Islands Stamp Issues
pp. 89-91 · Read in the full issue
The Monarch And Islands Stamp Issues
By K. Norman
THE untimely death in February of His Majesty, King George VI, has created intense interest in the many issues of Empire postage stamps that carried his likeness, f Since his accession to the Throne in 1936, the Territories of the Pacific have included his portrait on a num ber of contrasting issues. [ As it will be some time before the portrait of the new ruler, Queen Elizabeth H, can be incorporated on new stamps, we may reflectively con sider the Pacific Islands stamps honouring His late Majesty.
Nauru, in company with New Guinea and Papua (the latter two then separate stamp-issuing entities), circulated four stamps each on the occasion in May, 1937, of the late King’s Coronation.
All stamps depicted the King hat less, his head facing in the left direc tion, set on a plain background.
The British Solomons, Fiji, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands and Pit :airn Island produced stamps in con nection with the 25th anniversary of the wedding of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The design was :ommon to all the British Crown Colonies. The celebrations took place in April, 1948 and depicted he Queen (Mother) in evening dress, he late King in Admiral’s uniform, facing to the right.
The Crown Colonies’ “Victory” ieries of 1946, showing the Houses )f Parliament in London, addition illy displayed a portrait of the late SCing at the right, in a full face for nat.
The Fijian pictorial stamps of 1938, included a portrait of he King on them, half turned to the eft. A medallion portraiture was ised in different values, in left hand md central positions.
The initial Fijian “Health” stamps )f September, 1951, also had per mits of King George VI, at the ight hand corners of the two tamps.
In September, 1938, four stamps I'ere printed by Papua to mark the ; oth Anniversary of the declaration if the Territory as a British Pro ectorate, a small representation of he King appearing at the right of he stamp, facing to the left.
Another inset portraiture of the Cing in Admiral’s uniform figured m the five stamps of the pictorial eries issued by Papua, in September,
It was in January, 1939 that the Gilbert and Ellice Islands stamps appeared, this interesting pictorial sequence taking a portrait of the head only of the King as part of the de sign. The head faced to the right.
The same likeness was used for the 1939 pictorials.
The portrait of the King shown on the Cook Islands stamps of May, 1938, were identical with those used
on the stamps of New Zealand, the 1/- of the former series carrying a striking full-face representation.
Three portraits of the King on the October, 1940 series from Pitcairn Island were seen in the centre of the pictorial series, the remainder show ing his likeness at the left of the formats.
I feel sure stamp collectors would support any move amongst the Ter
pitories of the Pacific to produce Fmemorial” stamps in honour of our late King at some appropriate future Hate.
I King George VI was deeply in- Urested in stamps, and possessed one of the most complete collections in the world. It was started by his late lather, George V, recognised univer sally as ‘The King of Philatelists.”
I The “Royal Stamp Collection,” as it is now known, is said to contain more than 600,000 stamps from all corners of the world, and is con servatively estimated to be worth £1 million.