Our collection of King George V stamps reflects the fact that his reign saw many “firsts” for British stamps. These included:
- The first commemoratives
- The first stamps printed by photogravure
- The first ‘postage due’ labels
We also hold a number of temporary or provisional printings. These were the result of two important changes. Firstly new printers (Harrisons) were employed. Secondly, responsibility for the production of stamps was transferred from the Inland Revenue to the Post Office.
The design for Britain’s first commemorative stamp, issued to mark the opening of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, came about as the result of a competition. We hold all the submitted artwork in our collection, as well as the artwork and essays for all subsequent commemorative issues. This also applies to British stamps overprinted for use overseas in the Levant, Morocco Agencies, Bechuanaland and Nauru.
Postage Due labels were designed and printed to collect any postage due on mail. Our collection holds the following material for the new labels introduced in 1914:
- some of the metal dies
- some of the rollers and plates
- imperforate registration sheets
Access
The best way to see all our philatelic and postal history collections is by appointment with the Senior Curator, Philately, Douglas Muir. To make an appointment, please call 020 7239 2570 or email info@postalheritage.org.uk.
