The King George VI definitive set from Bahamas features a number of color shades. There are also two different paper types. Like many King George VI sets, there are quite a few more printings than the assigned catalog numbers. The stamps were produced during the time period of 1938 until 1953. The set was replaced with the QEII Set in 1954. Although the Tercentenary of Eleutheran Settlement set was issued in 1948, some values continued to be printed until 1953. There are several extremely rare stamps that resulted from the use of the Post Office stock for the 1942 Landfall of Columbus 450th overprint anniversary set. So it is worthwhile to accurately sort the stamps from this set.

This set includes a number of major and minor print flaws, so there is a lot to look for if you buy a set of these stamps to study. See Richard Lockyer's article from Gibbons Stamp Monthly for more details on these aspects of the Hong Kong set. You can access a complete list of Richard's articles from this KGVI Stamps hosted site.

The higher values 1/, 5/ and £1 were printed on both chalk and substitute paper (no chalk coating is called substitute). So you will need to check for this factor on these stamps. Chalk paper was used to provide a better impression and to help against cleaning cancellations from higher value stamps for reuse. It is actually a coating that is applied to the paper prior to printing. There are several tests for chalk paper. One option is to use a silver coin which will draw a pencil-like line when rubbed gently against chalk paper. I do this in the white border. If you don't want to make a line, try looking for a shiny coating on the paper when viewed under a good light source. You can also rub your finger across the face of the stamp. It will slide easily over the chalk coated paper, and will feel like it is catching against the ordinary paper. Another test is the quality of the impression. The chalk treatment was used to insure a better quality printing. For the record, the term chalk is not scientifically accurate, but it is the term that has been used in the catalogs.

In addition to chalk and substitute paper, you will also find reference to thin striated paper which was used for the 1/ and 5/ issues (CW 15a and CW 16a) that were overprinted for the Landfall set. These two stamps are very scarce because most were overprinted. 60,840 1/ stamps and 12,600 5/ stamps were printed, but there is no record of how many were overprinted so it is currently impossible to determine the quantity that still exist. Thin Striated paper shows a horizontal ribbing on the surface. It is visible when held at an angle to the light. You can typically see the lines across the back of the stamp when placed against black paper and viewed under a strong lamp. The paper was used for several Colonies including a number of the Malay States during the early 1940's. The best example that you can find for this paper is the Leeward Islands 5/ (CW 11b, SG 112b). This stamp is pretty common and easily identified so it makes a good resource if you are trying to learn how to identify the Thin Striated Paper.

As you study the 1/, 5/ and £1 issues, you will note that there are distinct traits for the paper and gum of the stamps during various time periods. These periods include: 1938-1940, 1941-1942, 1942-1946 and 1948-1953. Understanding these traits can help you identify your stamps. See the blow up examples of the various 1/ printings to see the differences.

This article was written to help you identify your stamps.
Please feel free to ask a question, or include a correction.