,672 unsold).
Colour: ultramarine.

1/3 – Basic overseas airmail letter rate to zone B (½ oz.) and second weight-step to zone A (1 oz.)
Design: William Henry Brown.
The design shows the world encircled by a compass and a ribbon with the dates '1907-1957.' It represented the Scout movement, as one of the greatest international organisations in the world, reaching to all points of the compass; the arrowhead at the tip of the compass needle was the symbol first adopted for the movement by Lord Baden-Powell to signify 'pointing the way.' The stamp design includes the Boy Scout badge and the inscription "Jubilee Jamboree."
Printing: 35,757,600 (31,468,749 unsold).
Colour: deep yellow-green.

The number of stamps that remained unsold – this includes stamps overprinted for use at British Post Office Agencies in the Arabian Peninsula – shows the sales forecast had been extremely over-optimistic. In 1958, the Post Office investigated the costs of producing special issues. It concluded the Jubilee Jamboree issue had cost about £19,000. The sales figures imply the issue generated just under 100 times that amount.

Part of the printings was overprinted for British Post Office Agencies in Eastern Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. The post office in Tangier had closed.

1 August 1957, Jubilee Jamboree special stamp set overprinted for use at foreign postal agencies

12 September 1957 Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was created in 1889, in an era when there were no established means for governments or parliaments to work together internationally. The IPU was instrumental in setting up the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 1899, and its calls for an international institution linking governments helped lay the foundations for the creation of the League of Nations in 1919 and the United Nations in 1945.

The 46th. conference of the IPU would open on 12 September 1957, at Church House in London. In 1955, the MP who chaired the British Committee of IPU requested the Postmaster General (PMG) to issue a special stamp to mark the occasion. The PMG rejected the idea because it would set a precedent for the many international conferences held in the United Kingdom. The decision was reconsidered in 1956, although a suggestion to issue a high-value stamp as had been issued for the 1929 Congress of the Universal Postal Union was rejected.

The 4d-stamp stamp pre-paying the basic international rate for letters from the "Wilding" definitive series was adapted for the occasion. The intention was to overprint stamps in blue. Harrison and Sons, however, could not guarantee the correct positioning of the overprint every time. Consequently, a new cylinder was made with "46th PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE" added to the design. The stamp was issued on 12 September 1957. It was withdrawn on 13 October 1957 and the ordinary "Wilding" 4d was put back on sale from post offices.

Current Wilding definitive stamp(SG 546)

The stamps have the size and colour of the corresponding 4d ultramarine "Wilding" definitive stamp. They were printed in photogravure by Harrison and Sons Ltd. in single-pane reel-fed sheets. The sheets had 20 rows of 12 stamps. Stamps are perforated 15x14 and have the multiple St. Edward's Crown over the Royal Cipher watermark. In total, 10,470,160 stamps were sold. The stamps were not overprinted for use at British overseas postal agencies.

12 September 1957, 46th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference special stamp (SG 560)

18 July 1958 6th. Empire and Commonwealth Games

In 1891, John Astley Cooper wrote a letter to The Times suggesting a "Pan-Britannic-Pan-Anglican Contest and Festival every four years as a means of increasing goodwill and good understanding of the British Empire." The idea inspired Baron de Coubertin to start the international Olympic Games movement. In 1911, as part of the Festival of the Empire celebrating the coronation of King George V, teams from Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom competed in the Inter-Empire Championship. The Canadian team won the cup competed in four events. The games were criticised as "not worthy of the title 'Empire Sports'."

In the late 1920s, Cooper's idea was revived. Melvin Marks Robinson who managed Canada's track and field team in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics lobbied for organising the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada. The first Empire Games took place from 16 until 23 August 1930. Eleven countries competed in the Games. The games have been taking place every four years, except for 1942 and 1946. As a result of decolonialisation, the name changed to British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and later, to Commonwealth Games.

The sixth edition of the Games, now known as British Empire and Commonwealth Games, would take place in Cardiff, Wales, from 18 until 26 July 1958. In a letter to Post Office Headquarters dated 4 November 1955, the Director for Wales and Border Counties suggested to celebrate the Games by issuing special stamps. In February 1955, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff put forward a Parliamentary Question pertaining to the issue of special stamps celebrating the Games. The PMG rejected the suggestion on the grounds that it would break with the GPO policy of strictly limiting commemorative stamp issues.

In March 1956, the Deputy Director General of the Post circulated a memorandum advocating special issues of stamps every two years or so, 'selecting for the purpose current events of outstanding national or international importance.' On 13 June 1956, when the MP for Cardiff repeated his question for special stamps to mark the Games, it was announced to the House of Commons three stamps would be issued to mark the sixth British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

The artists were free in their choice of theme symbolic to the Games. It, however, should include a symbol associating the Games with Wales. The artists also had to provide a brief description of the symbol used. All stamps show the Ddraig Goch (Red Dragon) of Wales popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of the legendary King Arthur.

The stamps have a horizontal format twice the size of a definitive stamp. They were printed in photogravure by Harrison and Sons Ltd. in double-pane reel-fed sheets. The counter sheets had 20 rows of six stamps. Stamps are perforated 15x14 and have the multiple St. Edward's Crown over the Royal Cipher watermark.

18 July 1958, 6th British Empire and Commonwealth Games special stamps (SG 567-569)

3d – Basic inland and Empire letter rate (1 oz.)
Design: Reynold Stone.
The design shows the Welsh dragon holding a banner inscribed "British Empire & Commonwealth Games." The three-quarter face, leftward-looking portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II based on a photograph taken by Dorothy Wilding appears in an oval.
Printing: 320,400,000.
Colour: deep lilac.

6d – Basic overseas surface-mail letter rate (1 oz.)
Design: William Henry Brown.
The design shows a flag flying with the Games' badge on the left half and a three-quarter face, leftward-looking portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II based on a photograph taken by Dorothy Wilding on the right half. At the top of the badge appears the Welsh dragon. The stamp bears the inscription "British Empire & Commonwealth Games."
William Henry Brown worked for the design department of the printers Harrison and Sons.
Printing: 28,595,880.
Colour: reddish purple.

1/3 – Basic overseas airmail letter rate to zone B (½ oz.)
Design: Patrick Cokayne Keely.
The design shows a three-quarter face, leftward-looking portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II based on a photograph taken by Dorothy Wilding. Behind the Queen's portrait appears the Welsh Dragon holding a laurel wreath in its right claw. Laurel was a sacred plant of the Greek god Apollo. Winners of athletic and musical competitions held every four years in honour of Apollo (Pythian Games) got to wear a laurel wreath. The stamp bears the inscription "VIth British Empire & Commonwealth Games."
Printing: 9,870,000.
Colour: green.

Stocks of all values were exhausted by February 1959.

These articles you are writing are fantastic. I hope to see a million more.

100% - Love these write-ups NSK! Can't wait to see more.

Beautiful stamps and a history lesson. Sign me up for more!