King George V Seahorses facts for kids
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The stamps known as Seahorses are special postage stamps from the United Kingdom. They were made during the time King George V was ruler. These stamps had high values, meaning they were used for more expensive postage.
These stamps are famous for their amazing design and how well they were made. The picture shows Britannia, a symbol of Britain, riding in a chariot pulled by three strong horses on a stormy sea. Many people who collect stamps, called philatelists, love these stamps. They collect them because there are many different colors and they were printed by different companies.
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Designing the Seahorse Stamps
King George V was a very keen stamp collector himself. He was very interested in how these stamps would look. An Australian artist named Bertram Mackennal designed the stamps. He included a side view of the King's head, which he had first used for the King's Coronation medal.
The letters on the stamps were designed by George W. Eve. The special metal plates used for printing, called dies, were carved by J.A.C.Harrison. The stamps were printed using a method called intaglio. This means the design was carved into the printing plate, and the ink sat in these carved lines.
When Were They Issued?
The first Seahorse stamps came out in July and August of 1913. They were available in several values and colors:
- 2 shillings and 6 pence (brown)
- 5 shillings (red)
- 10 shillings (blue)
- 1 pound (green)
Who Printed the Stamps?
The first company to print these stamps was Waterlow Bros & Layton. But in December 1915, a new company, De La Rue & Co, took over the printing. When De La Rue started printing, the stamps became 1 millimeter taller. The 1 pound stamp was also stopped at this time.
Later, in December 1918, another company called Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd started printing the stamps. The printing job went back to Waterlow & Sons in 1934. For this new printing, the dies were carved again. The lines behind the King's head, which used to be horizontal, were changed to a criss-cross pattern.
Special Overprints
Some Seahorse stamps had special words printed over their original design. These are called overprints. For example, some stamps were overprinted for use in Morocco Agencies. Others were overprinted for the Irish Free State when it became independent.
The Seahorse stamps were used until 1939. After that, new high-value stamps featuring King George VI were issued.
