Malta stamp year 1948 2 shillings Self Government

Malta stamp year 1948 2 shillings Self Government

📮 Malta — 1948 “SELF‑GOVERNMENT 1947” Overprint — 2 Shillings

• Country: Malta (then a British Crown Colony).
• Year of issue: 1948, marking the reinstatement of self‑government under the new 1947 constitution (although the overprint reads “SELF‑GOVERNMENT 1947” and was released the following year).
• Denomination: 2 Shillings (2 s).
• Design: The stamp is a King George VI definitive stamp from the 1938 pictorial set, overprinted diagonally with “SELF‑GOVERNMENT 1947.” It typically shows a local Maltese scene (e.g., Mdina) in the base design.
• Color: Dark blue / blue‑green (varies by catalogue).
• Overprint text: SELF‑GOVERNMENT 1947, applied to definitives to commemorate Malta’s restored self‑government.
• Printer: Waterlow & Sons (typical printer of Maltese definitives of this era).
• Catalogue numbers:
  • Stanley Gibbons: SG 245 (for the 2 Shillings value).
  • Scott Catalogue: Scott #220.
  • Michel/Yvert and others: Listed within the 1948 “Self‑Government” overprinted group (specific numbers vary by catalogue).
• Perforation & watermark: Typically line perforation 12½ and watermark Crown CA, as with the underlying George VI definitives.

📜 Historical Context

• Malta’s self government was restored in 1947 after World War II and the suspension of earlier constitutional arrangements; to celebrate it, in 1948 the postal authorities overprinted the existing King George VI stamps with “SELF‑GOVERNMENT 1947.”
• The overprint applies to many denominations from low to high values; the 2 Shilling is one of the higher everyday postal rates in that overprinted set.