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The Depiction of Queen Elizabeth II

The Depiction of Queen Elizabeth II

It was a long-established policy of the Postmaster-General's Department to feature the monarch on most (ongoing) definitive stamps, including the base rate value. The first Elizabeth II definitive series issued during 1953-54 comprised five stamps, including a 3½d value for basic letter postage.

Over the years new stamps were required after changes in postal rates, this involved a change in the royal portrait. By 1966, the introduction of decimal currency brought about the issue of the fourth Queen's portrait series. The last Queen's head stamp was issued in 1971 - a 7c value for a rates change occurring that year.

Up to this point, all Queen's portrait stamps were produced by the Note Printing Branch (now Note Printing Australia) using the one-colour intaglio printing process. With the acquisition of a suitable printing press in 1973, it became possible to print the large quantities required of the base rate and other commonly-used definitive stamps using the multi-colour, photogravure process. This also involved a change of policy concerning the Queen on stamps. Definitive stamps now featured other subjects, royalty being confined to occasional commemorative issues.

With the absence of the Queen from day-to-day stamps in 1973, protests were received from monarchists, which persisted for some years. The Queen did not appear on stamps again until 1977, when two stamps commemorating the Silver Jubilee (25th anniversary of the Accession) were issued. It was then decided to introduce annual commemorative stamp issues marking the Queen's birthday. This would allow anyone to buy up supplies of a Queen's Birthday stamp for use throughout the year.

Since 1980, at least one base rate stamp has been issued each year for the Queen's Birthday. In earlier years, it was the practice to alternate the issues with a design featuring the Queen's portrait in one year, followed by a depiction of a symbol of royalty the next year. For the past 20 years, stamps have normally featured a portrait design. In 2002, 2003 and 2004, Queen's Birthday stamps were dropped in favour of stamps commemorating the 50th anniversaries of the Accession, Coronation and Royal Visit, respectively.

Since 1999, the Queen's stamps have appeared in either sheetlet or miniature sheet format. Only one issue incorporated self-adhesive stamps (2003). Although Australia has issued Queen's Birthday stamps for 26 years, it is thought that no other Commonwealth country produces annual issues on this theme. (Commonwealth countries have often issued stamps marking "round anniversaries", such as 60th, 70th, 75th birthdays, etc.)