he change from the Queen's Head type to the King's Head type of design came in 1902, the new general Colonial key plate being used. It is numbered 1 in a similar manner to the numbering on the Queen's Head plates. All the denominations in the previous set were repeated, and a 2s. value was added; later (May, 1905) three new stamps appeared of the face values 1s. 6d., 2s. 6d. and 3s. respectively. Of these three denominations it is stated that only 6000[[2]] copies of each were printed. The stamps, which were perforated 14 and were printed on the same paper (Crown and C.A.) as the last issue, comprised the following values—
Watermarked Crown C.A.
| ½d. green and green. |
| 1d. carmine and carmine. |
| 2d. orange and mauve. |
| 2½d. ultramarine and ultramarine. |
| 3d. magenta and ultramarine. |
| 4d. brown and ultramarine. |
| 6d. sage-green and carmine. |
| 1s. violet and green. |
| 1s. 6d. green and carmine on yellow paper. |
| 2s. deep slate and orange. |
| 2s. 6d. purple and brown on yellow paper. |
| 3s. carmine and green on yellow paper. |
[Footnote 2:]Compare numbers overprinted in 1906. ([Chapter VIII.])
In May, 1905, appeared also three new values printed on multiple Crown C.A. paper, each stamp shewing portions of two or more watermark designs instead of one more or less complete design as heretofore. The new values were the 5d., 7½d. and 10d. These being rather unusual denominations, their appearance caused considerable ferment among collectors, who ascribed their issue to motives not strictly associated with legitimate postal business. Reference to the Post Office Ordinance No. 6 of 1897 (quoted in [Chapter I.]) will shew that the fees for insured parcels in force in the Gambia were 5d. for compensation up to £12, 7½d. up to £24, and 10d. up to £36; so it is not unreasonable if, as one may assume, the colonists availed themselves of these rates of insurance, that there was a use for such denominations.