The Scottish Committee under the Lord Lyon King of Arms suggested that heraldic symbols should be used in the designs.

These were:

• Crowned Thistle (Scottish Crown)
• Saltire (may be environed of an open crown)
• Lion Rampant (in a tressured shield)
• Sejeant lion (on or off a crown or part of him holding both sword & sceptre)
• Unicorn (Crowned, may be collared and chained)
• Any or all of the Honours of Scotland (Regalia with crown, sword, sceptre and cushion if desired)

Also suggested were Pictish or Celtic symbols and designs, and the national floral emblem of the thistle.

Proposed designers

A remarkable 12 artists were proposed by the Committee to work on the designs, all Scottish. They were:

• Roy Benzies
• John B Fleming
• Gordon F Huntly
• George Mackie
• Conrad T McKenna
• Mrs Elizabeth Odling
• G W Lennox Paterson
• Barrie Stuart
• Archie B Imrie
• John Pottinger
• William McLaren
• Len Fullerton

Care was taken that they were balanced between Glasgow and Edinburgh art schools and elsewhere in Scotland. Some 47 designs were submitted, the highest total of all the regions.

The design

The inclusion of the Scottish crown in designs was to cause problems. It conflicted with the fact The Queen was already wearing the diadem in the Wilding photograph. In Imrie's accepted design the Scottish Crown was replaced by the Royal Cypher E R.

Essays were produced from four designs by Fleming, Huntly, Imrie and McLaren and these were recommended, with that by McLaren as the reserve. The first choices were later approved by The Queen.

To prevent protests, the existing watermark including the English Royal Cypher "E 2 R" was replaced by a new stylised crown watermark with no cypher.

1958 Stamps for Scotland

Unadopted design by John B. Fleming

Unadopted design by A.B. Imrie

Unadopted design by William McLaren

Design by G.W. Lennox Patterson

Unadopted design by Don Pottinger

Essay of design by William McLaren

Issued 3d stamp

Issued 6d stamp