QEII Definitives - Southern Rhodesia 1953 (Part 2)

Southern Rhodesia 1953 Part 2

On 31 August 1953 Southern Rhodesia issued its first Queen Elizabeth II definitives. This lovely set consisted of 14 stamps, on unwatermarked paper. This series was recess-printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co (except the 4d stamp, which had a typography vignette).

In Part 2 we shall study the 2d and 3d stamps of this set. The 2d stamp is perforated 14. The 3d stamp is perforated 14 x 13½. Both stamps were issued on 31 August 1953.

The first stamp we will study is the 2d deep chestnut & reddish violet. The focus of this stamp is Rhodes' Grave. Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 - 26 March 1902) was born in England. He was a mining magnate who spent most of his time in South Africa. He founded the company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds. Rhodes, A believer in British colonialism, was the founder of the southern Africa territory that became known as Rhodesia, in his honour, in 1895. Cecil Rhodes died in 1902, aged 48. After his death, the government arranged for his body to be taken by train to Rhodesia where he was laid to rest at World's View, a hilltop just south of Bulawayo. His grave site is now a part of the Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe which was at the time of his death, Rhodesia.

SG 80

Now we shall turn our attention to the 3d chocolate & rose-red stamp. The focus of this stamp is a farm worker. Tobacco and cotton were the dominant farming industries in Southern Rhodesia. It was these industries that led to a boom in immigration to the colony in the 1920's. Unfortunately many farm workers were considered no better than slaves at this time. The political turbulent political history of this colony is beyond the scope of this humble article... This ARTICLE may be of some interest to those looking for some further reading. And you may also wish to check out this PAGE

SG 81

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series. Until then . . .


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A Commemorative Winner

60th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation

The 9th April may seem like a rather strange date for the release of Australia's QEII Coronation Diamond Jubilee Commemoratives. The Coronation took place on 2 June! Nevertheless, the stamps - in my humble opinion - are a real winner! Australia Post came up to the plate and hit a home run!!

The issue comprises a set of two stamps. A 60c stamp for postage within Australia, and a $2.60 stamp for International Postage.

The 60c stamp is in landscape format. It depicts the stunning and ornate royal golden carriage...

The $2.40 International stamp is a close-up of the Queen from a portrait with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip...

The mini-sheet, incorporating both stamps, includes the full protrait of the Queen and the Prince...

As usual, Australia Post has released quite a few souvenir items Here are a few...

5 x $2.40 peel & stick booklet

60c Maxicard

$2.40 Maxicard

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QEII Coronation Issue Part 3

Beauties and the Beast

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953. To commemorate this momentous event 106 stamps were issued throughout the Commonwealth. 62 of these stamps were in the Omnibus format. In Part 1 we studied the story behind the Omnibus Issue. In Part 2 we studied the lovely Coronation stamps of Great Britain.

In this the final part of the Coronation series I'd like to study two vastly different issues: one that, to me, offers beauty in its simplicity; and one that has, over time, been heralded as downright ugly.

Australia was one of eleven territories to opt for its own design. This proved to be an excellent choice, for the resultant issue was nothing short of stunning! The design was the brainchild of one F.D. Manley. Frank Davies Manley, born in Lambeth, London, England on 24 October 1894, was a gifted artist who went on to be one of, if not the most, prolific stamp designers in Australia. He designed some of Australia’s most iconic stamps.

Australia issued three stamps for the Coronation. All were of the same design, but with different colours and denominations. All three stamps were perforated 15 x 14.

The first stamp is the 3½d Scarlet...

The second stamp is the 7½d violet. My favourite of the three colours....

The third stamp is the 2/- dull bluish green...

 

Now to the beast, as it were. This stamp probably needs no introduction! The ugly duckling award goes to... Canada.

Canada's 4 cent violet Coronation stamp was based on a stunning portrait of the Queen taken by Yousuf Karsh. 

