Admirals (philately)

Canada's King George V Admiral definitives, 1911 to 1928 Named for the King's portrait in the full dress uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet, these stamps carried Canada's mail for 17 years until the Scroll issue replaced them in 1928. They are among the most studied areas of Canadian philately, and the reason is the long run itself. Over those years nearly every die was retouched or re-engraved, printing switched from wet to dry sheets after December 1922, and flaws, dots and ink smears turn up on every value. The dry printings show sharper lines and slight embossing from the back, a difference a beginner can learn in an afternoon. Cheap used Admirals are everywhere, which makes them the classic second series after the Small Queens.