AN INDEPENDENT ARCHIVE OF MALTESE STAMPS POSTAGE SINCE 1860 · MALTA & GOZO
MALTA¼dGrand Harbour · GRI · Brown · Self-Government 1947Image unavailable

Image permission not established

1948 / Maritime history

Grand Harbour · GRI · Brown · Self-Government 1947

Self-Government 1947 · pictorial overprints

Denomination¼d
Issue date1948-11-25
Explore this issue ↗

The story behind the issue

The current pictorial definitives received a diagonal overprint marking restored self-government. Red and black lettering were selected for different underlying colours.

Technical details

Issuing authority
Malta Post Office
Postal purpose
Postage
Currency
GBP pre-decimal
Overprint / surcharge
SELF-GOVERNMENT 1947 — diagonal, reading downwards; smaller lettering
Designer
Not documented
Printer
Waterlow & Sons
Printing process
Recess printing
Stamp dimensions
Not documented
Perforation
12½
Watermark
Multiple Script CA
Paper
Not documented
Colour
Brown
Quantity
Not documented

Sources & verification

Verified

The 1964 Canadian Philatelist study explicitly describes this denomination's diagonal SELF-GOVERNMENT overprint as reading downwards. It also distinguishes the quarterpenny as using smaller overprint lettering than the other values. This describes the 1948 overprint, not watermark orientation or a new printing type.

Image & attribution

Image permission not established

All fifteen original overprinted values, using the six 1943 colours where applicable. Base issued design/value/colour combinations only. Printing flaws, shade gradations, specimens, proofs and other specialist varieties excluded.

In the same issue

Explore this issue ↗