The new design by T. Bruce for St. Helena George V The Colony’s Badge stamps was a great improvement on De La Rue’s unsatisfactory design for the 1903 Edwardian and 1912 Georgian issues.

Most of the stamps were printed on chalk-surfaced paper, some on yellow, green, blue or red paper and two different watermarks were used. There being little postal use for such high values as 15/- and £1, these two stamps are scarce both mint and used. Very small quantities of some of the other values were printed.

There are a great many different shades of this issue, even from the same printing. The l½d. in particular ranges from rose-red to a scarce shade of deep carmine-red. The carmine-rose shade may have been from the stamps invoiced in Feb. 1937 and the deep carmine-red from those invoiced at the same time. The quantities of both were very much smaller than the rose-red shade issued in 1923. The deep carmine-red is usually found with a brownish gum. There are also several distinct shades in other values, notably the 1d., 3d., 5d. and 1/-. The first printing of the 1/- is a deeper shade of brown.

Printing information

Designed by T. Bruce. Printed by De La Rue by typography. Watermark Mult. Script CA or Mult. Crown CA. Perforation 14. Sheets 12x5, Issued 1922-1927.

Design of the 1922 Colony’s Badge Issue

John Easton’s description of the design  can hardly be bettered:

“The King’s head in miniature is centred at the top in a solid oval, surmounted by a large crown, the cross of which cuts into the framework. POSTAGE and REVENUE, in white condensed block letters, are balanced on each side of the crown, with the figures of value on shields in the top comers. These are linked to the crown with large winding scrolls, so as to complete a canopy to the rest of the design. By this arrangement the greater part of the area of the stamp is left for the main feature of the design, the interesting badge of the colony, showing a frigate lying at anchor under the lee of two precipitous rocks near Jamestown harbour. This is carefully engraved within a white frame, and is supported by a sheaf of Easter lilies on the left, and, on the right, by one of the many flowering plants for which the island is famous. These are engraved against a solid panel, which serves as a pedestal to the badge. The full force of the solid background in giving life to the design is accentuated by engraving an edging in half line. This is a very handsome stamp and is full of promise for the future issues”.

Extract from a letter from the Colonial Office to the Crown Agents dated 23 November 1921:

I am directed by Mr. Secretary Churchill to inform you that a new issue of postage and revenue stamps is required by the Government of St. Helena in view of the promulgation at an early date of an Ordinance providing for the imposition of stamp duties in the island.

2. The values and denominations of the stamps required are as follows:
15,000 at 1d.    
10,000 at 6d.
8,000 at 1/s.
6,000 at 1/6
6,000 2/6
5,000 at 5/-
5,000 at 7/6
5,000 at 10/-
5,000 at 15/-
5,000 at £1
The design is to be as at present except in the case of the denominations for which a design does not already exist, where the enclosed design “B” is to be adopted, subject to the words “Peace 1919-Postage” being replaced by the words “Postage and Revenue”.

Designs were submitted by De La Rue on 21 December 1921. Their Design A, prepared for surface printing, was approved “with the exception of the drawing of the New Zealand flax on the right hand side. The chief characteristic of this plant is its leaves, the blooms being comparatively insignificant”.

The amended design dated 12 Jan 1922 was approved for the border die, but the Crown Agents wrote on 17 January 1922:

“With regard to the vignette I have to ask that you will prepare a drawing on a larger scale which when approved can be reduced to the size required for the stamps. There are several corrections necessary, i.e.,
The stern of the vessel should be higher.
The furled sails are not correct. A level line representing the yards should be shown with the furled sails below.
The flag is wrong - see page 18 of the book enclosed.
The rocks are too dark”.

Ascension Island Overprints

The following stamps of this design were overprinted ASCENSION and were issued in Ascension Island in November 1922:

• ½d. black and green;
• 1d. green;
• 1½d. rose-scarlet;
• 2d. black and grey;
• 3d. bright blue;
• 8d. black and dull purple;
• 2/- black and blue on blue;
• 1/- black on green paper;
• 3/- black and violet.

All the above have Watermark Script CA except the 1/- value which has Watermark Crown CA.

10s. grey and olive-green in a mint horizontal pair from the lower left corner of the sheet with plate no. S.G. 112. Sold at Grosvenor Auction in 2012 for £600 plus buyer's premium (Lot 2108).

Varieties

Torn Flag

Cleft Rock

1s.6d. with cleft in rock. S.G. 107c.

Broken Mainmast

Specimens

1d. in brown and green, imperforate printer's sample in a block of four each handstamped "specimen" diagonally (Type DS2) and affixed to piece of brown card numbered "123". Sold at Spink Auction in 2005 for £600 plus buyer's premium (Sale 5006, Lot 1059).

£1 overprinted “SPECIMEN” (Samuel type D12), S.G. 96s.

Die Proofs

1d. die proof of the frame in black on glazed card (92x60mm.), marked "before hardening" and dated "23/3/22", fine. Sold at Spink Auction in 2005 for £230 plus buyer's premium (Sale 5021, Lot 4029).

15/- die proof with blank vignette in black on glazed card (92x60mm), marked "after striking", initialled and dated "19/4/22", fine. Sold at Spink Auction in 2005 for £400 plus buyer's premium (Sale 5006, Lot 1085).

References:

1. St. Helena. Postal History and Stamps, Edward Hibbert, 1979.