Identifying the King George V Stamps
Bermuda Pound Issues

as described by Dr. Miles Glazer
Updated - December, 2009

Dr. Myles Glazer's book - "The King George V High Value Stamps of Bermuda, 1917-1938" was published in 1994, and is still one of the best references to the King George V Keyplate stamps of Bermuda. Printing and descriptions on this article are all quoted from this book. The observations are those of the author based on the descriptions in the book.

Identifying the KGV Pound Issues is mostly a matter of comparing the head plate colors, then the frame plate colors, and finally the paper colors. Both the Stanley Gibbons (SG) and Scott (ST) catalogues list these as the same number, there is no problem identifying them by catalog number.

Head Plate Comparison - The 1917 printing is a much deeper shade than either of the other two printings. The 1927 printing is lighter in color than the other two, and has a more reddish tone. Finally the 1930 printing is not as deep as the 1917 printing, and not as reddish as the 1927 printing.

Frame Comparison - The 1917 printing has a slate-black frame, while the other two are both black.

Paper Comparison - The paper all starts from the same source, but the coating used causes the changes. The 1917 paper is paler than the other two printings.

Other Factors - The ink used for the 1927 printing is prone to smearing if it gets wet. Even dry it appears to be a little unstable. If you notice on the stamp shown above, there is a light smear under the E in ONE POUND, and by the E and U in BERMUDA.

If you are interested in this issue, Dr. Glazer's book will be an invaluable source of information. It includes details on the printing methods, chemical composition of the inks, and a great many other topics.