Cyprus Stamps
Issues of 1937-1951
For commemorative Cyprus stamps, the big event of 1937 was the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
The pictorial definitive stamps of Cyprus issued between 1937 and 1951 are almost identical to those issued in 1934, with the exception that each of the unique designs for each denomination also includes an oval containing the portrait of King George VI.
The three commemorative stamps shown above (Sc. 140-142) were issued on May 12, 1937, the day of the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, formerly the Duke and Duchess of York.
It
was an event that, a year earlier, would have seemed extremely
unlikely, as the Duke of York had NOT been the heir to the throne upon
the death of King George V. It was the coronation of a man that NEVER
WANTED TO BE KING, and the devoted wife that would drive him to become
one of the most beloved monarchs of the 20th Century.
These stamps are engraved, perforated 11 x 11 1/2, and they are printed on paper with WMK 4 - the Multiple Crown and Script CA watermark.
The designs of the coronation stamps feature the facing portraits of the king and queen, with coronation regalia around.
The nineteen large-format pictorial definitive Cyprus stamps shown above (Sc. #143-155, #164-166) were issued between 1938 and 1951. These stamps are all engraved, perforated 12 1/2, and they are printed on paper with the Multiple Crown and Script CA watermark.
The major design descriptions of these pictorial definitive Cyprus stamps are as follows.
- 1/4 Piaster -- Ruins of Vouni Palace.
Vouni Palace is a royal palace of the Persian Imperial Period. Located on a hilltop above Morphou Bay, it was built in about 520 BC and destroyed in 380 BC. The palace contained royal audience chambers, courtyards, bathhouses, and stores. - 1/2 Piaster -- Columns at Salamis.
Salamis is an Ancient Greek City-State on the Eastern Coast of Cyprus. Founded in the 11th Century BC, the city-state flourished until the 4th Century AD, when it was partially destroyed by earthquakes. The city was finally abandoned during the Moslem invasions of the 7th Century AD. The columns shown on this Cyprus stamp are those of the Gymnasium of Salamis. - 3/4 Piaster -- Peristerona Church.
Peristerona is a village near Nicosia, whose population is made up of both Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The "Peristerona Church" consists of the St. Barnabas and Hilarion Church and the nearby Peristrona Mosque. The subject of this Cyprus stamp is intended to symbolize the peaceful co-existence of the Greek and Turkish populations of Cyprus. - 1 Piaster -- Soli Theater.
Soli or Soloi was an Ancient Greek city in Cyprus, dating back to the 6th Century BC. Most of the existing remains of Soli, basically the basilica and an amphitheater, are from the Roman Imperial Period. - 1 1/2 Piasters -- Kyrenia Castle and Harbor.
Kyrenia Castle is a 16th Century castle, built by the Venetians over a former Crusader castle. - 2 Piasters -- Peristerona Church.
- 2 1/2 Piasters -- Kolossi Castle.
Kolossi Castle is a former Crusader fortress, originally constructed in the 13th Century. It is located in the village of Kolossi, near Limassol. - 3 Piasters -- Kolossi Castle.
- 4 Piasters -- Kolossi Castle.
- 4 1/2 Piasters -- Map of Cyprus.
- 6 Piasters -- Bairakdar Mosque in Nicosia.
- 9 Piasters -- Citadel in Famagusta.
Othello Castle or the Citadel of Famagusta. This citadel was built by the Lusignan rulers during the 14th Century, and it was later modified during the subsequent rule of the Republic of Venice. The castle is believed to be the location where Shakespeare's play "Othello" takes place. - 18 Piasters -- Buyuk Khan, Nicosia.
This caravan terminus and inn complex, built shortly after the Ottoman conquest of the island, is one of the largest structures in Cyprus. - 45 Piasters -- Forest Scene.
- 90 Piasters -- King George VI.
- £ 1 -- King George VI.
The two commemorative Cyprus stamps shown above (Sc. #156-157) were issued October 21, 1946 to celebrate the Return to Peace at the end of World War II.
The designs feature a view of the Thames River in London, with the Parliament buildings in the distance.
The two commemorative Cyprus stamps shown above (Sc. #158-159) were issued on December 20, 1948 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Wedding of Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George (King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon (Queen Elizabeth).
The 1 1/2 Piaster stamp is photogravure and perforated 14 x 14 1/2. The One Pound stamp is engraved and perforated 11 1/2 x 11.
The four commemorative Cyprus stamps shown above (Sc. #160-163) were issued on October 10, 1949 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union.
The designs are as follows:
- 1 1/2 Piasters -- Mercury and symbols of communications.
- 2 Piasters -- Plane, ship, and hemispheres.
- 3 Piasters -- Mercury scattering letters over the globe.
- 9 Piasters -- UPU Monument in Bern, Switzerland.
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Cyprus (Pre-1960) Postage Stamps
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Cyprus Stamps - Issues of 1937-1951
