1912, Definitives King George V Red, 1p U K

1912, King George V Red, 1d  U K

This is one of the stamps of  1912, Definitives King George V Red, 1p  U K

1. Motive:  Definitives King George V 
2. Year: 1912
3. Text: ONE PENNY- POSTAGE REVENUE
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation:
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords: 1912, Definitives King George V Red, 1p  U K
8. StampScout: ---
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George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) wasKing of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War (1914–1918) until his death in 1936.

George was a grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the first cousin ofTsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. From 1877 to 1891, he served in the Royal Navy. On the death of Victoria in 1901, George's father becameKing Edward VII, and George was made Prince of Wales. On his father's death in 1910, he succeeded as King-Emperor of the British Empire. He was the only Emperor of India to be present at his own Delhi Durbar.

As a result of the First World War, other empires in Europe fell while his expanded to its greatest extent. In 1917, he became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, which he renamed from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a result of anti-German public sentiment. His reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, and the Indian independence movement, all of which radically changed the political landscape. The Parliament Act 1911 established the supremacy of the elected House of Commons of the United Kingdom over the unelected House of Lords. In 1924 he appointed the first Labour ministry and in 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognised the dominions of the Empire as separate, independent kingdoms within the Commonwealth of Nations. He was plagued by illness throughout much of his later reign and at his death was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII.

1937, 12th May, Celebrating the Coronation of King George VI at Westminster Abbey 1½d

1937,  Celebrating the Coronation of King George VI

This is one of the rare stamps of Celebrating the Coronation of King George VI at Westminster Abbey on 12th May, 1937  UK 1½d

1. Motive: Celebrating the Coronation of King George VI 
2. Year: 1937
3. Text:1½ D- POSTAGE REVENUE-12 MAY 1937
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation:
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords: 1937, 12th May, Celebrating the Coronation of King George VI at Westminster Abbey 1½d 
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The unexpected abdication of Edward VIII created an urgent need to prepare designs for stamps to be ready for the coronation of the new King and Queen. Usually this process would take a great many months - in this case the Post Office had just over 4 months.

The initial idea was to prepare four low value definitives for the most highly used denominations and one or two higher value (9d, 10d or 1s) special coronation stamps.

The decision for the coronation commemorative to show both the King and Queen was not reached until March 1937with Royal approval.

Photographs of the King were available from a series taken by Bertram Park in preparation for the new coinage, and a picture of the Queen was made available from the Royal Mint. However these photographs, and especially those of the Queen were rejected as they would not copy well in photogravure. A decision was therefore made to take new photographs of the King and Queen.

This delay led to a decision in March that there would only be sufficient time to produce enough quantities of just one value for the special stamps. It was agreed that if the value of 1½d were issued, then this would decrease the printing demand being placed on Harrison and Sons for this 'rush job'. The hope was that the Coronation stamp would be available on 10 May along with the three new definitives.

By mid March, Eric Gill had prepared two designs using the unaccepted photographs of the King and Queen. He redesigned the stamp with a lower value and new photographs taken by Dorothy Wilding.

Edmund Dulac, Gill's co-designer on the definitive stamps, was asked to produce an alternative design. He produced drawings of the King and Queen based on the Wilding photographs.

1937, Definitives King George VI 1½d Red Brown (with cancellation 12 MCH 1939) U K

1937, King George VI 

This is one of the rare stamps of 1937, Definitives King George VI 1½d Red Brown (with cancellation 12 MCH 1939) U K

1. Motive: Definitives King george VI 
2. Year: 1937
3. Text: 1½ D- POSTAGE REVENUE
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation:
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords: 1937, Definitives King George VI 1½d Red Brown (with cancellation 12 MCH 1939)    U K
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A set of four stamps was issued in 1936 for Edward VIII before he abdicated.^[6] George VI's coronation was marked with a commemorative: part of an omnibus issue which included every colony in the Empire. New definitives featured a profile of the King on a solid colour background, based on a plaster cast by Edmund Dulac.^[7] This was a precursor of the Machins three decades later: 

The century of the postage stamp was celebrated in 1940 with a set of six stamps depicting Victoria and George VI side-by-side. By the following year, wartime exigencies affected stamp printing, with the 1937 stamps being printed with less ink, resulting in significantly lighter shades. Post-war issues included commemoratives for the return of peace, the Silver Jubilee and the 1948 Summer Olympics in 1948, and the 75th anniversary of the UPU, in 1949.

In 1950 the colours of all the low values were changed. 1951 saw a new series of high values (2s 6d, 5s, 10s, £1), and two commemoratives for the Festival of Britain.

1937, Definitives King george VI 1d Stamp Scarlet U.K.

1937, King George VI 

This is one of the stamps of 1937, Definitives King George VI 

1. Motive: Definitives King George VI 
2. Year: 1937
3. Text: 1 D- POSTAGE REVENUE
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation:
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords: 1937, Definitives King George VI 1d Stamp  Scarlet U K
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A set of four stamps was issued in 1936 for Edward VIII before he abdicated.^[6] George VI's coronation was marked with a commemorative: part of an omnibus issue which included every colony in the Empire. New definitives featured a profile of the King on a solid colour background, based on a plaster cast by Edmund Dulac.^[7] This was a precursor of the Machins three decades later: see below.

