§ 70. Mr. Masonasked the Postmaster-General if he will list in detail the official objections to changing the design of British postage stamps from the invariable representation of the British sovereign to a more varied and colourful description of the country's history, events, and personalities.
§ Miss PikeSince this country first invented the postage stamp the Monarch's head has been the dominant feature of our design, and this is accepted throughout the world as identifying our stamps, which alone do not bear the name of the country of origin. I am convinced that this long tradition and this unique privilege are things which we are right to value and cherish.
For our high value stamps and the commemorative stamps which we issue from time to time, it is possible to retain the Monarch's head as part of the design because these stamps are larger. But such large stamps would be most inconvenient for the lower values and would, of course, cost more.