Machins & Wildings Definitive Stamp Issues

Wilding stamps issued 5 December 1952

The Wilding design
The stamps consist of five basic designs with a common feature being the queens portrait set in an oval frame. The portrait was based on photographic plates designed by Dorothy Wilding Ltd.

Dorothy Wilding (1893 - 1976)

Dorothy Wilding was awarded the Royal Warrant and became the first woman to be appointed as the official royal photographer for the 1937 Coronation stamp issue.

With the death of King George VI in February 1952 new definitive postage stamps would be required for the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The stamps were to be printed photogravure by Harrison & Sons, but it was undecided if the portrait for the new stamps would be adapted from a photograph or the drawing or medal sculptures commonly used at the time, Dorothy Wilding Ltd was commissioned to take photographic plates of Her Majesty wearing a tiara. In April 1952 Dorothy Wilding Ltd took a further set of plates with the Queen wearing the George IV state diadem. Artist Edmund Dulac was also commissioned to produce drawings from these photographs, one with the Queen wearing the tiara, the other wearing the diadem. Dulac’s drawings were subsequently rejected in favour of the photographic plates.

Edmund Dulac (Tiara portrait)

Edmund Dulac (Diadem portrait)

The Dulac drawings were rejected in favour of the Wilding photographs.

George IV diadem

The Dorothy Wilding photograph selected for the stamp portrait

Retouched Dorothy Wilding photograph as used in its various states

The five artists frame designs approved for the Wilding definitive issue.


Miss Enid Marx	G. T. Knipe	Miss Mary Adshead	M. C. Farrar-Bell	Edmund Dulac

	Tudor crown watermarked paper (1952 - 54)

5.12.52 Green	5.12.52 Carmine-red	.5.53 Carmine-red	6.7.53 Brown	6.7.53 Magenta	6.7.53 Bistre-brown
	Type 1	Type 2


31.8.53 Orange-red	31.8.53 Ultramarine	31.8.53 Red-brown	2.11.53 Ultramarine	2.11.53 Green	2.11.53 Grey-blue


18.1.54 Deep lilac	18.1.54 Reddish purple	18.1.54 Bright green	8.2.54 Bronze-green	8.2.54 Prussian blue	8.2.54 Brown-purple

	St Edwards crown watermarked paper (1955 - 58)

.8.55	.8.55	6.9.55 Red-brown	.9.55	.9.55 Type 2	21.9.55


28.9.55 Type 1	22.9.55	28.10.55	3.11.55	14.11.55 Ultramarine	15.12.5


20.12.55 Reddish purple	21.12.55	27.3.56	27.3.56	23.4.56	17.7.5


17.10.56 Light red-brown	8.5.58 Deep claret

1957 (19th November) graphite lined issue (Edwards crown watermark)

	Light red-brown	Type 2

	Multiple crowns watermarked paper (1958 - 65)

24.10.58	29.10.58 Ultramarine	30.10.58	10.11.58	18.11.58	25.11.58


26.11.58	.11.58	.11.58 Type 2	16.12.58 Light red brown	16.12.58	23.12.58


.12.58	9.2.59	24.3.59	17.6.59	24.2.60	10.11.60 Type 1

28.4.65 Deep ultramarine

	1958 graphite lined issue (Multiple crowns watermark)

24.11.58 Light red-brown	24.11.58	18.12.58	29.4.59 Ultramarine	3.6.59	9.6.59 Type 2


15.6.59	4.8.59

	1959 (18th November) phosphor-graphite issue (Multiple crowns watermark)

		Light red-brown	Type 2

Ultramarine

	Phosphor issue (1960 - 67), multiple crowns watermark

22.6.60	22 .6.60	22.6.60	22.6.60 Light red-brown	22.6.60 Type 2	22.6.60


22.6.60	27.6.60	5.6.61 Ultramarine	13.9.61	4.10.61 Light red-brown	4.10.61 Type 2


7.11.61 Type 1	28.4.65 Deep ultramarine	29.4.65	29.4.65	12.12.66	29.12.6


30.12.66	15.12.67	9.6.67	28.6.67	28.6.67

Cream and white paper The stamps were originally printed on cream paper but in April 1962 a white paper was introduced. The white paper was gradually transformed over a number of years, this phenomena occurred due to the varying amounts of OBA (optical brightening agent) added to the paper during the manufacturing process.
Reverse side of three different 1d values showing cream and differing white papers

Cream paper (only occurs low OBA)	Original white paper (low OBA)	Later white paper (high OBA)

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