New Search Room exhibition opening on 6 May 2008
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This year, we are marking the 50th anniversary of the first issue of “Regional” stamps for the various countries and islands of the British Isles, with a new exhibition. The exhibition will be on display in our Search Room in Freeling House from 6 May (National Stamp Day). It will be entitled Lions, Leopards, Unicorns & Dragons: the first “Regional” stamps.
The exhibition will show some of the many stamp designs submitted and how the final designs developed. The graphics are being designed by Rupert Denyer of Sedley Place who also created the new stamps for the forthcoming miniature sheet and the panes for the prestige stamp book which will be issued in Autumn 2008, also to mark the anniversary.
The first ideas for “Regional” definitives were expressed after the Second World War during the reign of King George VI. A few designs and essays were created but came to nothing. Then, during the early 1950s there were several calls for more pictorial definitives. This combined with nationalist sentiment wanting stamps for the different parts of the British Isles, particularly in Scotland.
In 1956, The Queen agreed that there should be different definitive stamps for the component “Regions”. The main feature would remain the Wilding portrait of The Queen as used on national definitives. Symbols and heraldic emblems for the various areas were then added, chosen by special committees set up for each country and island.
In 1958 three stamps each of 3d, 6d and 1s 3d were issued for the countries of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (but not England), with one 3d stamp for the islands of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. These stamps were primarily sold and used in their respective areas but they were also valid for postage throughout the United Kingdom. Later, other values were added, mostly in the same designs but with new versions for the islands.
This should give you a sneak preview of some of the stamp designs that will be on display:
February 1958, unaccepted design for Northern Island by Leonard Pilton
February 1958, unaccepted design for Scotland by William McLaren
February 1958, unaccepted design for Scotland by J B Fleming
March 1958, unaccepted essay from Wales designed by V S James
1958, unaccepted essay from Jersey designed by William Gardner
1958, unaccepted essay from the Isle of Man designed by John Nicholson
1958, issued stamp from Guernsey designed by Eric Piprell
November 1946, bromide of design for proposed George VI Channel Islands stamp