2¢ King George VI 1949


2¢ King George VI 1949
Added by Alain Martineau
General Description : Portrait engraved by John Hay
In 1949 the Post Office Department decided that the 1-cent to 5-cent stamps portraying His Majesty King George VI in the armed services' uniforms should be replaced by designs showing him in civilian dress. The manufacturers were instructed to omit the words, "postes" and "postage" to increase the artistic emphasis and simplicity of the portrait. Original plans for these stamps called for first day sale on 6th June, 1949, the day chosen officially to honour the birthday of King George VI. Shortly before the stamp were to go on sale, a change in plans required the words, "postes" and "postage" to be included in the designs although considerable quantities had been printed in the simplified form. The engravers revised the dies to include the English and French words for postage, and produced a new series of stamps. The five new stamps, referred to as the "Revised Designs," reproduced contemporary portraits of the King by Dorothy Wilding Portraits, Limited, London. Full portrait of His Majesty King George VI.
Face value 2 Cents
Catalog code (Michel) CA 251A
Catalog code (Scott) CA 285
Catalog code Yvert et Tellier CA 237 Stanley Gibbons CA 415
Series Monarchy, King George VI
Stamp colour sepia
Stamp use Definitive stamp
Print run 210,645,000
Issue date 15/11/1949
Designer Herman Herbert Schwartz
Print technique recess
Printed by Canadian Bank Note Company
Perforation 12, 9.5 Vertical
Height 24.00 mm
Width 20.00 mm
Catalog prices No catalog prices set yet