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British Empire Exhibition – Wembley Park 1924/25

Introduction

We owe a debt of gratitude to King George V, a keen philatelist, for preferring Harold Nelson's iconic "Wembley Lion" design to those of the other four artists who responded to the design competition invitation.

This Exhibit is the result of over 50 years fascination with these stamps and the vast array of associated material.

Purpose

The purpose of this Exhibit is to show the range of material of interest to philatelists that was produced for the "Wembley" Exhibition. This includes, of course, Great Britain's first commemorative postage stamps.

Plan of Exhibit

Frame 1: Proofs; the issued stamps; "Specimen" and "Cancelled" overprints; coil stamps
Frame 2: Sheet Serial Numbers
Frame 3: Machine and General handstamp cancellations
Frame 4: General and Special handstamp cancellations; Parcel Post cancellations
Frame 5: Registered Mail; Small Packet handstamp
Frame 6: Postal Stationery
Frame 7: Paid Mail; Meter Franking; Bogus first day items
Frame 8: Perfins; Telegrams

Highlights

Frame 1
Die Proofs: 1924 1½d brown, 1d and 1½d black
1925 CANCELLED 1d red, 1d and 1½d black
Imperforate between stamp and margin including unique 1924 1d first day usage
Examples of SPECIMEN and CANCELLED overprints

Frame 2
Blocks of 4 of each 1924 value with Sheet Serial Numbers and first day cancellations (unique)

Frame 3
Machine cancellation proofs: 1924; 1924.C; 1924.D; 1925 C; 1925.D

Frame 4
Scarce "1925.E" general handstamp including unique first day usage
One of two known uses of a circular barred dumb cancellation
"Blueprint" for the Palace of Industry handstamp
Handstamp proofs including rare "STADIUM" and "CONFERENCE HALL".
"STADIUM" handstamp used in Passport

Frame 5
Dumb registration labels including boxed rectangular undated BEE handstamp
1925 1d stamps cancelled by parcel post handstamp the day before official issue
Soft parcel handstamp on the first day of issue (one of three known)

Frame 6
1½d "A" envelope with an unusual Russian "GOVERNMENT COLLECTION" handstamp (unique)

Frame 7
Red and black meter slogans used on the "change-over" day (17 September 1924)
Only recorded example of envelope with undated Frank 1 and boxed "SPECIMEN" overprint
One of three known envelopes with X3 Frank and boxed "SPECIMEN" overprint

References

The Exhibitor: Exhibition Study Group Journal 138 (Autumn 2020) "BEE Wembley - The Change from Line to Comb Perforation"

The Postal Museum's article "British Empire Exhibition" [online, URL no longer available] and The Postal Museum Archive

"The selected works of W G Stitt Dibden Vol. 1 Wembley & Olympic Issues I The Stamps & Associated Postal Markings" published jointly by the-Postal History Society and the GB Philatelic Society

"The Lion Roars at Wembley" by Donald Knight and Alan Sabey (1984) published by DR Knight

"Special Event Postmarks of the United Kingdom Volume 1 : The Early Years" by George R Pearson published by the British Postmark Society

"Specimen Stamps and Stationery of Great Britain" by Marcus Samuel and Alan Huggins (1980). Published for the Great Britain Philatelic Society by G.B. Philatelic Publications Limited.

Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Specialised Catalogue Volume 2

International Postage Meter Stamp Catalog written and published by Joel Hawkins and Rick Stambaugh in 2005 (2008 Supplement)

Jack Peach: "GB Meter Franking - History with a Future" Gibbons Stamp Monthly May to December 2001

Mike Jackson FRPSL: "Meter Franking: First Type Meter Marks" exhibit on the Great Britain Philatelic Society website and "Meter Franking: New Discoveries, Rarities and Bibliography" The GB Journal Vol. 55 No 2 (March/April 2017)

(link)

Frame 1

  1. Introduction and Plan
DESIGN AND ISSUED STAMPS
  1. The Design Process
  2. The Design Process
  3. 1925 Season
  4. 1925 Die Proofs
  5. 1924 Line Perforation
  6. Line Perforation Errors
  7. 1924 Comb Perforation
  8. Paper Folds
  9. 1924 1d Constant Varieties
  10. 1925 Stamps
  11. The Unusual
  12. Specimen Overprints
  13. Cancelled Overprints
  14. Vending Machines
  15. Coil Joins
(link)

Frame 2

1924 STAMPS WITH SHEET SERIAL NUMBERS
  1. Introduction
  2. Distinguishing Between Panes and 1d Sheets With Same Number
  3. 1d and 1½d Sheets With Same Number
  4. Number of Sheets With Serial Numbers
  5. Used on Opening Day
  6. 1d left-hand pane: Tail to 'N' of 'EXHIBITION' flaw
  7. 1d left-hand pane: Tail to 'N' of 'EXHIBITION' flaw
  8. 1d left-hand pane: Tail to 'N' of 'EXHIBITION' flaw
  9. 1d left-hand pane: Tail to 'N' of 'EXHIBITION' flaw
  10. 1d right-hand pane
  11. 1d right-hand pane
  12. 1d right-hand pane
  13. 1d right-hand pane
  14. 1d and 1½d right-hand panes
  15. 1½d right-hand pane
  16. 1½d left-hand pane
(link)

