The first issue of stamps of King George V was the work of two artists : Mr Bertram Mackennal (Later Sir Bertram) and Mr G W Eve. The head was copied from a photograph of the King in Admiral’s uniform by W & D Downey, the official court photographers. Mr J.A.C Harrison, a freelance engraver who was contracted to the Royal Mint, engraved the dies.

The first two values of the intended series, 1/2d and 1d were issued on Coronation Day, 22nd June 1911, and were greeted with a storm of criticism on artistic and other grounds. The head, having been copied from a photograph, was unsuited for the typographic process, and the majority of printed impressions were blotchy. In an effort to improve the appearance, the die was deepened and fresh plates were made in August 1911 but the results were still not satisfactory. A new die was then produced from the original and the stamps from this improved die were placed on sale on 1st January 1912. During this period the remaining values of the intended series (1/2d to 1s) were in various stages of production but further issues were abandoned owing to a change of plan to issue stamps having a full head profile. Thus only the 1/2d and 1d in the Downey series were put on sale.

Upon reflection the Downey Head issue can be said to have failed for a number of reasons. In the first place the public was not used to a three quarter face head and, as stated previously, the use of a photograph was not compatible with the typographic process. The Royal Mint, which had been asked to make the dies and plates, had no facilities for doing so, and also no experience, and had to send to the United States for certain pieces of equipment. Mackennel, the designer, had never designed a stamp before and was primarily a sculptor, but he had been asked by the King to undertake this because of the very poor trial drawings that had been submitted by other artists.

It has also been said that J.A.C Harrison was partly responsible at this was his first effort at engraving for typography. However, in June 1911 the Royal Mint used the Harrison master die of the head only to make a duplicate which was sent to De La Rue for printing Post Office Savings Bank Stamps which were bi-coloured. We illustrate below a die proof of the head plate together with a copy of the actual stamp to show that De La Rue were capable of producing a clear and acceptable portrait from it. However, because of their low quotation, the printing contract had gone to Harrison & Sons despite their lack of experience in printing stamps and use of fugitive inks.

In 1911 colour trials were made at Somerset House using Edward VII die proofs. Three sets of trials were produced (a) using the King Edward colours on ungummed paper (b) using proposed King George colours on gummed paper and (c) se-tenant pairs comprising King George colours on gummed paper for the purpose of comparison. However this comparison was misleading since the quality of reproduction of the zinc blocks could not compare with that of the die proofs.

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