1948 Olympic Games

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2½d designed by Percy Metcalfe, c.v.o. (Globe and laurel wreath)

3d designed by Abram Games (Speed)

6d designed by Stanley Scott (Olympic rings)

1/- designed by Edmund Dulac (Winged Victory)

Printed in photogravure by Harrison & Sons in sheets of 20 rows by 6

Perforated 15 x 14

Issued 29 July 1948

Numbers issued - 2½d : 155,350,000 - 3d : 32,554,000

6d : 24,397,000 - 1/- : 32,187,000

Watermarrk

London was chosen for the XIV Olympic Games in 1945. The previous Games had been held by Germany in 1936. Though faced with post war austerity and shortages, Britain succeeded in organising the most successful Games up to that time. 59 nations, a record number, were represented.

The Games opened at Wembley on 29 July 1948. Fanny Blankers-Koen (Netherlands) was the first woman to gain 4 gold medals. Jesse Owens (USA), the black hero of the Berlin Games of 1936, made a tremendous comeback.

Gibbons Stamp Monthly, January 1949, shows some of the rough sketches and designs produced by Abram Games for the 3d stamp.

The special paper for the stamps was provided by Messrs. Portals (John Allen & Sons) Ltd at Ivybridge Mills. The 6d stamps were printed in non fugitive ink.

Cylinder numbers and varieties

2½d cylinders		Varieties	Perforations
2nd	2d	a. Spot on ear lobe (cyl 2d, row 17/1) b. Small island off south east Africa (cyl 2d, row 17/3) c. Another earring (cyl 2d, row 19/1)	Type A
3nd	3d		Type A


a	b	c

3d cylinders		Varieties	Perforations
1nd	1d	a. Crown flaw, (Cyl 1nd, row 20/2) - also spot in margin below the stamp. b. Retouched crown flaw, (Cyl 1nd, row 20/2) - spot in margin remains. c. Hooked 3 (Cyl 1nd, row 19/2).	Type A


a	b

6d cylinders		Varieties	Perforations
9nd	9d	a. Initials H L P appearing in the colour bar in the bottom selvedge under stamps 4, 5 and 6 (Cyl 9d). b. Retouch of the above initials.	Type A

[Gibbons Specialised catalogue states that these are the initials of H.L.Palmer - an article in the British Philatelic Bulletin by Bob Wilcock, November, 1988, suggests that the letters may stand for Harrison, London, Printers].

1s cylinders		Varieties	Perforations
3nd	3d	a. White extension to Lands End, row 7/3 b. White spot below 9, row 8/4 c. Damaged wing, row 1/3	Type A


		c

Specimen for each value

First Day Covers

	Cover autographed by Abram Games and Stanley Scott (and ?)
Cover issued by authority of British Philatelic Association and Philatelic Traders' Society	Cover produced by Art Craft

The first GB commemorative Air Letter went on sale at the same time as the stamp set.

Overprints

2½d 'Bahrain 2½ anna' for use in Bahrain - 99,304 issued

'Kuwait - 2½ anna' for use in Kuwait - 89,264 issued

'2½ anna' (no country name) for use by British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia - 73,998 issued

'Morocco Agencies - 25 centimos' (Spanish Zone) - 107,309 issued

'Tangier' - 101,965 issued

3d 'Bahrain 3 anna' for use in Bahrain - 112,515 issued

'Kuwait - 3 anna' for use in Kuwait - 91,203 issued

'3 anna' (no country name) for use by British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia - 72,220 issued

'Morocco Agencies - 30 centimos' (Spanish Zone) - 100,020 issued

'Tangier' - 101,638 issued

6d 'Bahrain 6 anna' for use in Bahrain - 112,919 issued

'Kuwait - 6 anna' for use in Kuwait - 83,677 issued

'6 anna' (no country name) for use by British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia - 68,904 issued

'Morocco Agencies - 60 centimos' (Spanish Zone) - 94,278 issued

'Tangier' - 101,175 issued

1/- 'Bahrain 1 rupee' for use in Bahrain - 87,858 issued

'Kuwait - 1 rupee' for use in Kuwait - 83,395 issued

'1 rupee' (no country name) for use by British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia - 66,867 issued

'Morocco Agencies - 1 peseta' (Spanish Zone) - 93,304 issued

'Tangier' - 96,190 issued

Contact : Malcolm Sanders : kg6gb@hotmail.com