The Profile Head issue replaced the Downey Head issue in the second half of 1912, though some of the values were not issued until August 1913.

The design for this issue was based on the “coinage” and “medal” profile heads of the King, which were the work of Mr Bertram Mackennel. The “Coinage” head was used as the basis for the designs of the 1/2d, 1 1/2d, 2d, 3d, and 4d values, the large “medal” head for the 1d and the 2 1/2d, whilst an intermediate version of this was used for the 5d to 1s denominations and an even smaller head was employed for fiscal stamps.

Betram Mackennal was also responsible for designing the frames of the 1/2d to 3d and G.W. Eve designed the frames for the 5d to 8d “pillar” design and 9d to 1s “wreath” design.

The stamps were printed by Harrison & Sons, except for the 6d printed at Somerset House by the Stamping Department of the Board of Inland Revenue, where printing of the other values were also made.

In 1934 Harrison & Sons regained the contract for printing the low values as well as the commemorative issues through pioneering in this country the use of the photogravure process for printing stamps. The Mackennal Head continued to be used.

The main advantages of the photogravure process were high speed production and lower costs. As the original designs were based on Photographs, the new issue could reach the printing cylinder stage a lot more quickly than printing plates using the typographic process. Also double cylinders of 480 were used instead of printing plates of 240, whilst the rotary machine run very much faster. Thus it was possible to supply the greatly increased quantities of stamps required by the Post Office and at the same time effect considerable economies in production.

The stamps appear very similar to the original series but the design was changed and the backgrounds were made solid, bringing brighter colour effect to the stamps.

The stamps were issued 1934-1936 and the low values have many watermark varieties appearing on stamps issued in Booklets and coils.

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