Edward VII stamps

Most Edwardian stamps used the same or similar frames around the portraits to those of the late Victorian period.

In The Postal Museum collections we have a series of stamp-size trials with different portraits of the new monarch within existing frames.There are many colour trials of the various definitive stamp values. There are also registration sheets of all issued stamps, all of which are imperforate. Those overprinted for use in government departments or in British post offices overseas (Morocco Agencies, Bechuanaland Protectorate and the Levant) are perforated.

Registration sheet overprinted ‘Levant’

Special sheet format

A special sheet format was created for stamp booklets which were introduced in 1904. We have a registration sheet of this.

Tyrian Plum, 1910

One famous stamp which was not issued was the 2d Tyrian Plum of 1910. This is represented in the collection by:

a complete imperforate registration sheet;
a perforated sheet with one stamp missing;
a complete set of colour trials.

Corner of sheet of Tyrian Plums

There is also the metal die for this stamp and its original metal box. We have the only metal plate that exists. It is an experimental letterpress one for the 1d value of 1911.