So what went wrong?? Well, let me tell you a little story. The design of Canada's Coronation stamp was placed in to the hands of Emanuel Hahn, who was a freelance artist. Hahn based his design of the Queen's head on a plaster cast that was made, based on the Karsh protrait. The deviation from the Queen's likeness had begun.

When the design was complete it was given to engraver, Silas Allen. Allen asked the Post Office for a copy of the original portrait as he didn't like the look of the portrait within the stamp design. He was refused access. Dubious, Allen set to work. He created a Die proof that to him was awful, and he hoped the Post Office would agree. But they didn't!! They accepted the Die proofs!! Allen must have been stunned. Apparently Silas Allen never got over the negative publicity of the design.

So, the ugliness of this stamp has nothing to do with its designer OR engraver. The blame must fall squarely on the shoulders of those who approved the Die proofs!!

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QEII Coronation Issue Part 2

The Great Britain Issue

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953. To commemorate this momentous event 106 stamps were issued throughout the Commonwealth. 62 of these stamps were in the Omnibus format. In Part 1 we studied the story behind the Omnibus Issue.

Being the seat of the Commonwealth it was expected that Great Britain issue a set of stamps worthy of this event. Did they succeed? You be the judge…

In all, Great Britain issued four stamps commemorating the Queen’s Coronation. All four stamps had different designers. The final designs were reviewed and approved by the Queen, herself. Although the Coronation took place on 2 June, the stamps were not issued until 3 June, due to the fact that all post offices were closed on Coronation Day.

Three of the four Coronation stamps incorporated the three-quarter portrait of the Queen by Dorothy Wilding.  Let’s study these three stamps first.

The first stamp is the 2½d denomination. The designer of this stamp was E.G. Fuller.

The 4d denomination stamp was designed by M. Goaman.

The 1s 6d, the highest value stamp in the set, was designed by M.C. Farrar-Bell.

Now we come to the only stamp that did not incorporate the Dorothy Wilding portrait. The 1s 3d stamp was designed by E. Dulac. The portrait of the Queen in this stamp was Dulac’s own artwork. Dulac was also responsible for the design of the 1937 Coronation stamp of queen Elizabeth’s father George VI.

Sadly, Dulac died just days before the Coronation stamps were issued. He was 71. 

In the third and final installemnt of this series I'll study the Coronation stamps of two other countries, one set beautiful, the other downright ugly! Until then...

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QEII Coronation Issue Part 1

Where did the Omnibus design come from?

With the 60^th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation just around the corner, I thought it might be interesting to roll back the clock to have a look at the Coronation Omnibus Issue and its origins.

The date of the Queen’s Coronation was 2 June 1953, and it was expected of the Crown agents to produce stamps for 62 territories of the Commonwealth. It is this issue that will be the primary focus of this article.

Of course not all territories utilized this issue. Many simply didn't bother to produce Coronation stamps. Four territories - Bahrain, Eastern Arabia, Tangier and Kuwait – overprinted the British Coronation stamps. Eleven other territories including Australia and Canada used their own Coronation designs. Indeed Great Britain chose its own designs, but more on this later.

Sixty two territories of the Commonwealth issued Coronation stamps that were designed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. The giant ask of printing this vast number of stamps fell on the shoulders of De La Rue.  

So where did this design come from? 

Before we answer that question let us break down this lovely stamp into its constituent parts. It was decided that this stamp be dual coloured, therefore two plates were required. The ‘key plate’ design which was the centre-piece of the stamp was based on a portrait of the Queen by Dorothy Wilding. Another Wilding portrait was used for the early Great Britain QEII definitives. This 'key plate' was uniformly printed in black.

Close-up of 'Key Plate' design

The second plate, known as the ‘Duty Plate’ created the frame of the stamp. The ‘Duty Plate’ contained the name of the territory and the denomination of the stamp, therefore 62 different sets of ‘Duty Plates’ were required. Also, within the sixty-two territories thirty different colours were used for printing.

