History of The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue
 

King Edward VIII
1936
Officially Printed Unissued Stamps
Finalised

HISTORY
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom in January 1936 until his abdication in December 1936.
Five definitive stamps were proposed, comprising 1d., 1½d., 2d., 3d., 1/4d. values, with a design based on a recent photograph of the King in his Navel Uniform.
The original die was prepared for the 2d. value, with supplementary dies for the other values prepared later.
Copper printing plates were prepared for all values and trial printings carried out.
Following the Kings abdication, all stamps, proofs, and dies were destroyed, with the exception of the original hand-painted essay and a sheet of stamp-size photographic essays. 
However a signed block of six stamps escaped destruction. On 29 September 1936, the Governor of Victoria, who was viewing the print run, was invited to sign and date one of the finished sheets. It was subsequently given to the Governor, but later (because of the ordered destruction) he was requested to return it. It was returned but the signed corner block of six stamps was missing. The Governor had apparently removed it prior and sent it a friend in England and apparently (for diplomatic reasons) it could not be retrieved.

1936  STAMP ISSUES
Unissued and only remaining Stamps
2d. King Edward VIII
Product List
Stamp List
stamp
2d.  Scarlet  King Edward VIII

stamp
The Surviving block of 6
Gummed Stamps
1x Sheet of 360 (4 x80).
2d.  Scarlet  King Edward VIII