Royal Philatelic Collection
Encyclopedia
The Royal Philatelic Collection is the postage stamp
collection of the British Royal Family
. It is the most comprehensive collection of items related to the philately
of the United Kingdom
and the British Commonwealth
, with many unique pieces.
, who sold his collection to his older brother Edward VII
, who in turn gave it to his son, later George V
.
George V had the collection housed in 328 so-called "Red Albums", each of about 60 pages. Later additions included a set of "Blue Albums" for the reign of George VI
and "Green Albums" for those of Elizabeth II
's.
until it was moved to St. James's Palace
, also in London
.
Items of the Royal Philatelic Collection have been regularly shown to the public by the Royal Philatelic Society London or are lent to international philatelic exhibitions.
John Alexander Tilleard
was the first person to manage the collection from the 1890s until his death in 1913, with the title of "Philatelist to the King" when the prince became King George V. Tilleard was followed by Edward Denny Bacon
who became "curator" of the collection from 1913 to 1938, when he died just prior to retirement. He started to organize the collection in a comprehensive manner. Bacon was succeeded by John Wilson
, then president of Royal Philatelic Society London, with the title of "keeper" and served until 1969. He introduced the coloured albums to keep intact the work of Bacon. He prepared the first loans for exhibitions after World War II
.
The last three keepers of the Royal Philatelic Collection were John Marriott
(1969–1995), Charles Wyndham Goodwyn
(1995–2002), and Michael Sefi
since 1 January 2003. By 2003, six men had taken on this responsibility.
Articles
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
collection of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. It is the most comprehensive collection of items related to the philately
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the British Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, with many unique pieces.
Early history
Some members of the royal family are known to have been collecting stamps by 1864, just under twenty-five years after their introduction in 1840. The first serious collector in the family was Prince AlfredAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
, who sold his collection to his older brother Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, who in turn gave it to his son, later George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
George V
George V was one of the notable philatelists of his day. In 1893, as the Duke of York, he was elected honorary vice-president of what became the Royal Philatelic Society of London. On his marriage that year, fellow members of the society gave him an album of nearly 1,500 postage stamps as a wedding present. He expanded the collection with a number of high-priced purchases of rare stamps and covers. His 1904 purchase of the Mauritius two pence blue for £1,450 set a new record for a single stamp. A courtier asked the prince if he had seen "that some damned fool had paid as much as £1,400 for one stamp". "Yes," George replied. "I was that damned fool!"George V had the collection housed in 328 so-called "Red Albums", each of about 60 pages. Later additions included a set of "Blue Albums" for the reign of George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and "Green Albums" for those of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
's.
Management of the collection
The collection was kept at Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
until it was moved to St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
, also in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Items of the Royal Philatelic Collection have been regularly shown to the public by the Royal Philatelic Society London or are lent to international philatelic exhibitions.
Keepers and curators
Ever since the 1890s, following his uncle's advice, Prince George hired a counsellor to manage his collection. Reign after reign and with less philatelist monarchs, the task of these advisors evolved.John Alexander Tilleard
John Alexander Tilleard
John Alexander Tilleard was a British solicitor and the philatelist who helped King George V to constitute his collection, known as the Royal Philatelic Collection.- Biography :...
was the first person to manage the collection from the 1890s until his death in 1913, with the title of "Philatelist to the King" when the prince became King George V. Tilleard was followed by Edward Denny Bacon
Edward Denny Bacon
Sir Edward Denny Bacon was a British philatelist who helped the enlargement and mounting of collections possessed by rich collectors of his time and became the curator of the Royal Philatelic Collection between 1913 and 1938.- Early life :Edward Bacon was the son of a malt producer of London,...
who became "curator" of the collection from 1913 to 1938, when he died just prior to retirement. He started to organize the collection in a comprehensive manner. Bacon was succeeded by John Wilson
John Wilson (philatelist)
John Mitchell Harvey Wilson was a British philatelist, Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection from 1938 to 1969...
, then president of Royal Philatelic Society London, with the title of "keeper" and served until 1969. He introduced the coloured albums to keep intact the work of Bacon. He prepared the first loans for exhibitions after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The last three keepers of the Royal Philatelic Collection were John Marriott
John Marriott (philatelist)
John Brook Marriott was a British teacher and philatelist. He was the Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection between 1969 and 1995.- Biography :...
(1969–1995), Charles Wyndham Goodwyn
Charles Wyndham Goodwyn
Charles Wyndham Goodwyn is a British philatelist, and was Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection between September 1995 and January 2003.- Biography :...
(1995–2002), and Michael Sefi
Michael Sefi
Michael Richard Sefi is a British philatelist, Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection since 1 January 2003.Born in London, Sefi worked as a chartered accountant until a partial retirement at the end of 1992. He became an associate of Deloitte & Touche in the 1980s.When a child, his grandfather...
since 1 January 2003. By 2003, six men had taken on this responsibility.
Sources and references
Books : The book is an history of the collection and the catalogue of the "Red Albums", with colour reproduction of some items.Articles
- Larry Rosenblum, "In the Spotlight", interview of Michael Sefi, published in The Chronicle, revue of the Great Britain Collectors Club, January 2005 ; reproduced on the GBCC's website, link, 28 May 2005, retrieved 19 August 2007.
- The UK monthly philatelic magazine Stamp & Coin Mart exclusively features items from the Royal Philatelic Collection in every issue link
External links
- Webpage on the Royal Collection on the British Monarchy website, including :
- The Queen's Own. Stamps That Changed the World, exhibition of a part of the Royal Philatelic Collection at the National Postal MuseumNational Postal MuseumThe National Postal Museum, located opposite Union Station in Washington, D.C., USA, was established through joint agreement between the United States Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution and opened in 1993. The museum is located across the street from Union Station, in the building that...
, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.