1924 and 1925 British Empire Exhibition
The first rolls to contain commemorative stamps were made for the British Empire Exhibition held at Wembley in 1924 and 1925. The stamps were recess printed by Waterlow on Block Cypher paper. The exhibition ran for two summer seasons: April to October 1924 and May to October 1925.
Trials for rolls of these stamps, which were larger than the definitive stamps, were started using blank paper at Waterlow in February 1924, and at BSTAD using sheets of cancelled British Empire Exhibition stamps in April 1924. Coil joins overprinted CANCELLED Type 28 and Type 24 are known, presumably from these trials. In July, some sheets overprinted SPECIMEN were also sent to BSTAD.
Coil joins overprinted CANCELLED Type 28 and Type 24.
Although both BSTAD and Waterlow submitted tenders in 1924, only BSTAD was selected as they were the cheapest at 6d per roll. The first delivery to the Exhibition, ten rolls of each value, was on 1 August and stamps were available from vending machines on 4 August.
There were five double (1d and 1½d) official Kermode vending machines at the Exhibition, plus four double “Brooker’s Patent Stamp Selling Machines” operated by Brooker Automatic Vending Machines Ltd. It is thought that some sideways delivery rolls may have been used in the latter, but the evidence is not compelling. The locations of the Brooker’s machines are not recorded, but the Kermode machines were located at:
• Head Post Office in the Palace of Industry
• Branch Post Office in the Palace of Engineering
• Post Office exhibit in the British Government Pavilion
• Telephone call office kiosk in the Amusement Park at the North Entrance
• Telephone call office kiosk near the South West Entrance
For 1925, BSTAD increased their tender to 8d per roll, but Waterlow tendered £2.0.6 per 100 rolls (less than 5d per roll) so the Post Office selected Waterlow and rolls were available from vending machines on opening day, 9 May 1925. However, problems were reported with these rolls and so the Post Office went back to BSTAD. New BSTAD rolls were available at the Exhibition on 26 May, but problems continued. It seems the perforation had changed slightly and once this was known, and the vending machines adjusted, both Waterlow and BSTAD rolls proved satisfactory, and both were available.
There were now seven pairs of official Kermode vending machines (note that the Palace of Engineering was renamed to the Palace of Housing & Transport, and that the Head and Branch Offices were switched):
• Two at the Branch Post Office in the Palace of Industry
• Two at the Head Post Office in the Palace of Housing & Transport
• Two in the Post Office exhibit in the British Government Pavilion
• One in the Imperial Airways exhibit in the Palace of Housing & Transport
| 1924 | 1925 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1d | 191 | 161 |
| 1½d | 58 | 87 |
The 1925 1½d figure includes about 30 rolls issued over the counter during the final week of the Exhibition after 1½d counter sheet stamps had run out.
BSTAD
British Stamp and Ticket Automatic Delivery (BSTAD) used their standard leaders for Exhibition rolls, modified in manuscript. The 1d leaders had “EXHIBITION” added in red. The 1½d leaders were modified ½d leaders with the price changed from £2.10.0 to £7.10.0, the value changed from ½d to 1½d, and “EXHIBITION” added in black. Leaders were attached to wider paper to match the width of the stamps, but neither were attached to the stamps, only wrapped around.
| BSTAD | 1d | 1,200 | £5 | Lower End | Cream | 10 |
| BSTAD | 1½d | 1,200 | £7.10.0 | Lower End | Cream | 10 |
1925 1d BSTAD leaders were similar to those from the previous year, except with manuscript “B.E.E.” and with the roll value also in manuscript. No 1925 1½d BSTAD leaders are known, although they could be the same as the 1924 ones.
| BSTAD | 1d | 1,200 | £5 | Lower End | Cream | 10 |
| BSTAD | 1½d | 1,200 | £7.10.0 | Lower End | Cream | 10 |
Waterlow
Waterlow 1d leaders were printed in red and 1½d leaders in brown. Both showed the value of the roll, “EXHIBITION STAMPS”, and the printer’s imprint.
| Waterlow | 1d | 1,200 | £5 | Lower End | Cream | 10 |
| Waterlow | 1½d | 1,200 | £7.10.0 | Lower End | Cream | 10 |
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