India’s definitives issued to celebrate the coronation Durbar of 1911 were the first to portray a King-Emperor in full regalia, and a personal triumph for the new Viceroy.
The death of King Edward VII in May 1910 might easily have created turmoil at De La Rue, which held the contract for printing colonial stamps. In most cases, however, it simply inserted a King George V head die into existing duty plates.
Extra creativity was reserved for only a select few colonies, such as India, where impetus came from a new Viceroy, Lord Hardinge.
Hardinge’s first major task was to organise the Durbar, the ceremony marking the coronation of a new Emperor or Empress of India. This would be the third of its kind, but the first distinguished by the physical presence of the monarch, making it the biggest event in the history of British India.
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Stamp Magazine.
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This story is from the April 2017 edition of Stamp Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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