A month after King George V came to the throne in May 1910, the Postmaster General invited designs for a series of new stamps. Those selected were by two artists who worked from a three quarter face photograph of the king by W & D Downey, the official court photographers. The series was discontinued after 18 months. A second series of stamps was prepared with the king’s head in full profile. The issue of stamps in this series was not completed until August 1913, and these designs remained basically unaltered for the rest of the reign.

Harrison & Sons held the contract for printing the typographed stamps until 1924, and from 1924 until 1933 these stamps were printed by Waterlow and Sons.

Harrison & Sons, who regained the contract in 1934, were to have produced a new set of stamps by the photogravure process. They were, however, unable to get this process under way in time to supply the new stamps before the existing stock of typographed stamps would have been exhausted. In consequence Harrison’s made provisional printings by typography, aided in the initial stages by Waterlow.

Preliminary printings of most values were made at Somerset House during 1912-13, and the government printers also were solely responsible for supplies of the 6d value from 1913-33.

The plates were electrotyped and were initially produced by the Royal Mint, the first plates being steel faced but later they were nickel plated to combat wear. Eventually Harrison & Sons produced their own plates.

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