cddstamps on stamps

my thoughts on stamps, stamp collecting, philately in general and maybe a few other topics !

Friday, September 15, 2017


Hello, I saw a small collection of Downey Heads on FB the other day and thought something on George V would be of interest. So perhaps you will enjoy seeing this MS from Hong Kong, SG MS745 issued in 1993.  It was the second in a series of Hong Kong Classics stamp sheetlets.  The background of the sheet  depicts a street scene on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of George V.  One interesting aspect of the stamp is the larger perforation hole in each corner of the stamp. Perhaps you had not seen this before. 


King George V was an avid stamp collector as I think many readers will know. He played a large role in building the Royal Philatelic Collection into what is considered by many to be the most comprehensive collection of United Kingdom and Commonwealth stamps in the world.

In 1893, as the Duke of York, he was elected honorary vice-president of what became the Royal Philatelic Society of London. On his marriage that year, fellow members of the society gave him an album of nearly 1,500 postage stamps as a wedding present. He expanded the collection with a number of high-priced purchases of rare stamps and covers. His 1904 purchase of the Mauritius two pence blue for £1,450 set a new record for a single stamp. A courtier asked the prince if he had seen "that some damned fool had paid as much as £1,400 for one stamp". "Yes," George replied. "I was that damned fool”

George V had his collection housed in 328 so-called "Red Albums", each of about 60 pages. Later additions included a set of "Blue Albums" for the reign of George VI and  "Green Albums" for those of the current Queen, Elizabeth II.


Enjoy your philately, and have a great weekend.  Michael    cddstamps.com

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