The printing process for other forms of postal stationery i.e. postcards and lettercards, was letterpress. This required an engraved design and the only company who could prepare this was De La Rue, the security printers.

Dorothy Wilding had taken a full profile photograph at the same time as the three-quarter profile used for stamps. De La Rue created the required head in August 1953.

Three artists were invited to provide frames – John Brinkley, Eric Fraser and John Farleigh – and their designs were submitted in September.

The Stamp Advisory Committee asked Farleigh to amend his design, adding to the frame. After The Queen's reaction to Cecil Thomas's Tudor Rose design for embossed envelopes Brinkley was asked to make one of his less fussy. Both of these were then proofed from February 1954.

On 16 July 1954 The Queen approved John Farleigh's design. The die was then engraved at the Royal Mint. The artist requested various modifications during this time, but the first postcard was eventually issued on 6 April 1955, with lettercards following shortly after.

The designs by Thomas and Farleigh appeared on all British postal stationery (other than airletters) until they were replaced by versions of the Machin head in the late 1960s.

Illustrations

De La Rue's profile head of The Queen

Unaccepted stationery design

Design used for postal stationery