Discover scarce coronation stamps through the ages

Did you know?

The commemorative stamps issued for Charles III's coronation are only the third such set in British postal history?

Of the 5 monarchs since the Victorian invention of the printed, adhesive postage stamp, only George VI (1937) and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 have been so celebrated.

Edward VIII would have enjoyed that honour, had his love-life not cut short his reign before the crown could be put on his head.

Essays of the proposed designs for those stamps in good condition are valuable rarities.

As are these British Empire coronation-related stamps in wonderful condition.

They span the globe.

Have considerable philatelic interest.

And I'm delighted to be offering almost all of them today for well under their Stanley Gibbons catalogue values.

Canada 1903-12 7c straw, plate number '2' block of 20 (10x2), being the upper two rows of a sheet with full margins and imprint, SG181a.

These are Edward VII coronation issue definitives rather than coronation commemorative stamps.

According to the Stanley Gibbons catalogue you should expect to pay at least £2,400 for this set.

They are unmounted mint with original gum.

You'll see a little plate wear on the final stamps in each row. Otherwise they look very much as they did when they came off the presses in 1903.

The profile is based on the coronation portrait of Edward VII by Luke Fildes.

Fildes' family story is extraordinary.

Some 80 years before he painted this most official establishment image, his grandmother, Mary, was a radical activist and a leading figure at the event now remembered as the Peterloo Massacre. Her son struggled in life and she paid for her grandson to attend Warrington School of Art.

There were 7 denominations in this new definitive set, issued between 1903 and 1908.

They drew heavily on the designs for the final set of definitives for Queen Victoria, subbing out maple leaves for the crowns seen here.

Click here to own this 1903 coronation set now for £1,950

New Zealand 1864 2d pale blue (Plate 1 worn), watermark 'NZ', imperforate, SG98.

The coronation portrait of Queen Victoria was by Alfred Chalon.

To specialist New Zealand collectors Chalon Heads are a distinct and sought-after category.

The colony's first stamps were issued in 1855. Chalon's portrait from the 1837 coronation (made in 1838) was the basis for the profile until 1874.

This 1864 example is used with an Invercargill cancellation. It has good margins, mostly very large.

Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £275.

Own this New Zealand Chalon Head 1864 stamp for £175

Nyasaland 1937 Coronation of King George VI set of 3 to 2d, perforated 'SPECIMEN' (type B9), SG127s/9s.

Specimen sets were used as a reference to check for forgeries by post office authorities. They would have been uncirculated in normal circumstances.

This set was made for Nyasaland, in south-west Africa, which was named Malawi on its independence in 1964.

This lovely commemorative stamp was produced for the coronation of Charles III's grandfather, George VI, who is shown here in an attractive portrait with his wife, Elizabeth.

Designs for the first stamps of George's reign were a rush job after the abdication of his older brother.

The set is rated brilliant mint and the gum is original. Just a few short perforations on the ½d stamp are the only blemish on an exceptionally fresh set of stamps.

The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £150.

Click here to buy this specimen 1937 coronation set for just £125

Bechuanaland 1927 Coronation of King George V and his wife Elizabeth as King and Queen, set of 3, perforated 'SPECIMEN' (type D20), SF115s/17s.

A reference set that would have been kept by authorities to check the authenticity of circulating stamps.

These 3 nicely coloured examples are all in fine, fresh, mint condition, with most of the original gum intact.

The Bechuanaland Protectorate was set up in 1885 and became independent from the UK as Botswana in 1966. Overprinted stamps were used in the territory until 1932.

Click here now to secure this specimen set for £140