Requests were made for a special set of stamps to celebrate victory well before 1946, but shortages of supplies and manpower led to their issue being delayed.

28 February 1946, the Assistant Postmaster-General (Mr.Burke) announced; "With your permission, Sir, I should like to make a short statement on a proposal of His Majesty's Government that a special commemorative issue of postage stamps shall be made in connection with the forthcoming victory celebrations. Our manufacturing resources and the time available are severely limiting factors. But my Noble Friend intends to issue one, and if time permits, two commemorative stamps of the lower denominations for inland and Imperial letters, and foreign letters, respectively. This will provide for the great majority of inland and overseas letters.

In order to give scope for a worthy design, the stamps will be of double size, that is, the equivalent of two of the current stamp side by side. A number of artists have been invited to submit designs, and they have been asked to emphasise peace and reconstruction in their designs rather than victory in war. My Noble Friend is in consultation with the Council of Industrial Design, and it is his intention also to seek the co-operation of the Royal Fine Arts Commission and the Royal Fine Arts Commission for Scotland, in choosing the final designs for submission to His Majesty."     HC Deb 28 February 1946 vol 419 cc2111-2

Design

The design process was controversial and often confused. The Council of Industrial Design, (COID - formed in 1944) was asked to submit names of artists. The Postmaster General, Lord Listowel, was also asked by Sir Stafford Cripps, the President of the Board of Trade, to allow the COID a say in the final selection of essays. Although the COID was accepted, the Postmaster General also took advice from several other groups including, the Garter King of Arms, the Director of the National Gallery, and the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland. It became very much a case of too many cooks which resulted in the Postmaster General going against his initial design brief given to the COID. Originally he had stated there would be two values with a unified design - in the end King George was requested to select two final designs from three submitted essays, (by Reynolds Stone, H.L.Palmer and Edmund Dulac). The COID complained that not only had they not seen the essay for the 2½d stamp for which their name was associated, but also that the design was inferior to those which they had actually selected, (the Dulac design being their second choice).

The 2½d with shades of ultramarine, has the King's profile head and crown centred inside a radiating Victory 'V'. Below the head is an olive branch, (peace). Floral emblems for the UK are placed in a square on the left, and opposite is a square with the value. The words POSTAGE and REVENUE are centred horizontally. Outline symbols of reconstruction are placed in the four corners - a tractor (agriculture), a house (building), a ship (trade), and a factory (industry).

The 3d violet has the words POSTAGE and REVENUE printed vertically with the value along the left and right sides. The King's profile and crown are towards the right hand side. A celebratory ribbon surrounds a dove with olive branch, (peace), a trowel with bricks, and a set square with dividers, (reconstruction). These tools are often compared with similar masonic symbols - King George was a senior Freemason.

 The philatelic and general press subsequently condemned the 2½d design as weak and confused, and praised the strength and simplicity of the 3d.

 Extract from an article by Alan de Luca issued in the 'Chingford Area Masonic Social Group' Newsletter, No.28, January 2010;

The two arms are of unequal length and represent the Greek letter "G" Ѓ "Gamma"(upper case), denoting "God, the Grand Geometrician of the Universe" The presence of a trowel and portion of a brick wall are not without significance, both in the operative and the speculative sense.

It was reported in The Freemason’s Chronicle that "It is singularly appropriate that the message thus conveyed by these emblems should be found, one may be almost permitted to surmise with purpose aforethought on the part of our M.W. Brother, the King, Past Grand Master, on the 3d issue of the new stamps, used only for postage to foreign lands where the full significance of these emblems may not be lost, and the need for their reminder have greater force."

Cylinder Numbers and varieties

Both values were issued with the control number S46

Specimen  /  Cancelled

i. Gash in temple and broken upper wing (Cyl 2d, row 9/6) : wing retouched (Cyls 4d, 5d - row 9/6)

Specimen  /  Cancelled

First Day Covers

Overprints

'Tangier' on both values

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Contact : Malcolm Sanders :  kg6gb@hotmail.com