Gillick head & Gentleman cameo

When Dorothy Wilding took her first photographs of The Queen back in 1952, she was briefed beforehand by both Post Office and Royal Mint officials. Photographs were then shown to the Royal Mint Advisory Committee to help artists as the basis of their designs for coinage. Four coin artists had personal sittings with The Queen, among them Cecil Thomas and Mary Gillick in May 1952.

The effigy chosen for use on British coinage was one by Gillick, uncrowned and facing right. After her sitting with The Queen Gillick exclaimed “I am now her devoted slave for ever!”

In 1965 David Gentleman was seeking a way to simplify the effigy of The Queen for his new stamp designs. Gentleman reversed the coinage head by Gillick, so that it faced left into the envelope (as all monarchs’ heads do on stamps). By reducing Gillick's design to a small cameo it was much easier to use in larger stamp designs than the three-quarter profile by Wilding.

The Gillick/Gentleman cameo was ready by October 1965 and was shown to an enthusiastic Tony Benn, Postmaster General. He insisted that it be essayed on the forthcoming 1966 Landscapes stamps and recommended it to The Queen. She approved the Landscapes designs and made no comment on the new cameo.

This Gillick/Gentleman cameo featured on all commemorative and special stamps from 1966 until 1968, and was still used occasionally until 1973.