St. Helena: Stamp Centenary (1956)
This profile originally appeared in Gibbons Stamp Monthly (February 1956)
The original St. Helena sixpenny stamp, printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. in 1856, bore a completely new and rather austere head of Queen Victoria, probably engraved by Humphrys. The same portrait was used more advantageously for the famous “Pence” issues of Ceylon in the following year, but meanwhile St. Helena had to “make do” with its sixpenny, for this stamp was the makeshift basis of all that Colony’s issues until the year 1894.
During that time it appeared in various colours and surcharged (except, of course, for the 6d.) with new values. Now here it is again, superbly reproduced in a commemorative issue of three values, with a design of neat arrangement, good balance and attractive colour harmonies, comparing favourably with the Barbados, Bermuda, Mauritius and other Colonial stamp centenaries of recent years.
William Cochrane (Editor)
February 10th, 2011, 2:39 am
For a useful history of St. Helena, visit http://africanhistory.about.com/od/southafrica/a/UnionSA.htm.