Australia year 1948/54 stamps Coat of arms full set Used

Australia year 1948/54 stamps Coat of arms full set Used

The Australia stamps issued around the 1948–1954 period that feature the Coat of Arms are the high-value definitive stamps that replaced the long-running Kangaroo and Map issues.

This series is distinct because it features the Commonwealth Coat of Arms as the primary design, a subject typically reserved for high denominations.

Key Philatelic Information

• Country: Australia
• Period: The first stamps of this design were issued in 1948, with the series continuing to be printed and used into the early 1950s.
• Monarch: King George VI (1948–1952) and Queen Elizabeth II (1952 onwards). The Coat of Arms design itself remains the same across the transition.
• Theme: The Commonwealth Coat of Arms.
• Denominations: These were the high-value stamps of the era, issued in pounds and shillings:
  • 5/- (Five Shillings)
  • 10/- (Ten Shillings)
  • £1 (One Pound)
  • £2 (Two Pounds)

Catalogue References (Scott & Stanley Gibbons)

• Note on SG Numbers: Some dealers and catalogues group these as a set, sometimes covering the entire 1948–1956 period of the George VI/early Elizabeth II definitives. The numbers listed above are generally for the initial issues of this specific Coat of Arms design.

These stamps are a significant part of Australian philately, marking the end of the “Kangaroo and Map” series for high values and introducing the formal Coat of Arms design that would be used until decimalization.