Hello!
September 8, 2022, was a sad day for everyone who feels a connection to Britain.
I love Britain, the birthplace of the postage stamp.
British stamps have been part of Postio Marche ever since I started the shop in 2005, and I always have more than 200 different British stamps in stock.
British stamps today carry a silhouette of the monarch’s head — Queen Elizabeth II’s when I wrote this post.
This tradition goes back to the days when the stamp design itself was a portrait of the Queen.
Here are the world’s first postage stamps, the Penny Black & the Twopenny Blue, issued in 1840.
They show Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen Elizabeth II’s great-great-grandmother.
Many years later, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022; reigned February 6, 1952 – September 8, 2022), new definitive stamps were issued in 1952.
This miniature sheet from 2008 is based on the stamps of that era.
As an example of a commemorative stamp, here is the 1962 “National Productivity Year” issue designed by David Gentleman.
The graphic design and the Queen’s portrait in an oval make a curious balance — and that is exactly the charm of this era.
Among the stamps that pair a design with this portrait, these are my particular favorites:
the 1963 “National Nature Week” & “Paris Postal Conference Centenary” stamps.
The charm of the plants & animals goes perfectly with the Queen’s gentle expression.
The 1960 stamps marking the first anniversary of CEPT combine the common Europa design with the Queen’s portrait, giving them a dignified look that is unmistakably British.
For a while, stamps continued to combine a design with the Queen’s portrait. But sometimes the Queen’s coinage portrait — designed by the Royal Mint for coins — was used instead.
This coinage portrait was created in 1953 by the sculptor Mary Gillick (1881–1961).
It was chosen from 17 entries in a competition held by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC).
Mary Gillick won the competition with a fresh portrait of the young monarch wearing not a crown, but a laurel wreath.
What is a laurel wreath?
A ring made from leafy branches of the laurel tree, worn as a crown. In ancient Greece it was given to the winners of competitions as a sign of honor, and it has come to symbolize the highest honor or distinction.
On the stamps, the portrait is usually placed at the upper right of the design, and the profile mostly faces left, as if looking toward the picture. (Some face right.)
Facing left goes all the way back to the Penny Black.
From the sculpted portrait, the Queen’s image evolved further into something that let the design of commemorative stamps shine.
On the 1966 “World Cup” stamps, the Queen’s portrait appeared as a silhouette.
It is said that David Gentleman was the one who pushed for this silhouette.
👉 David Gentleman: A Complete Guide to His British Stamp Designs
I had always wondered what the ribbon-like thing at the back of the head in the silhouette was — and now the mystery is solved.
It is the knot of the laurel wreath!
From then on, the Queen’s silhouette became an essential part of every stamp issued by Royal Mail.
On the 2016 miniature sheet for the Queen’s 90th birthday, the Queen & the then Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) face right, while Prince William & Prince George face left — the two pairs facing each other.
It feels as if their care for the people is expressed even here. Am I the only one who finds that heartwarming?
Royal Mail is the company that provides postal services in the United Kingdom. Its history goes back to 1516, when King Henry VIII of England created the post of Master of the Posts, which later became Postmaster General. In 1635, Charles I opened the Royal Mail service to the public, and it continues to this day.
After the Queen’s death, Royal Mail opened a special page, “A life in stamps.”
Royal Mail — Queen Elizabeth II: A life in stamps
As stamp fans know well, British stamps do not show the name of the country.
In 1964, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) — the international organization that governs the world’s postal rules — decided at its congress that from 1966 stamps must show the country or territory name in Roman letters.
Britain, as the country that issued the very first stamp in 1840, was given special treatment: the Queen’s portrait alone identifies a British stamp, and the exemption is said to be a mark of respect for the first country.
And the “Platinum Jubilee” stamps issued on February 4, 2022, marking 70 years since the Queen’s accession, feature the Queen herself — so they carry no silhouette.
I can feel Royal Mail’s deep respect for the Queen.
I feel happy that we can always meet the Queen’s gentle smile in stamps.
I will keep on collecting.
Postio Marche carries a wide range of British stamps — please take a look.
👉 Postio Marche — British Stamps
Some of the stamps shown are from a private collection. Items available for purchase are those listed in the shop only.
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