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)