Description: The vertical definitive stamp displays the left-facing profile portrait of King George V housed inside a central oval frame. Designed by Bertram Mackennal, the uncrowned likeness of the monarch is surmounted by a large, intricately detailed Imperial Crown. Curving text ribbons immediately below the crown contain the words "POSTAGE" and "REVENUE", while the upper corners explicitly frame the fraction "1/2". The base panels feature two stylized, scaly dolphins curving around a central plaque that states the denomination as "HALFPENNY" in bold block letters.
Circa: 1912-1934
Condition: Used
Notes:
This stamp was commissioned as a direct emergency replacement for the highly unpopular 1911 "Downey Head" stamp series. The initial Downey design, which relied on a three-quarter photograph of the King, was widely criticized by both the British public and the King himself for looking flat, forcing the post office to quickly revert to this timeless, sharper profile profile layout.