The century of the postage stamp was celebrated in 1940 with a set of six stamps depicting Victoria and George VI side-by-side. By the following year, wartime exigencies affected stamp printing, with the 1937 stamps being printed with less ink, resulting in significantly lighter shades. Post-war issues included commemoratives for the return of peace, theSilver Jubilee and the 1948 Summer Olympics in 1948, and the 75th anniversary of the UPU, in 1949.

In 1950 the colours of all the low values were changed. 1951 saw a new series of high values (2s 6d, 5s, 10s, £1), and two commemoratives for the Festival of Britain.

1948, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Royal Silver Wedding 2½d U K

1948, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Royal Silver Wedding 

This is one of the rare stamps of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Royal Silver Wedding 

1. Motive: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Royal Silver Wedding 
2. Year: 1948
3. Text: 2 1/2 D- POSTAGE REVENUE-1923-1948
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation: 15 X 14
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords: 1948, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Royal Silver Wedding 2½d  U K
8. StampScout: ---
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The unexpected abdication of Edward VIII created an urgent need to prepare designs for stamps to be ready for the coronation of the new King and Queen. Usually this process would take a great many months - in this case the Post Office had just over 4 months.

The initial idea was to prepare four low value definitives for the most highly used denominations and one or two higher value (9d, 10d or 1s) special coronation stamps.

The decision for the coronation commemorative to show both the King and Queen was not reached until March 1937with Royal approval.

Photographs of the King were available from a series taken by Bertram Park in preparation for the new coinage, and a picture of the Queen was made available from the Royal Mint. However these photographs, and especially those of the Queen were rejected as they would not copy well in photogravure. A decision was therefore made to take new photographs of the King and Queen.

This delay led to a decision in March that there would only be sufficient time to produce enough quantities of just one value for the special stamps. It was agreed that if the value of 1½d were issued, then this would decrease the printing demand being placed on Harrison and Sons for this 'rush job'. The hope was that the Coronation stamp would be available on 10 May along with the three new definitives.

By mid March, Eric Gill had prepared two designs using the unaccepted photographs of the King and Queen. He redesigned the stamp with a lower value and new photographs taken by Dorothy Wilding.

Edmund Dulac, Gill's co-designer on the definitive stamps, was asked to produce an alternative design. He produced drawings of the King and Queen based on the Wilding photographs.

1949, 75th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union Two Hemispheres, 2½d Blue U K

1949, 75th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union Two Hemispheres, 

This is one of the stamps of 1949, 75th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union Two Hemispheres, 2½d Blue U K

1. Motive: 75th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union 
2. Year: 1949
3. Text: 2 1/2 D-Universal Postal Union-1874-1949
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation:
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords:75th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union Two Hemispheres, 2½d Blue 1949
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History

Postage stamps were first used in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 6 May 1840, with the introduction of the world's first adhesive postage stamps, the Penny Black and Two Pence Blue. Until 1924, all British stamps depicted only the portrait of the reigning monarch, with the exception of the 'High Value' stamps (the so-called "Sea Horses" design) issued in 1913, which were twice the size of normal stamps with added pictorial design.

In 1924, the first commemorative stamp was issued for the British Empire Exhibition. There were then occasional issues over the next thirty years, when the frequency of new issues became more regular. From the mid-sixties, in most years, six to nine sets of commemorative stamps have been issued every year. The General Post Office introduced official First Day Covers and Presentation Packs in the mid-1960s and PHQ Cards, postcard sized reproductions of commemorative stamps, have also been issued to accompany every new set of stamps since the mid-1970s.

1949
10 October 1949	75th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union	Four (21/2d, 3d, 6d, 1s) All with Watermark

1951, Commerce and Prosperity, 2½d Red (with cancellation 24 JY 1951) (U K)

1951, Commerce and Prosperity

This is one of the stamps of Commerce and Prosperity, 

1. Motive: Commerce and Prosperity, 
2. Year: 1951
3. Text: 2 1/2 D-Festival of Britain-1851-1951 
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation:
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords: 1951, Commerce and Prosperity, 2½d Red (with cancellation  24 JY 1951)  (U K)
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1952, Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth U K

1952 -1954 Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 1d blue (U K)  1952

1952 -1954 Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 1s3d green (U K) (1952)

 Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 1s   bistre (U K) (1952)

 Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 2½d Stamp (1952) red ( with cancellation 21 MCH 52) (U K)

Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 2d brown (U K) (1952)

Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 3d lilac (U K) (1952)

Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 6d purple (U K) (1952)

Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 4d blue

1952 -1954 Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth 9d  

This is one of the stamps of 1952 -1954 Wilding Definitives Queen Elizabeth

When Elizabeth II succeeded her father in 1952, new stamps were needed. The result was a collection of variations on a theme that came to be known as theWilding issues, based on a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by photographer Dorothy Wilding.^[8]

Wildings were used until 1967, when the Machin issues were introduced on 5 June.^[9] The Machin design is very simple, a profile of the Queen on a solid colour background, and very popular, still being the standard British stamp as of 2012. They have been printed in scores of different colours; in addition,decimalisation required new denominations, and there have technical improvements in the printing process, resulting in literally hundreds of varieties known to specialists.

