Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
King Bhumibol was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 5th December 1927 and died in Bangkok on 13th October 2016. He reigned from 9th June 1946 until his death. Thai kings of the present dynasty take the title Rama from the great Hindu epic. King Bhumibol was Rama IX, the 9th king of the Chakri dynasty. His father, Prince Mahidol, was studying public health at Harvard when Bhumibol, his second son was born.
Prince Mahidol was the 69th child of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, the great modernizer of Siam, as Thailand was then called. For philatelists Rama V’s reign is when we first start seeing stamps and provides many delights for collectors. Prince Mahidol’s grandfather was King Mongkut, Rama IV, who was also a modernizer. This is the king depicted, not always accurately in The King and I, with the wonderful Yul Brynner playing the lead.
Absolute monarchy in Siam ended with the 1932 Revolution when the country changed to a constitutional monarchy. This was under the reign of King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, Prince Mahidol’s half brother. King Prajadhipok died in exile in England in 1941. Through some rather complicated royal succession law and the National Assembly, Bhumibol’s elder brother, King Ananda, Rama VIII, was declared the next king. Both Ananda and Bhumibol were living in Switzerland at the time with their mother. Their father, Prince Mahidol had died in 1927.
After the end of WWII the brothers returned to Thailand, which had changed its name from Siam in 1931. King Ananda was found dead in the palace in 1946 due to a gunshot wound, possibly a shooting accident. King Bhumibol became the new king, Rama IX.
For philatelists all the kings from Rama 5 to the present Rama 10 can be found on stamps.
n.b. All album pages below printed using Clive's marvelous Album Easy software
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The first series shows the young King Bhumibol with the country going back to its pre-1931 name of Siam. The Thai characters still read "Thai" though. Quite why we see the name change in English I am not sure. I suspect that the British and Americans were not in total agreement on how to deal with the Thai government having sided with the Japanese and declared war on the axis side. This declaration was not accepted by the allies and Thailand was under a quasi-Japanese military occupation at the time. There were those among the allies who wanted the Thai military disarmed and a self defense force put in its place, similar to Japan. This would have stopped a few coups in the future, but in the post-war world the Cold War was already starting.
The first series was printed in Great Britain by Waterlow and Sons Ltd..
In 1955 the 20 satang value was overprinted with two new values as can be seen in the second row on the page below. (The top row shows two 1928 stamps of King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, also overprinted in 1955 with new values. In this case "Siam" has also been overprinted with Thailand in both Thai and English.)
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I should have added that the top value 20 baht is the key stamp in this set. Local Bangkok prices are high for this stamp mint. The 3, 5 and 10 baht are also quite expensive mint, but the 10 baht is fairly cheap used. I guess it was used on a lot of parcels at the time. The complete set mint is priced at a $1000 in the latest (2014) catalogue. A used set is about $22.
n.b. The local auction prices are not this high on post-WWII material.
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Between 1951 and 1956 Waterlow & Sons Ltd. printed the 2nd series of King Rama IX definitives with a similar portrait of the king to the 1st. series. The big change was the country's name in English was now "Thailand" rather than "Siam". Remember the Thai characters always said Thailand, although that is not strictly true. What they actually say is "Thai" which means free people. Probably the name change on the stamps was due to Thailand no longer being thought of as a possible wartime enemy, but now considered a cold war ally. The ethnic group most Thais belong to is called the Tai. This group and its tribes moved down from the highlands of NW China many hundreds of years ago and settled in today's Thailand, Laos, the Shan States and as far as NE India. Where they came from originally hasn't been proved but I have seen suggestions that it may be from southern coast of China moving as the Han Chinese people expanded their territory.
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In 1961 ten of the values of the 2nd series were reprinted by Thomas De La Rue & Co., Ltd., also British. There was a perforation change so they are fairly easy to differentiate.
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All values of the 2nd series are moderately priced used, but mint values of 3 baht and up do carry a premium.
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I find the 3rd definitive has the most attractive of the King Rama 9 stamp portraits. Apparently this is called a lateral portrait with the side-on appearance. It's also the tallest of the definitive series. The low values (satangs - 100 satang = 1 baht) are printed in a single colour while the high values use two. The printer was Thomas De La Rue of England. No real varieties so a simple set. My top value 40 baht (yellow & black) will be with me next month when my daughter and her family visit me. Used, these stamps are not expensive, but the 40 baht mint is catalogued at about $150 out here in Bangkok. (Thanks again to Clive for the great Album Easy software.)
p.s. I have lived in Thailand for more than 40 years, but my three daughters, all born here in Thailand, now live in the UK. England gave Thailand one person in me, and Thailand replied with a gift of three people in my daughters.
