Today, the Government and the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau issued a new set of 14 stamps to commemorate both the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty’s Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and the 60th anniversary of the first ever Queen Elizabeth II definitive stamps released in 1953.

The 14 stamps are an exact reproduction of the 1953 set of Gibraltar stamps.

The first definitive stamps of Queen Elizabeth II were placed on sale in 1953 and Gibraltar’s first ever philatelic exhibition was held to coincide with the first day of issue. A special postmark was used at the exhibition held at the Calpe Institute which was run by the British Council. The 1953 series was prepared using King George VI’s head depicting the St. Edward’s Crown over the portrait’s oval and was meant to replace the old definitive set of King George VI. After of King George’s VI death on the 6th February 1952, the same designs were used with the Queen Elizabeth II head as a substitution. The pictorial set of fourteen values was designed by Mr Norman Cumming, a Government draughtsman.

Sixty years later, our designer Stephen Perera has brought back to life the 1953 issue with a meticulous recreation of the original design with today's new decimal postage values. The original set is widely regarded by collectors worldwide as one of the best sets of Gibraltar stamps ever produced and these new stamps have stirred a lot of interest and positive reactions from collectors worldwide.

The stamps and related philatelic items are now available to purchase from the Philatelic Shop outside the Main Post Office and online on www.gibraltar- stamps.com