Pages

Sunday 20 February 2011

Kings and Queens on Sunday Stamps

As the first postage stamp was issued in Great Britain I suppose I should start with a reproduction of the Penny Black from 1840.


In searching my albums for stamps with female leaders I found stamps from Denmark and the Netherlands.

Queen Margethe, I think, who was 70 in 2010

 Queen Wilhelmina - Hollands longest serving monarch


Returning to Great Britain and with the Oscars getting closer we are hoping the The King's Speech will succeed. So here are the main players on stamps:


Edward who abdicated at the top; King George VI below.

The bottom row shows the stamp to commemorate the coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth on 12 May 1937 in the week before I was born.

Next is the stamp for the 100 anniversary of the postage stamp and the Victory stamp after WWII.

My last stamp today is the oldest in my collection - Queen Victoria on an 1881 issue.



More Presidents, statesmen and women, world leaders at: Viridian's postcards - sunday-stamps-7.html

12 comments:

Postcardy said...

That's a nice collection. I'd rather see a stamp with a portrait of a queen or king than see a tiny queen in the corner of every stamp.

viridian said...

I very much want to see the King's Speech. (Love Colin Firth!) Thanks for showing some great stamps. How rare is the penny black?

Bob Scotney said...

I've just turned up this information on the internet:

"Unfortunately, although highly regarded by stamp collectors, (philatelists) Penny Black stamps are not all that rare.

About 68 million Penny Black stamps were issued during 1840-41 and it is estimated that about 1.5 million Penny Blacks survive today!!!

The value of the Penny Black stamp today varies significantly according to its grade and condition.

A fine used Penny Black copy like the one illustrated and discovered at one of the Manitoba Roadshows, can be bought for about $125 or less.

But fine unused penny Black examples are really quite rare and can sell for as much as $3,500 USD. or even more.

Thereby underpinning the notion that it's scarcity and RARITY that brings value, not age alone.

Finally, it's interesting to note that in honour of the U.K. having issued the world's first adhesive postage stamps, the Universal Postal Union grants it an exemption from its rule that the name of the issuing country must appear on a stamp.

No British stamp to date has ever had the country's name on it."

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

A great collection of kings and queens. You could say it's a right royal collection.

Arabella said...

This is a wonderful collection, Bob. I, too, hope that the King's Speech wins for best picture.

21 Wits said...

you must surely have quite a nice collection of stamps....and your information is always of interest to me!

Sreisaat said...

Wow you came back with great stamps! I agree with Sheila - your collection should be aptly called the Royal Collection!



Postcards Crossing

Joy said...

A nice collection of kings and queens. I always like that you can tell which part of the sheet they are from on the early Victoria stamps.

tony said...

Yes, I also think its a bit daft + pointless to relegate the head to the corner of a stamp.
These Stamps Carry A Simple Beauty & Strength.

Unknown said...

You do seem to have a [pretty good stamp collection, Bob.

viridian said...

Thank you Bob for the info on the penny black.

Bob Scotney said...

Thanks everyone for your comments.