Up to the 1950s, British commemorative stamps were few and far between: most of the stamps were definitive issues in which the portrait of the reigning monarch was the dominant element. Even after commemorative stamps began to appear more often during the 1950s and early 1960s, the monarch's effigy was prominent, usually taking up a quarter to a third of the stamp's design, which limited flexibility and creativity. A change came in 1965 when the then Postmaster General Tony Benn issued new criteria for what could appear on stamps. Designer David Gentleman wrote to Benn about alternative design approaches, suggesting the monarch's head be replaced by another national symbol, such as a Crown, Royal Cypher or words such as "Great Britain" or "UK". A compromise, a small silhouette of the Queen based on the coinage head of Mary Gillick, was accepted and this has been the standard ever since for commemorative stamps.^[10] When the monarch's portrait is part of the stamp's main design (as for example in the case of issues commemorating the Queen's birthday), then the silhouette is not needed and does not appear. (An exception to this rule occurred in 2000 when a souvenir sheet issued in commemoration of the Queen Mother's 100th birthday included a stamp with a photograph of the Queen and the silhouette.)

Another trend is the growing use of stamps to commemorate events related to the present Royal Family. Up to Elizabeth II's accession in 1952 the only commemorative stamps to have been issued related to royal events were for George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935, George VI's coronation in 1937, and a 1948 issue to commemorate George VI's 25th wedding anniversary. Since 1952, however, stamps have been issued to commemorate many royal occasions:

• HM The Queen's silver (1977), golden (2002) and diamond (2012) jubilees
• the 40th anniversary of her accession (in 1992)
• her coronation in 1953
• her silver, gold and diamond wedding anniversaries (in 1972, 1997 and 2007)
• the 25th and 50th anniversaries of her coronation (in 1978 and 2003)
• her 60th and 80th birthdays (in 1986 and 2006)
• the weddings of her sons and daughter (Anne's in 1973, Charles' two weddings in 1981 and 2005, Andrew's in 1986, and Edward's in 1999; Anne's second wedding in 1992 was not commemorated)
• the wedding of her grandson Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in 2011
• her mother's 80th, 90th and 100th birthdays (in 1980, 1990 and 2000)
• The Prince of Wales' investiture and its 25th anniversary (1969, 1994)
• Prince William's 21st birthday in 2003.

In addition, memorial stamps have been issued after the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales (in 1998) and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (in 2002).

With regard to previous monarchs, stamps were issued in 1987 to mark the 150th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession, and in 1997 to mark the 450th anniversary of King Henry VIII's death. From 2008 to 2011 stamps were issued featuring all of England's kings and queens and also the Scottish House of Stewart.^[11]

Common watermarks found on British stamps.

1953, Diana Wynne Jones Castle series. Caernarfon Castle 5s red U K

1953, Diana Wynne Jones Castle series.

This is one of the stamps of Diana Wynne Jones Castle series

1. Motive:  Diana Wynne Jones Castle series. 
2. Year: 1955
3. Text: POSTAGE 5/-
4. Watermark:
5. Perforation:
6. Condition: Ø = used/cancelled
7. Keywords: 1953, Diana Wynne Jones Castle series. Caernarfon Castle 5s red U K
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The Castle series or Castle High Value series are two definitive stamp series issued in the United Kingdom during Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

The first series, designed by Lynton Lamb was issued in September 1955. The second one was created from pictures taken by Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the Queen's second son.

The stamps bore the highest denominations completing the Wilding andMachin definitive series. Each Castle series was replaced by Machinstamps, respectively in 1969 and 1999.

The common aspects of the two series are the four chosen castles, one for each country of the United Kingdom.

The 1955 Castle series replaced another four stamp series of high value issued in 1951. They featured the profile of King George VIand were illustrated by two pictures (HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's ship, on the 2 shillings and 6 pence, and the white cliffs of Doveron the 5 shillings) and two symbols (Saint George and the Dragon on the 10 shillings and the Royal Coat of arms on the one pound sterling stamp). The King's death, on 6 February 1952, provoked the preparation for a new series with Elizabeth II's effigy.

Because comments in the philatelic press were negative about the two pictorial stamps, the Postal Services Department proposed to replace the pictures with two new allegorical images. But its director decided the artists invited by the Council of Industrial Design must be free in the proposal they had to submit at the beginning of 1953.^[1]

In June 1953, the allegorical designs didn't please Postmaster General Herbrand Sackville and the Council of Industrial Design.^[2] Inspired by Mary Ashead's projects using non allegorical images, including castles, they let some artists and printers Waterlow and Sons create propositions with views of British monuments, known to the public and linked to Royal Family history. The initial list was: the Tower of London on the 2s6d green, Caernarfon Castle on the 5s red, Edinburgh Castle on the 10s blue and Windsor Castle on the £1 brown.^[3]