The Stamps of Edward VIII

Edward VIII was king for less than a year in 1936 before abdicating to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson. Due to his short reign, most of the coins that were produced upon his accession were never released for circulation. The exact number of Edward VIII coins still in existence is unknown but the majority were melted down, therefore the coins that remain are rare and often very valuable.

When Edward VIII inherited the throne from his father George V in January 1936, a series of definitive postage stamps were also commissioned by the British Post Office. These stamps would serve as a temporary ‘Accession’ issue to be produced as soon as possible and to be replaced by a ‘Coronation’ set of stamps and later a permanent series of stamps following the king’s coronation.

Stamp printers Harrison and Sons were asked to produce ideas, and designs were also submitted by the public. The Post Office were particularly impressed by the submission sent in by Hubert J Brown, a 17-year-old schoolboy. His simple pencil drawing design featured a central portrait of Edward VIII, the denomination in figures in the top left, the Crown in the top right, the value in words along the bottom, and the words ‘POSTAGE’ and ‘REVENUE’ along the left and right sides of the stamp. Hubert’s design was forwarded to Harrison and Sons, who added a photogravure portrait of Edward VIII by Hugh Cecil that had been approved for use on the new stamps. Photogravure was a new and sophisticated intaglio print process using copper plates which produced high-quality reproductions of photographs in ink. Four values of the ‘Accession’ stamp set were issued, the ½d green, 1½d brown, 2½d blue and 1d red.

The Post Office was reluctant to acknowledge Hubert’s contribution to the new design due to his young age. They sent him a letter, stating: ‘Stamps of the new reign will appear shortly and you will see that the design which has been selected bears some features in common with that which you suggested,’ but refrained from giving Hubert the credit that he deserved. In fact, the Post Office gave no recognition to Hubert until the philatelic press disclosed the truth in January 1937.

After Edward VIII’s abdication, there was a delay in producing stamps for the new monarch, King George VI. Edward VIII’s stamps remained on sale for months and many were saved for commemorative purposes by the public, meaning, unlike Edward VIII’s coins, his stamps are not particularly rare but are still collectable.