Arrows point to the 'Duty Plate' 

So let us now return to the question: Where did this design come from? To answer that we need to look towards Grenada, particularly the definitive issue of 1953. The designers at Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. used this beautiful design as the basis for the Coronation Omnibus issue...

But it doesn't stop there. The Grenada 1953, indeed also the KGVI 1951, issues were based on an earlier, and lovely, design from the reign of Queen Victoria. In 1861 Grenada issued its first postage stamps bearing the colony name. The issue was stunning!

I mentioned earlier that some territories chose to issue their own designs. One of these being Great Britain herself. In Part 2 I shall study Great Britain's Coronation issue along with a few others. So until then...

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QEII Definitives - Jamaica 1956 (Part 4)

Jamaica 1956 Part 4

On 1 May 1956 Jamaica issued its first Queen Elizabeth II definitives. The set consisted of 15 stamps, all on paper watermarked multi-script CA. The series incorporated five different design formats. The series was recess-printed by De La Rue.

Because of the similarity of the two design formats for the final four stamps in this series, in this part we shall study these designs together. All of these four stamps are perforated 11½.

The final four stamps, which constitute the high values for this set, all incorporate the Jamaican Coats of Arms as the central motif. So let us delve a little into just what makes up the Coat of Arms of Jamaica...

The Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sandcroft, granted Jamaica its first Coat of Arms in 1661. Since then it has only been partially modified a couple of times, which included a revision in 1957. The Coat of Arms depicts a male and female Arawak, standing on either side of the shield which bears a red cross with five golden pineapples superimposed on it. The Crest is a Jamaican crocodile surmounting the Royal Helmet and Mantlings. The Latin motto, "Indus Uterque Serviet Uni", reads "Both Indies will serve one lord." In 1957 the motto was changed to read "Out of Many, One People". Click here to find out more information on the history of Jamaica.

Now let us turn to the final four stamps in this wonderful definitive set. The 3 and 5 shilling stamps are in landscape format, and they include a side-on portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The 3/- stamp is coloured black and blue. It was released on 12 August 1956.

SG 171

The 5/- stamp is coloured black and carmine-red. It was released 15 August 1956.

SG 172

The final two values of this set were printed in portrait format, and the Queen's head has been removed. Both of these stamps were released on 15 August 1956.

The 10/- stamp is coloured black and blue-green.

SG 173

The £1 stamp is coloured black and purple. This colour combination is, in my opinion, stunning!

SG 174

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QEII Definitives - Jamaica 1956 (Part 3)

Jamaica 1956 Part 3

On 1 May 1956 Jamaica issued its first Queen Elizabeth II definitives. The set consisted of 15 stamps, all on paper watermarked multi-script CA. The series incorporated five different design formats. The series was recess-printed by De La Rue.

In Part 3 we shall study the third design format, which consisted of four stamps. All of these four stamps are perforated 13½. All four stamps were released on 15 November 1956.

The first stamp in this the third design format is the 8d ultramarine and red-orange. The theme of this stamp is Blue Mountain Peak. Blue Mountain Peak is the highest mountain in Jamaica at 2,256 metres (7,402 ft), and it is the second highest peak in the Caribbean after Pico Duarte of the Dominican Republic.The Blue Mountains are considered by many to be a hiker's and camper's paradise.

SG 167

The second stamp is the 1/- yellow-green and blue. The theme of this stamp is The Royal Botanical Gardens, Hope. Hope Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica, was established in the late 1870s on 200 acres of land. Crops such as pineapple, cocoa, coffee, and tobacco were introduced to the island through the Gardens. 60 acres of garden was set aside to create a formal garden with the assistance of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England.

