The colours of the stamps match those of the definitives for the same values. The profile head of Queen Victoria is a replica of that used on the 1d black and 2d blue, engraved by Frederick Heath from Henry Corbould's sketch of the 'Wyon head' used on a City Medal.

The Postmaster General confirmed that considerations were being made for Centenary commemorative stamps as early as May 1938 [Hansard - HC Deb 02 May 1938 vol 335 c505]. Preparations for the issue were in progress for some time and essays were invited from selected artists in early 1939. When war broke out in September, 1939, the celebrations to mark the Centenary of Uniform Penny Postage (10 January 1840) and the Centenary of the first Postage Stamps (6 May 1840) had to be drastically curtailed and for a while it was considered cancelling the commemorative issue altogether. However, in January 1940, the decision was announced that the issue of the commemorative stamps would go ahead.

The original plans for a set of four stamps was altered to be a set of six mainly due to pending postal rate increases for 1 May.

The stamps are 1½ times the length of the standard definitive issue. Within a few days of being issued the size of the stamps was being criticised as being too big in light of the national paper shortage, (Hansard 9 May).

The stamps feature the Wyon profile of Queen Victoria beside the Dulac portrait of George VI.

The 2d stamp bisected (usually diagonally) was used as 1d postage in Guernsey during the Channel Islands occupation.

Cylinder Numbers and Varieties

All values were issued with the Control Number G40

Specimen for each stamp

First Day Covers

In the House of Commons, Mr. Shakespeare, announced - "In collaboration with the General Post Office my Department has made arrangements whereby 100,000 stamped envelopes addressed to the British Pavilion at the New York World's Fair will be on sale to the public in the International Centennial Stamp Exhibition which has been organised by the Fair authorities. Of these envelopes 98,000 bear the 2½d. centennial stamp, while the remaining 2,000 bear the full centennial issue of six stamps. The envelopes were so posted as to obtain the cancellation date of the first day of issue, which was 6th May, 1940." Hansard, 9 May.

Overprints

½d - 'Morocco Agencies - 5 centimos' (Spanish Zone)

'Tangier'

1d - 'Morocco Agencies - 10 centimos' (Spanish Zone)

'Tangier'

1½d - 'Morocco Agencies - 15 centimos' (Spanish Zone)

'Tangier'

2½d - 'Morocco Agencies - 15 centimos' (Spanish Zone)

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Contact : Malcolm Sanders :  kg6gb@hotmail.com