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.
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1936 STAMP ISSUES
Unissued and only remaining Stamps |
2d. King Edward VIII
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Product List
Stamp List |
2d. Scarlet King Edward VIII |
The Surviving block of 6 |
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Gummed Stamps
1x Sheet of 360 (4 x80).
2d. Scarlet King Edward VIII
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