SG 168

The third stamp is the 1/6 ultram and reddish purple. The theme of this stamp is Rafting on the Rio Grande. Not to be confused with the Rio Grande that flows through Colorado USA, the Rio Grande is a large river in Jamaica, found in the parish of Portland. Rio Grande means 'Big River' in Spanish, and it was named as such by the Spanish who occupied Jamaica in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Rio Grande is a popular tourist spot. The river is especially popular for rafting.

SG 169

The final stamp in this design format is the 2/- blue and bronze-green. This stamp exists with an alternate colour, grey-blue and bronze-green, which was issued on 24 April 1958. The theme of this stamp is Fort Charles.Fort Charles is one of the oldest forts in Port Royal in Kingston. It was built by the British after Jamaica was taken from the Spaniards. The Fort was initially named Fort Cromwell after a general at the time, but was later redubbed Fort Charles.

SG 170

Stay tuned for the fourth and final part of this series. Until then...

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QEII Definitives - Jamaica 1956 (Part 2)

Jamaica 1956 Part 2

On 1 May 1956 Jamaica issued its first Queen Elizabeth II definitives. The set consisted of 15 stamps, all on paper watermarked multi-script CA. The series incorporated five different design formats. The series was recess-printed by De La Rue.

In Part 2 we shall study the second design format, which consisted of four stamps. All of these four stamps are perforated 13.

The first stamp is the 3d emerald and red-brown. This stamp was issued 17 December 1956. The theme of this stamp is the flower of the Blue Mahoe tree, which is Jamaica's national tree.

The Blue Mahoe is a beautiful and durable timber that is widely used for cabinet making and also for making decorative objects such as picture frames, bowls and wood carvings. The inner bark of the tree is often referred to as Cuba bark because it was formerly used for tying bundles of Havana cigars...

SG 163

The second stamp in this design format is the 4d bronze-green and blue. This stamp was issued 17 December 1956. This stamp can be found with wmk inverted, so be on the lookout. Such stamps have a cv of £110 mint. The theme of this stamp is breadfruit.

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family. It is found throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands. Its name is derived from the texture of the cooked fruit, which has a potato-like flavor, similar to fresh-baked bread...

SG 164

The third stamp in this design format is the 5d scarlet and bronze-green. This stamp was issued 17 December 1956. The theme of this stamp is the Ackee, which is the national fruit of Jamaica. Ackee and saltfish is the national dish...

SG 165

The fourth and final stamp to use this design format is the 6d black and deep rose-red. This stamp was issued 3 September 1956. The theme of this stamp is the Doctor Bird.

The Red-billed Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus) also known as the Doctor Bird, is indigenous to Jamaica, where it is the most abundant and widespread member of the hummingbird family.

SG 166

Stay tuned for Part 3. Until then...

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QEII Definitives - Jamaica 1956 (Part 1)

Jamaica 1956 Part 1

On 1 May 1956 Jamaica issued its first Queen Elizabeth II definitives. The set consisted of 15 stamps, all on paper watermarked multi-script CA. The series incorporated five different designs. The series was recess-printed by De La Rue. In Part 1 we shall study the first design, which consisted of four stamps. All of these four stamps are perforated 13.

The first stamp is the ½d black and deep orange-red. The theme of this stamp is coconut palms.

SG 159

The second stamp is the 1d black and emerald. The theme of this stamp is sugar cane.

SG 160

The third stamp is the 2d black and carmine-red. This stamp was issued later than the first two on 2 August 1956. The theme of this stamp is pineapples.

SG 161

The fourth and final stamp to se this design format is the 2½d black and deep bright blue. This stamp was also released on 2 August 1956. The theme of this stamp is bananas.

SG 162

Stay tuned for Part 2. Until then...

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Last Day of Issue

Bahamas Postmark

The postmark on this Bahamas 1954 8d stamp, SG 209, is interesting. It reads 31 December 1963. This series was stopped at the end of 1963. So this stamp was cancelled on the last day of printing for this issue. Too bad it's not on a cover. It would be a Last Day Cover...!!

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