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The 4th series of the King Rama 9 stamps overlapped with the 3rd series. This means the one of the two smallest definitive series followed the largest sized series. This series was printed by the Government Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, Tokyo, Japan.
In 1971 62,500 stamps of each of the 80 satang values of the 3rd and 4th series were overprinted by the National Savings Bank for the Thaipex'71 stamp exhibition in Bangkok.
None of this series are expensive in used condition and the only very high priced stamp is the top value, 40 baht, in mint condition which has a local catalogue price of about $140. (It can of course be picked up far below this on eBay.)
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The 5th series shows King Bhumibol in traditional royal robes. The initial printing again overlapped with printings of the earlier 4th series. For the first time we have higher 50 and 100 baht values. Initially the stamps were printed by the Ministry of Finance of Japan, but later 4 values were reprinted by the Bank of Finland. There is a perforation difference between the two printers. This series was the first to be also issued in stamp booklets with 10 of the 75 satang stamps in. These were made up with stamps from the sheets. 75 satang was the inland letter rate at that time and 400 million of this value were printed, many more than we see printed today. In 2006 and 2007 old stocks of two values were overprinted with higher values; the 20 satang with 2 baht and the 40 baht with 50 baht and 100 baht. These were from the Japanese printing.
The Japanese printing of the 40, 50 and 100 baht values have a local catalogue price of $35-$70 mint. Used prices are much less. Sometimes online you will see the Finnish 40 baht being priced similar to the Japanese printing, but its catalogue value is closer to $15 mint. The key stamp from the Finnish printing is the 10 baht with a catalogue of about $40 mint. With the overprints the most expensive at about $10 mint or used is 2 baht on 20 satang as only 28,500 were made. Keep an eye out for this one
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The sixth series is the last one of the ten definitive series of King Rama IX we will deal with in this thread. Series seven through ten can be found at this link. Series 7-10. Series six consisted of nine values printed by two British printers, De La Rue and Harrison. Eight values were printed by De La Rue in 1973 while Harrison printed four values between 1979 and 1981. Harrison's printings were reprints of three of the low values, 20, 25 and 75 satang, plus one new value of 50 satang. The easy way to differentiate between the two printers is that the De La Rue low values have a perforation of 14x13.5 while the Harrison stamps were perforated 14.5 although I have seen this measured at 14x14.5. There is also a different watermark between the two printers.
The overprints of four of the stamps between 1986 and 2006 are interesting as both the De La Rue and Harrison 20 satang values were surcharged at 2 baht in 2006, but possibly less than 500 sheets (50,000 stamps) of the De La Rue were treated this way compared to over 4 million of the Harrison stamp.
Most of the sixth series can be picked up cheaply but the local catalogue prices for the top value, 20 baht, are over $100 mint and about $8 used. The above mentioned De La Rue 20 satang overprint is priced at about $34 and $22 mint and used. I haven't heard of any fakes of this last stamp, but I have been a bit suspicious on how they appeared in dealers stocks at the time
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It would be extremely hard to exaggerate quite how popular a monarch King Bhumibol, Rama IX, was in Thailand. He died in 2016 and was conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great in 2019. The coronation of the Crown Prince, now King Vajiralongkorn, Rama X, took place in a three day ceremony in 2019.
So what is Thailand using for definitive stamps now I can hear you asking. Well we should remember that superstition plays an important part in Thailand. The monarchy is based on a Hindu/Buddhist idea of kingship. A set of 12 stamps and one miniature (souvenir) sheet featuring the new King's portrait was issued in 2018. Prior to this in 2017 a definitive series showing a stylized Thai pavilion (sala) was issued. This latter series was added to between 2018 and 2021 and I have no idea whether it will be added to again. It is up to 15 values with a total across all the values of 44 printings by 3 different printers. They are issued in sheetlets of 20 stamps and the printer and printing number are shown in the sheets' margins. Happily it seems to be possible to identify the printing of individual stamps using a lot of magnification, but this is whole other story and deserves a thread of its own.
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This is the prequel to the thread The Definitive Stamps of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej which started at series 7 of the definitives showing a portrait of the king. In it I will show the first six series. My idea in starting the earlier thread was to show there are many collecting choices in long-running monarchs on stamps. It isn’t only the Wildings or Machins of QE2.
