Which George VI stamp is the most valuable?

Among the everyday issues, the high-value definitives and the 1948 Silver Wedding £1 are the most sought-after. Even these are modest by the standards of earlier reigns, with fine condition the key to value.

Why are George VI stamps so affordable?

Because they were issued and saved in large numbers through the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s, so most are common. Value depends on scarcity, condition and demand, which only the better stamps have.

What makes one George VI stamp worth more than another?

Above all its condition, since the stamps are common and only fine examples command a premium. Then the denomination (the high values are worth most) and any scarce shade, printing or variety.

Valuation

King George VI Stamp Values: What Are They Worth?

King George VI stamps are among the most affordable in British collecting. The everyday definitives and the common commemoratives are worth from pennies to a pound or two, and complete sets can be bought cheaply. Value lies in the high values, the 1948 Silver Wedding £1, fine mint condition, and certain shades and varieties. Even the better stamps are modest by the standards of earlier reigns. Condition decides the figure, and values are a guide only.

Very affordable

Value in the high values

Condition decides

George VI values

Condition decides

At a glance

Reign1936 to 1952

Everyday stampsPennies to a pound or two

Complete setsOften inexpensive

The more valuableHigh values, the 1948 Silver Wedding £1

Also adds valueFine mint condition, scarce shades and varieties

Values are a guide onlyAnd depend on the individual stamp

An affordable reign

George VI is the reign where many collectors find they can complete a great deal for very little. Its stamps were issued and saved in large numbers, through the war and the years after, so the everyday definitives and the popular commemoratives, the 1937 Coronation, the 1946 Victory, the 1948 Olympics, the 1949 UPU, are common and inexpensive, often only pennies each, with complete sets affordable.

This makes it an ideal reign for building a full, attractive collection on a modest budget. Value, where it lies, is in the exceptions. Values are a guide only and depend on condition and the individual stamp.

Where the value lies

The high-value definitives (2s6d, 5s, 10s and £1) are the more valuable everyday stamps, worth from a few pounds upward, more for fine mint examples, though still modest by earlier standards.
The 1948 Silver Wedding £1 is the notable commemorative high value of the reign, the most sought-after of the popular commemoratives, worth from the tens of pounds for fine examples (the low-value 2½d Silver Wedding, by contrast, is common).
Fine mint condition lifts value across the board, since so much survives in average condition that genuinely fine, fresh examples stand out.
Scarce shades and varieties interest the specialist and can carry a premium over the common stamp.

Values are a guide only and depend on condition and the individual stamp. Our guide to condition and value explains how much grade matters.

What decides value

With so many about, only fine examples command a premium

For George VI, as for every reign, condition is the deciding factor, and it matters all the more because the stamps are common: with so many about, only fine examples command a premium, while faulty or poorly centred ones are worth little. Beyond condition, the denomination matters, the high values are worth most, and the exact shade, printing or variety can lift a stamp's value for the specialist, as our guides to identifying British stamps and colours and shades explain. Catalogue value, as ever, is only a guide, generally well above what stamps actually sell for.

How to find out what yours are worth

To value George VI stamps, judge the condition honestly first, since it decides so much, then identify the exact stamp, including any scarce shade or variety, and compare with what similar examples actually sell for rather than catalogue value, as our guide to catalogue versus market value explains. The high values and the 1948 Silver Wedding £1 are worth checking with particular care. If you would like an honest opinion, our free valuation is glad to help: send clear photographs of the fronts and backs, and we will tell you what you have, at no obligation.

Frequently asked questions

Most are common and very affordable, worth from pennies to a pound or two, with complete sets inexpensive. Value lies in the high values, the 1948 Silver Wedding £1, fine mint condition, and scarce shades and varieties.

This is a general guide. For what your own George VI stamps are worth, send clear photographs for a free, honest valuation.

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