King George V commemorative stamps

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Silver Jubilee (1935)

George V acceded to the throne on 6 May 1910. On 7 May 1935, the General Post Office issued a set of four stamps to celebrate the 25th anniversary (silver jubilee) of his accession.

A printing of the 2½d stamp was made in a turquoise blue shade, known to collectors as Prussian blue. Four sheets were issued in error by the Post Office Stores Department in error. Three of the four sheets were sold from the sub-office at 134 Fore Street, Upper Edmonton, London between 24 June and 5 July.

During this time, Mr. A.J. Stavridi had sent his secretary to the post office to buy stamps. When she returned, he noticed the strange colour and went to the post office. Of the 360 stamps, 41 had been sold. He bought the remaining stamps and used a few to send to fellow collectors.

In May 1935, stamp books containing the three lower values of the jubilee issues were also issued. These were printed from separate cylinders and exist with upright and inverted watermarks as usual for booklet stamps. The booklet stamps can be distinguished from sheet stamps. Sheet stamps have been assigned type 1. Booklet stamps have been assigned types 2 and 3. These coincide with the inverted and upright watermarks, respectively.

1935, King George V Silver Jubilee, SG 453 – 456 (type 1) and booklet stamps types 2 and 3.

HALFPENNY

The “FPE” of halfpenny are solid on the sheet (type 1) stamps. The bottom half of these letters are lightly shaded on the booklet stamps. The Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Specialised catalogue mentions the lines below the word halfpenny are thicker on the type 2 than on the type 3 stamp. I do not find this is very clear. I find the shading around the “fleur-de-lis” in the right half of the crown is better defined and deeper on the type 3 stamp than on the other types. Also, the line at the top of the medallion with the King’s head is weaker on the type 2 stamp. In the other stamps, the medallion touches this line. On the type 1 stamp the line and medallion even seem to overlap.

SG 453, type 1 (sheets)


SG 453wi, type 2, inverted watermark (booklet)

SG 453, type 3 (booklet)

ONE PENNY

The shading between “NN” of penny on the booklet stamp with inverted watermark (type 2) is narrow. On the other two types, this is much wider and comes closer to the left-hand N. The shading of the “fleur-de-lis” on the right side of the crown and its surrounding are much deeper on the type 3 (booklet) stamp than on the type 1 (sheet) stamp.

SG 454, type 1 (sheets)


SG 454wi, type 2, inverted watermark (booklet)


SG 455, type 3 (booklet)


THREE HALFPENCE

The top frame lines are thicker and deeper on the sheet (type 1) stamp. The type 3 stamp has a thickening in the topmost line over “JU” of jubilee that the type 2 stamp does not have.

SG 455, type 1 (sheets)


SG 455wi, type 2, inverted watermark (booklet)


SG 455, type 3 (booklet)

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1929 Postal Union Congress London


The Universal Postal Union was established on 9 October 1874. It now is a United Nations Organisation headquartered in Bern, Switzerland.

The ninth postal union congress was held in London, in 1929. On 10 May 1929, the General Post Office issued a set of commemorative stamps to commemorate the occasion. The ½d, 1d, 1½d and 2d stamps were printed in typography and in the same size as the current definitive series by Waterlow & Sons. Waterlow & Sons also held the contract for printing definitive stamps from 1924 until 1933.

A recess-printed £1 stamp showing Saint George and the Dragon was also issued. The contract for this stamp was awarded to Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., provided the engraving of the stamp would be done by J.A.C. Harrison. At the time, Harrison – not to be confused with the printing company - was contracted to Waterlow & Sons, who gave special permission for this.

There is one theory that the £1 stamp was included because the organisers felt this would make a more impressive souvenir for the attending delegates. An alternative theory is that it was a cynical attempt to extract as much money as possible from stamp collectors.


1929, Great Britain, Postal Union Congress, SG 434 – 438, including both specialised shades of the 2½d blue (SG437)


The two shades of the 2½d stamp (blue and pale blue)

1929, Great Britain, Postal Union Congress, 2½d specialised shades, SG437

The stamps were also issued from stamp booklets. Part of these have the Block Cypher watermark inverted. Also, stamps were printed in continuous reels. These were intended for both vertical and sideways delivery coils. The stamps for sideways delivery coils had the Block Cypher watermark sideways.

[mac123]

Thanks for your post. It's clearer than the catalog, which confuses me about this series.

Regarding SG 453 I find it difficult to distinguish between types 2 and 3.

I would like you to tell me if the following scheme is correct.


Best regards.

[khj]

In the planned "normal" production run, yes. All Type II will have inverted watermark, and all Type III will have upright watermark. Both types were used for booklet stamps. Type I was used for sheet stamps. Of course, there's always the very small possibility of a production EFO that isn't listed in the specialty catalogs.

[mac123]

Thank you.