Denomination: 1½ pence (1½d)
Denomination: 1 shilling and 3 pence (1/3)
These 1953 Great Britain postage stamps feature the well-known portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Their soft sage green tone gives them a timeless, natural feel, beautifully complemented by the delicate Tudor rose and shamrock design framing the image.
Carmine Red 2½d Wilding Stamp Variant
Denomination: 2½ pence (2½d)
This postage stamp is similar to the above ones, as it features the same portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. However, this variant appears in a rich carmine red shade, giving it a bolder and more striking presence.
There are also subtle differences in the design. The crowned portrait is framed by a classical oval wreath, while the “E R” initials (Elizabeth Regina) are prominently placed in the upper corners, reinforcing its royal identity. The denomination of 2½d is clearly shown in the lower right, and the inscription “POSTAGE REVENUE” runs along the bottom, reflecting its dual postal and fiscal use.
Altogether, this version echoes the elegance of the green stamp, yet stands apart with its deeper tone and subtly stronger typographic presence.
Dorothy Wilding and the Royal Portrait
The portrait was taken by Dorothy Wilding, a pioneering photographer who became one of the first women to be appointed as an Official Royal Photographer. Her career reached a high point when she was commissioned to produce the official photographs for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI, an impressive achievement in what was then a largely male-dominated field.
Wilding’s distinctive style, marked by bright lighting and a gentle, luminous clarity, helped shape how the young Queen was seen by the public. Her photographs were so admired that they were used on British postage stamps, as well as on currency and banknotes, for more than a decade.
Her work also gained recognition beyond Britain, particularly after she opened a studio in New York in 1937. Today, her contribution to photography continues to be celebrated, with her work held in collections such as the National Portrait Gallery, which honoured her with a major retrospective in 1976.
References:
National Portrait Gallery. Vintage prints by Dorothy Wilding.
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/set/366/Vintage+prints+by+Dorothy+Wilding