King Edward VIII

The booklets of King Edward VIII continued on from the 2s, 3s, and 5s series of King George V photogravure booklets. The Royal Cypher on the front cover was changed from GvR to EviiiR (omitting the letters “P.” and “O.” in the process), and the stamps were updated to those of the new reign. The composition was otherwise unchanged.

Trials for a booklet to be dispensed by coin operated vending machines were started in 1935 which led to the issue of a 6d booklet containing four 1½d stamps.

All stamps of this reign were printed in photogravure by Harrison.

6d Booklet Series 6, Sub-series A: BC1

Unprinted buff covers containing two panes of two 1½d stamps.
The stamp panes were made from cylinder G7 advert panes before the adverts were printed, with the unprinted labels trimmed to form a binding margin. This produced panes with perforated selvedge, and with watermark upright or inverted. Individual booklets generally have both panes upright, or both inverted, but mixed watermarks are known.

Date: Jan 1937
Editions: (1)
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: E8R
Makeup: FC, PB4, PB4, BC

Next: KGVI Machine Vended

2s Booklet Series 4: BC2

Series 4 booklets continued sequentially from the previous 2s photogravure booklet.

To see more BC2 booklets click here.

Date: Oct 1936
Editions: 354-385
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: E8R
Makeup: FC, air, int, PB5, int, PB3, int, PB2, int, PB1, BC
Cancels: 33, 33P

Edition 354: has an additional interleaf between the last stamp pane and the back cover.
Editions 354-385: have an air mail pane after the front cover.
Editions 359-361, 365, 372: have a Dubarry advert between the front cover and the air mail pane.
Edition 367: is known with the first two interleaves swapped.
Edition 381: is undated, and has a new Air Mail Label.

* These editions are known bound with staples.

A missewn booklet, given new covers and stapled so that stitch holes are present in the contents but not in the covers, and an Advertisers Voucher Copy dated 1 Dec 1936, cancelled Type 33, edition 359 with Dubarry advert No. 13, one of a very few surviving unpunched AVCs of the reign (Type 33 instead of 33P).

Edition 372 with Dubarry advert No. 6 Type II, miscut (1½d pane folded).

3s Booklet Series 3: BC3

Series 3 booklets continued sequentially from the previous 3s photogravure booklet.

To see more BC3 booklets click here.

Date: Nov 1936
Editions: 320-332
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: E8R
Makeup: FC, PB3, air, int, PB3, int, PB3, int, PB2, int, PB1, BC
Cancels: 33P

Edition 320: has a Ford’s Blotter after the front cover.
Editions 320-332: have an air mail pane after the first stamp pane.
Editions 321-324: have a Dubarry advert after the front cover.
Edition 323: is known with two air mail panes.
Edition 326: has 5 interleaves – FC, air, int, PB3, int, …
Edition 330: is undated, and has a new Air Mail Label.

* These editions are known bound with staples.

A missewn booklet, given new covers and stapled so that stitch holes are present in the contents but not in the covers, and an Advertisers Voucher Copy dated 17 Jun 1937, cancelled Type 33P.

5s Booklet Series 5: BC4

Series 5 booklets continued sequentially from the previous 5s photogravure booklet.

Date: Mar 1937
Editions: 16-17
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: E8R
Makeup: FC, PB5, air, int, PB3, int, PB3, int, PB3, int, PB3, int, PB3, int, PB2, int, PB1, BC
Cancels: 33P

Editions 16-17: have an air mail pane after the first stamp pane.

* These editions are known bound with staples.

A missewn booklet, given new covers and stapled so that stitch holes are present in the contents but not in the covers, and an Advertisers Voucher Copy dated 19 Feb 1936 (in error for 1937), cancelled Type 33P.

Booklet Panes

Booklet panes of six were printed in photogravure using double cylinders (no-dot and dot sheets), each sheet having 240 stamps arranged as 20 upright booklet panes, and 20 inverted. Cancellations are equally likely to be found on upright or inverted panes, unless otherwise noted.

Booklet panes of two were made from sheets of PB5 advert panes before the adverts were printed, with the unprinted labels trimmed to form a binding margin.

Sheets were perforated using the same three machines as for King George V photogravure booklets, being the two horizontal machines introduced for photogravure (although the second was out of service for much of the reign), and the vertical machine from 1919. The latter was not used on advert panes, so advert cylinder panes are never perforated through. The main horizontal machine produced B4(E) and B4A(I), the reserve horizontal machine produced B4(E) and B4B(E), and the vertical machine produced B3(I) and B3A(P).

Full sheet reconstructions are shown under Sheets & Perforations.

Watermark E8R.

PB1/a: Booklets BC2-4; Perfs E, P, I; Cancels 33, 33P; Cyls E2, E4

PB2/a: Booklets BC2-4; Perfs E, P, I; Cancels 33, 33P; Cyls F3, F6 (abnormal)

PB3/a: Booklets BC2-4; Perfs E, P, I; Cancels: 33, 33P; Cyls G4, G5
(PB3av: Type 32 with punch hole on R1/1. Ex Sept 1985 NPM sale)

PB4/a: from PB5 advert panes, upright or inverted
Booklets BC1; Perfs P; Cyls* G7

* cylinder numbers do not appear in the finished booklets.

PB5/a: Booklets BC2, BC4; Perfs E, P, I; Cancels: 33, 33P; Cyls G7

Edition numbers are shown in parenthesis after the description, those with a “#” sign are printed on the advert label. Advert (3) occurs in two editions so has two versions, one printed with “357” and the other with “379”. Depending on how this is counted, there are either 16 or 17 advert panes.

To see all advert panes click here.

Adverts & Interleaves

This section gives a summary of adverts and interleaves, showing only a few examples. More can be found here: Dubarry, Ford, Air Mail Labels.

All King Edward VIII booklets, with the exception of the 6d booklet BC1, had adverts on the front and back covers, and on the interleaves. Most notable were adverts by Dubarry which were printed in full colour on glazed card inserts, and included in five editions of the 2s booklet and four editions of the 3s booklet.

Dubarry also had black and white adverts on the inside of the front cover of some booklets, but not in any booklet that had a coloured advert. There were three designs in six booklets.

A sample of Ford’s blotting paper was included after the front cover in edition 320 of the 3s booklet. There were eight different colours with the name of the colour printed on the blotter. Ford also had an advert on the back of the 5s booklet BC4 edition 16. Note that the insert states “22 beautiful colours” but the back has “23 colours”.

An air mail pane was included in all booklets, except the 6d booklet. A new inscription was introduced for the later 2s and 3s booklets. A typographic error “AIR MAII” instead of “AIR MAIL” exists on one of the forty positions of the first inscription.