King Bhumibol was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 5th December 1927 and died in Bangkok on 13th October 2016. He reigned from 9th June 1946 until his death. Thai kings of the present dynasty take the title Rama from the great Hindu epic. King Bhumibol was Rama IX, the 9th king of the Chakri dynasty. His father, Prince Mahidol, was studying public health at Harvard when Bhumibol, his second son was born.
Prince Mahidol was the 69th child of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, the great modernizer of Siam, as Thailand was then called. For philatelists Rama V’s reign is when we first start seeing stamps and provides many delights for collectors. Prince Mahidol’s grandfather was King Mongkut, Rama IV, who was also a modernizer. This is the king depicted, not always accurately in The King and I, with the wonderful Yul Brynner playing the lead.
Absolute monarchy in Siam ended with the 1932 Revolution when the country changed to a constitutional monarchy. This was under the reign of King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, Prince Mahidol’s half brother. King Prajadhipok died in exile in England in 1941. Through some rather complicated royal succession law and the National Assembly, Bhumibol’s elder brother, King Ananda, Rama VIII, was declared the next king. Both Ananda and Bhumibol were living in Switzerland at the time with their mother. Their father, Prince Mahidol had died in 1927.
After the end of WWII the brothers returned to Thailand, which had changed its name from Siam in 1931. King Ananda was found dead in the palace in 1946 due to a gunshot wound, possibly a shooting accident. King Bhumibol became the new king, Rama IX.
For philatelists all the kings from Rama 5 to the present Rama 10 can be found on stamps.
n.b. All album pages below printed using Clive's marvelous Album Easy software
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
The first series shows the young King Bhumibol with the country going back to its pre-1931 name of Siam. The Thai characters still read "Thai" though. Quite why we see the name change in English I am not sure. I suspect that the British and Americans were not in total agreement on how to deal with the Thai government having sided with the Japanese and declared war on the axis side. This declaration was not accepted by the allies and Thailand was under a quasi-Japanese military occupation at the time. There were those among the allies who wanted the Thai military disarmed and a self defense force put in its place, similar to Japan. This would have stopped a few coups in the future, but in the post-war world the Cold War was already starting.
The first series was printed in Great Britain by Waterlow and Sons Ltd..
In 1955 the 20 satang value was overprinted with two new values as can be seen in the second row on the page below. (The top row shows two 1928 stamps of King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, also overprinted in 1955 with new values. In this case "Siam" has also been overprinted with Thailand in both Thai and English.)
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
I should have added that the top value 20 baht is the key stamp in this set. Local Bangkok prices are high for this stamp mint. The 3, 5 and 10 baht are also quite expensive mint, but the 10 baht is fairly cheap used. I guess it was used on a lot of parcels at the time. The complete set mint is priced at a $1000 in the latest (2014) catalogue. A used set is about $22.
n.b. The local auction prices are not this high on post-WWII material.
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Between 1951 and 1956 Waterlow & Sons Ltd. printed the 2nd series of King Rama IX definitives with a similar portrait of the king to the 1st. series. The big change was the country's name in English was now "Thailand" rather than "Siam". Remember the Thai characters always said Thailand, although that is not strictly true. What they actually say is "Thai" which means free people. Probably the name change on the stamps was due to Thailand no longer being thought of as a possible wartime enemy, but now considered a cold war ally. The ethnic group most Thais belong to is called the Tai. This group and its tribes moved down from the highlands of NW China many hundreds of years ago and settled in today's Thailand, Laos, the Shan States and as far as NE India. Where they came from originally hasn't been proved but I have seen suggestions that it may be from southern coast of China moving as the Han Chinese people expanded their territory.
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
In 1961 ten of the values of the 2nd series were reprinted by Thomas De La Rue & Co., Ltd., also British. There was a perforation change so they are fairly easy to differentiate.
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
All values of the 2nd series are moderately priced used, but mint values of 3 baht and up do carry a premium.
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this post
re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
I find the 3rd definitive has the most attractive of the King Rama 9 stamp portraits. Apparently this is called a lateral portrait with the side-on appearance. It's also the tallest of the definitive series. The low values (satangs - 100 satang = 1 baht) are printed in a single colour while the high values use two. The printer was Thomas De La Rue of England. No real varieties so a simple set. My top value 40 baht (yellow & black) will be with me next month when my daughter and her family visit me. Used, these stamps are not expensive, but the 40 baht mint is catalogued at about $150 out here in Bangkok. (Thanks again to Clive for the great Album Easy software.)
p.s. I have lived in Thailand for more than 40 years, but my three daughters, all born here in Thailand, now live in the UK. England gave Thailand one person in me, and Thailand replied with a gift of three people in my daughters.
