Great Britain George V Stamps
In Great Britain, George V stamps were issued during King George the Fifth's reign. George V was King between 3 June 1865 and 20 January 1936. He was the son of King Edward VII and the grandson of Queen Victoria. King George V was a keen stamp collector himself and president of the Royal Philatelic Society between 1896 and 1910.
Although the world's first postage stamp, The Penny Black, was introduced in the UK in 1840, during George the Fifth's reign, there were a number of other philatelic firsts. The first ‘postage due' labels were produced in 1914 and the first commemorative stamps in 1924. The first stamps printed by photogravure were also produced when George V was King.
British Empire Exhibition Edition
In 1924, the first ever commemorative UK stamps were produced. They celebrated the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley and featured a lion on the left and the King's profile on the right. Two stamps were issued, the red one penny and the brown three halfpence.
Seahorse Stamps
One of the most collectible George V stamps is known as the Seahorse. These stamps were first issued in 1913 and feature the King on the left-hand side and Britannia with three horses on the right. Four stamps were issued: the brown half crown (2s 6d), the red five shilling, the blue ten shilling and the green one pound.
Different Stamp Conditions
Stamp listings may describe stamps as mint, MNH (mint never hinged), hinged and used. Mint refers to stamps that are in the same condition as when they left the printers. Hinged or never hinged refers to whether stamps have been in contact with stamp hinges.
Stamp hinges are used to hold stamps in collectors' albums, and the hinges have a light gum on them. Hinged stamps have been in contact with hinges and the gum transfers itself from the hinge onto the stamp. Never hinged stamps haven't been in contact with hinges, and are therefore in better condition.