Frame 3

CANCELLATIONS
  1. 1924 Machine Cancellation Proofs
  2. 1924 Machine Cancellation Impressions from the Postal Museum Collection
  3. 1924 Machine Cancellation Proofs
  4. '1924.C' and '1924.D' Machine Cancellation Proofs
  5. Machine Cancellations 1924
  6. Machine Cancellations 1924
  7. 1925 Machine Cancellation Proofs
  8. 1925 Machine Cancellation Proofs
  9. Machine Cancellations 1925 - First Day Usage
  10. Machine Cancellations 1925
  11. Machine Cancellations-1925 (Without 'D')
  12. Machine Cancellations-1925 (Without 'D')
  13. General Handstamp Cancellation 1924
  14. General Handstamp Cancellation 1924
  15. General Handstamp Cancellation 1925
  16. General Handstamp Cancellation 1925
(link)

Frame 4

CANCELLATIONS (cont)
  1. General Handstamp Cancellation 1925
  2. General Handstamp Cancellation 1925
  3. General Handstamps "1925.E." and "1925.F."
  4. 1924 "Dumb" Cancellation
  5. Special Handstamp Cancellations
  6. Palace of Engineering Handstamp
  7. Palace of Engineering Handstamp
  8. Palace of Industry Hanostamp 1924
  9. Palace of Industry Hanostamp 1925
  10. Palace of Industry Hanostamp
  11. Palace of Housing and Transport Handstamp
  12. Palace of Housing and Transport Handstamp
  13. Special Events Handstamp 'Proofs' - Conference Hall and Stadium
  14. 1924 Stadium Handstamp
  15. Parcel Post Cancellations - Palace of Industry (1925)
  16. Parcel Post Cancellations - Palace of Housing & Transport (1925)
(link)

Frame 5

CANCELLATIONS (cont)
  1. Registered Handstamp
  2. Registered Handstamp - 1925
  3. Registered Handstamp - 1925
  4. Temporary ("Dumb") Registration Labels
  5. Temporary ("Dumb") Registration Labels
  6. Temporary ("Dumb") Registration Labels
  7. Temporary ("Dumb") Registration Labels
  8. Temporary ("Dumb") Registration Labels
  9. Rectangular Boxed Handstamp - Palace of Housing and Transport
  10. Rectangular Boxed Handstamp - Palace of Housing and Transport
  11. Rectangular Boxed Handstamp - Palace of Industry 1925
  12. Miscellaneous Counter Handstamp
  13. Small Package Handstamp - 1924
  14. Small Package Handstamp - 1924
  15. Small Package Handstamp - 1925
  16. Small Package Handstamp - 1925
(link)

Frame 6

POSTAL STATIONERY
  1. Introduction
  2. 1924 Postal Stationery
  3. 1924 Postal Stationery - Packet Bands
  4. 1924 Postal Stationery - Packet Bands
  5. 1924 Postal Stationery
  6. 1924 Postal Stationery - First Day Usage
  7. 1924 Postal Stationery Printed Envelope
  8. 1924 Postal Stationery
  9. 1925 Postal Stationery
  10. 1925 Postal Stationery - Packet Bands
  11. 1925 Postal Stationery - Packet Bands
  12. 1925 Postal Stationery
  13. 1925 Postal Stationery - First Day Usage
  14. 1925 Postal Stationery
  15. 1925 Postal Stationery - Final Day Of Exhibition
  16. 1925 Postal Stationery - Universal Postal Union Specimens
(link)

Frame 7

PAID AND METER FRANKING
  1. 1924 Paid Machine Cancellation
  2. 1924 Paid Machine Cancellation
  3. 1924 "PAID" Handstamp
  4. 1924 "PAID ½D" Handstamp
  5. 1924 "PAID 1½D" Handstamp
  6. 1925 "PAID" HANDSTAMP
  7. 1925 "1½D PAID" Handstamp
  8. "BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION / WEMBLEY, MDX." Cachet
  9. Meter Franking
  10. Meter Franking
  11. Meter Franking - Change Over Day
  12. Meter Franking - Red Town Mark
  13. Meter Franking - Frank 1 Red Town Mark - ½d Value
  14. Meter Franking - Frank 1 Specimen
  15. Demonstration Frank X3
  16. "Bogus" First Day Covers
(link)

Frame 8

PERFINS
  1. Recent Discoveries
  2. Waterlow & Sons Limited
  3. Waterlow & Sons Limited
  4. Waterlow & Sons Limited
  5. Various
  6. Various
  7. Various
  8. Various
  9. Daily Mail (Associated Newspapers Ltd)
  10. Mather & Platt Limited
  11. Oetzmann & Company Limited
  12. Thos. W. Ward Limited
POST OFFICE EXHIBIT
  1. Souvenir Telegrams
  2. Souvenir Telegrams 1924
  3. Souvenir Telegrams 1925
  4. Souvenir Telegrams 1925