'The new British stamps bearing for the first time the head of King. Edward 'VIII began' to arrive in Shanghai on Sept. 21 and doubtless will be preserved as commemorative Issues by many people Judging by their wide circulation in mint or cans celled state. Personal examination of the mew stamps of nalipenny, three ialfpence and twopence halfpenny: denomination permit of" a. better impression of the Issue than was possible by black and. white reproduce. on and the description in the cabled messages at the time. The great sim= pilelty of the design after decades of the panel types Is perhaps the most striking feature of the stamps, and this, strengthened by brighter" and fresher colours, adds to the distinetion. To the philatelist, the three halfpenny denomination should prove of greatest interest for in this denomination an attempt has been made to regain the attractive brick red colour which distinguished the ori-inal Victorian penny reds which, although among the earliest stamps ever produced, remain among the most beautiful types. "As already reported in this Journal, the new stamps have evoked a storm of criticism on count of the photographie character of His Majesty which is a radical parture from the usual type of British postage stamp, which, while eschewing the florid and. picturesque designs of other countries, have always been noted for their artistic merit, It has been charged that the true art of the draughtsman and the engraver has been sacrificed to the ingenuity of the photographer, but there is general admission that improvement on former issues, With the arrival of these stamps in Shanghai philatelists and others will be able to form their own opinion of the new issue which has been produced so quickly after the death of the former Sovereign.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.