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
The 4th series of the King Rama 9 stamps overlapped with the 3rd series. This means the one of the two smallest definitive series followed the largest sized series. This series was printed by the Government Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, Tokyo, Japan.
In 1971 62,500 stamps of each of the 80 satang values of the 3rd and 4th series were overprinted by the National Savings Bank for the Thaipex'71 stamp exhibition in Bangkok.
None of this series are expensive in used condition and the only very high priced stamp is the top value, 40 baht, in mint condition which has a local catalogue price of about $140. (It can of course be picked up far below this on eBay.)
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
The 5th series shows King Bhumibol in traditional royal robes. The initial printing again overlapped with printings of the earlier 4th series. For the first time we have higher 50 and 100 baht values. Initially the stamps were printed by the Ministry of Finance of Japan, but later 4 values were reprinted by the Bank of Finland. There is a perforation difference between the two printers. This series was the first to be also issued in stamp booklets with 10 of the 75 satang stamps in. These were made up with stamps from the sheets. 75 satang was the inland letter rate at that time and 400 million of this value were printed, many more than we see printed today. In 2006 and 2007 old stocks of two values were overprinted with higher values; the 20 satang with 2 baht and the 40 baht with 50 baht and 100 baht. These were from the Japanese printing.
The Japanese printing of the 40, 50 and 100 baht values have a local catalogue price of $35-$70 mint. Used prices are much less. Sometimes online you will see the Finnish 40 baht being priced similar to the Japanese printing, but its catalogue value is closer to $15 mint. The key stamp from the Finnish printing is the 10 baht with a catalogue of about $40 mint. With the overprints the most expensive at about $10 mint or used is 2 baht on 20 satang as only 28,500 were made. Keep an eye out for this one
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
The sixth series is the last one of the ten definitive series of King Rama IX we will deal with in this thread. Series seven through ten can be found at this link. Series 7-10. Series six consisted of nine values printed by two British printers, De La Rue and Harrison. Eight values were printed by De La Rue in 1973 while Harrison printed four values between 1979 and 1981. Harrison's printings were reprints of three of the low values, 20, 25 and 75 satang, plus one new value of 50 satang. The easy way to differentiate between the two printers is that the De La Rue low values have a perforation of 14x13.5 while the Harrison stamps were perforated 14.5 although I have seen this measured at 14x14.5. There is also a different watermark between the two printers.
The overprints of four of the stamps between 1986 and 2006 are interesting as both the De La Rue and Harrison 20 satang values were surcharged at 2 baht in 2006, but possibly less than 500 sheets (50,000 stamps) of the De La Rue were treated this way compared to over 4 million of the Harrison stamp.
Most of the sixth series can be picked up cheaply but the local catalogue prices for the top value, 20 baht, are over $100 mint and about $8 used. The above mentioned De La Rue 20 satang overprint is priced at about $34 and $22 mint and used. I haven't heard of any fakes of this last stamp, but I have been a bit suspicious on how they appeared in dealers stocks at the time
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re: The First Six Definitive Stamp Series of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej
It would be extremely hard to exaggerate quite how popular a monarch King Bhumibol, Rama IX, was in Thailand. He died in 2016 and was conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great in 2019. The coronation of the Crown Prince, now King Vajiralongkorn, Rama X, took place in a three day ceremony in 2019.
So what is Thailand using for definitive stamps now I can hear you asking. Well we should remember that superstition plays an important part in Thailand. The monarchy is based on a Hindu/Buddhist idea of kingship. A set of 12 stamps and one miniature (souvenir) sheet featuring the new King's portrait was issued in 2018. Prior to this in 2017 a definitive series showing a stylized Thai pavilion (sala) was issued. This latter series was added to between 2018 and 2021 and I have no idea whether it will be added to again. It is up to 15 values with a total across all the values of 44 printings by 3 different printers. They are issued in sheetlets of 20 stamps and the printer and printing number are shown in the sheets' margins. Happily it seems to be possible to identify the printing of individual stamps using a lot of magnification, but this is whole other story and deserves a thread of its own.
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