King George 6th Stamps

King George VI, known for his steadfast leadership during challenging times, reigned from 1936 to 1952. His was a reign marked by historical events, including World War II and the dissolution of the British Empire.

The stamps issued during King George VI's reign are a testament to the resilience and strength of the British nation. With distinctive designs and denominations, these stamps echo the cultural shifts and technological advancements of the mid-20th century.

Issues of George 6th

The issues of George VI are the most straightforward (aside from Edward VIII) and most alike the issues of Queen Elizabeth II that many will be familiar with.

Commemorative issues featured heavily during the reign of George VI, with these forming the bulk of the various designs. The first stamp featuring the new King's head is the 1937 Coronation commemorative issue, and the final new design during his reign being the Festival of Britain commemorative issue.

The definitives of George VI, akin to Elizabeth II, have simple variations of colour to set them apart; George VI had done away with his predecessor's fondness for lions, seahorses, different portraits and regal frames. The first issue featured dark colours, which made it hard to read dark ink or postmarks. Thus, the same stamps were reissued, identical save for the colours being lighter. The third issue of definitives simply had the colour of each denomination changed.

These features of George VI stamps make them significantly easier to identify and catalogue compared to prior monarchs, where watermarks, shades of colour and printing methods are often the only way to tell one stamp from another.