100 Years of British Commemorative Stamps

The 23rd of April 2024, sees a milestone in British stamp history. it is the date when the first commemorative issues where ever issued by the GPO or Royal Mail as we would know it today. 

Up to this point issues of Queen Victoria and Edward VII and George V had always featured the monarchs head on the stamp. But in April of 1923, the idea was muted to produce a commemorative stamped envelope and postcard to mark the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park. The exhibition itself was aimed at promoting trade and strengthening bonds with other countries within the then known Empire and Commonwealth, additionally it was aimed to lift the spirits of the nation post world war 1.

Post office Assistant Secretary, Sir Evelyn Murray prepared a memo in May of 1923 also suggesting that a special adhesive stamp be prepared for the show. 

An invitation was sent out to 8 artists to submit finished drawings by the following Febraury of 1924. Criteria included that the designs had to be symbolic of the British Empire, to include a portrait of the Kings Head and also the inscription “British Empire Exhibition 1924”. Two values were to be designed a 1d and a 1 1/2d value. Only five submissions were received with ultimately the design by a gentleman called Harold Nelson being selected by no other than King George V himself. 

The stamps were prepared and printed by Waterlow and Sons, in two formats, in full sheets, and in stamp rolls from the sheets, so that they could be used from the ticket /vending machines at the show.

The show opened on the 23rd April 1924, which is when the two stamps were issued. Initially they were only available at the post offices within the show, but after the 1st July were also available by post from the London Chief Office. The two values were only ever valid for use in the United Kingdom. The two stamps had a relatively short life, if you will, being withdrawn on the 31st October when the show finished.

The following year the Show re opened on the 9th May and the stamps were once again issued with a change to the inscription to “British Empire Exhibition 1925”. They also were withdrawn from service at the end of October 1925 once the show had closed.

In this time some 17 million stamps were sold. Nelson’s Lion design on the stamps is now more commonly known as the Wembley Lion.

It took another five years before the next commemorative issues were issued in Britain, again it transpired it was for a major event, the Postal Union Congress which was held in London in 1929. From this issue, is probably one of the most iconic British stamps ever, in our eyes the £1 PUC again designed by Harold Nelson. This stamp formed part of a set in total of 5 values.

The last commemorative issue of George V’s  reign was for his Silver Jubilee in 1935, when a set of 4 stamps were issued. But this forms part of a much larger range of stamps that were also jointly issued from around the British Empire. This set complete comprises of 250 stamps!

Commemorative issues were issued albeit limited again during the reign of George VI, but you have to bear in mind further war years the most notable commemorative issues were the Coronation issue of 1937, the centenary of the first adhesive postage stamp in 1940, Victory of 1946, Royal Silver Wedding issue of 1948 there were three further commemorative issues during his reign.

The mainstay of commemorative issues though is from Queen Elizabeths era onwards. Although few and far between for the first years of her reign, from the 1960’s onwards they became the mainstay of British Collectors. One of the most famous designers was David Gentleman. Born in 1930, he is also perhaps better known as an English Artist and studied at the Royal College of Arts under John Nash and Edward Bawden. However, between 1962 and 2000, he designed 100+ stamps for the Post Office, the first being the National Productivity Year issue of 1962, as well as many other 1960’s issues such as Churchill, Concorde, and the Battle Of Britain.

Although considered radical at the time, his work is actually now so fundamental that his legacy of design is still seen on commemorative stamps today. His early designs and essays were experimental and his work was commissioned by the then Postmaster General, Tony Benn. Benn and Gentleman were looking at ways of “dispensing” with the ‘photo’ image of the Queen’s head which at the time was mandatory on all issues. The aim of the work was to replace the picture with a smaller silhouette, which was in fact derived from Mary Gillick’s coinage head design originally.

Now, some 60 years later, this profile and silhouette remain a feature of all British Commemorative stamps. The British Flowers issue of 2023 was the first to display the silhouette of King Charles III.