Great Britain Wilding Definitives, Tudor Crown Watermark

United Kingdom · 1952 · 2½d

This definitive stamp features the iconic three-quarter portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, based on a photograph by Dorothy Wilding. The design, known as the 'Wilding' series, became the standard for British postage for over a decade. This particular stamp, the 2½d carmine-red, was a common rate for inland letters.

Issued shortly after Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952, the Wilding series marked the beginning of the second Elizabethan era in British philately. This stamp, with the Tudor Crown watermark, was among the first definitive issues of her long reign.