My BRITISH STAMPS
1952
1952-54: SG515 to SG531 - "Wilding Definitives"
This series of stamps was created by several designers from a portrait by Dorothy Wilding, hence the reference "Wilding definitives". These stamps have a Tudor Cross Watermark.Enid Marx designed the ½d through to the 2d stamps. M. Farrar-Bell designed the 2½d through to the 4d, G. Knipe designed the 5d through to the 7d, Mary Adshead designed the 8d through to the 11d and E. Dulac designed the 1s through to the 1s.6d.
First day covers were issued as follows:
5th Dec 1952: for the 1½d, 2½d.
6th July 1953: for the 5d, 8d and 1s.
31st Aug 1953: for the ½d, id, 2d.
2nd Nov 1953: for the 4d, 1s.3d, 1s.6d.
18th Jan 1954: for the 3d, 6d, 7d.
8th Feb 1954: for the 9d, 10d, 11d.
SG515:
½d, Orange.
Issued: 31 Aug 1953
½d, Orange.
Issued: 31 Aug 1953
SG516:
1d, Blue.
Issued: 31 Aug 1953
1d, Blue.
Issued: 31 Aug 1953
SG517:
1½d, Green.
Issued: 5 Dec 1952
1½d, Green.
Issued: 5 Dec 1952
SG518:
2d, Brown.
Issued: 31 Aug 1953
2d, Brown.
Issued: 31 Aug 1953
SG519:
2½d, Red.
Issued: 5 Dec 1952
2½d, Red.
Issued: 5 Dec 1952
SG520:
3d, Lilac.
Issued: 18 Jan 1954
3d, Lilac.
Issued: 18 Jan 1954
SG521:
4d, Blue.
Issued: 2 Nov 1953
4d, Blue.
Issued: 2 Nov 1953
SG522:
5d, Brown.
Issued: 6 Jul 1953
5d, Brown.
Issued: 6 Jul 1953
SG523:
6d, Purple.
Issued: 18 Jan 1954
6d, Purple.
Issued: 18 Jan 1954
SG524:
7d, Green.
Issued: 18 Jan 1954
7d, Green.
Issued: 18 Jan 1954
SG525:
8d, Magenta.
Issued: 6 Jul 1953
8d, Magenta.
Issued: 6 Jul 1953
SG526:
9d, Bronze-Green.
Issued: 8 Feb 1954
9d, Bronze-Green.
Issued: 8 Feb 1954
SG527:
10d, Blue.
Issued: 8 Feb 1954
10d, Blue.
Issued: 8 Feb 1954
SG528:
11d, Plum.
Issued: 8 Feb 1954
11d, Plum.
Issued: 8 Feb 1954
SG529:
1s, Bistre.
Issued: 6 Jul 1953
1s, Bistre.
Issued: 6 Jul 1953
SG530:
1s.3d, Green.
Issued: 2 Nov 1953
1s.3d, Green.
Issued: 2 Nov 1953
SG531:
1s.6d, Indigo.
Issued: 2 Nov 1953
1s.6d, Indigo.
Issued: 2 Nov 1953
There are two types for these stamps:
Type I: The top solid line of the frontal cross on the diadem extends only half the length of the cross.
Type II: The top solid line of the frontal cross on the diadem extends the whole length of the cross.
Notes - Wildings
Paper:For the first 10 years the Wilding definitives were printed on creamy paper which gave way to whiter papaer in April 1962. Due to variations in the whiter paper they can sometimes be difficult to identify when compared to their creamy coloured predecessors.
In 1964 an experimental paper was used for the 3d non-phosphor Crowns watermark and this was slightly thicker than the white paper. This variety can be distinguished by the letter "T" lying horizontally approximately 4 times per sheet in the watermark. Variations in the paper thickness can also be found, for example the 3d Tudor Crown watermark can be found on thicker paper.
Watermark:
In the crowns watermark of 1964 to 1966 examples have been foud where one of the crowns is inverted. Inverted watermarks do not occur on sheet stamps due to the manufacturing process used, however they do occur on around 50% of the Booklet panes due to the way the sheets are arranged. Booklets are the only source of inverted watermarks in the Wildings series.
Gum:
Only gum arabic was used with the Wilding series.
Perforations:
All Wildings were perf 15 x 14. however the horizntal perf is very close to the ¾ mark so they are sometimes listed as 14¾ x 14.
