Trans-Antarctic Expedition — overprints

On 30 January 1956 the Falkland Islands Dependencies overprinted four values of their 1954 ships definitives with the legend TRANS-ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1955-1958, marking the Commonwealth expedition that would make the first overland crossing of Antarctica.

The four are the 1d sepia Trepassey 1945-47, the 2½d yellow Penola 1934-37, the 3d ultramarine Discovery II 1929-37 and the 6d red-violet Discovery 1925-27. All keep the original George Roberts designs recess-printed by Waterlow & Sons, 41 × 28 mm horizontal except the vertical 6d at 28 × 41 mm, perforated 12½, on paper watermarked Crown over Script CA multiple.

The Scout interest runs through the same two ships that carry it in the 1954 series. Domfil itemises the 3d as «Escultismo / The Scouts», number 956.3, and SOSOW likewise builds its entry on that value while repeating its note that opinion differs on whether the issue counts as a Scout item at all. The 6d, meanwhile, overprints the 1954 Discovery design: the ship that served the Sea Scouts as a floating headquarters and training vessel on the Thames from 1937 until 1954.

Catalogue references run Michel FK-DE 34–37, Scott FK-DE 1L34–1L37, Yvert FK-DE 66–69 and Stanley Gibbons FK-DE G41–G44. The four values are catalogued here in rising face-value order.