The 1937 Long Coronation Issue of Newfoundland
Overview Today's post will explore a set that is completely unique to all of British Commonwealth philately: a commemorative issue, whose size and whose designs are almost entirely based on those of a contemporary definitive issue. Newfoundland issued the 1937 Omnibus Coronation designs, just like every other crown colony in the Empire. But then it was decided that in addition to these, another commemorative set was to be issued, which would feature the designs of the current Resources definitive issue. The result was what collectors today know as the Long Coronation Issue. It consisted of eleven stamps ranging from the 1c to 48c, similar to the Resources definitive issue. In addition, with only three exceptions, being the 1c, 3c and 7c, the remaining 8 denominations were almost exactly the same as the corresponding definitives, with a portrait of King George VI added at the right (or left in the case of the 8c) and an inscription with the date of the Coronation added at the to...