Queen Elizabeth II 25th Anniversary Coronation First Day Cover, Bangladesh postmarked on May 20, 1978.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, bordered by India and Burma in the east of the Indian sub-continent, holds within its borders the confluence and delta of the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. It has one of the highest population densities in the world, with 90 percent of the population living outside the cities of Dacca and Chittagong. The climate is tropical, and rainfall is seasonally heavy. The frequent cyclones too often result in flooding, starvation and epidemics which kill thousands. Industrial development is hampered by the poor agricultural surplus, which cannot finance the building of power plants, the improvement of transportation or other prerequisites.
Historically Bangladesh formed part of the Bengal province of India, and from 1947 to 1971 the Eastern part of Pakistan. An attempt by West Pakistani forces to suppress the rapidly growing movement for independence provoked, intervention by neighbouring India, and in 1971 Bangladesh was established as a parliamentary democracy in its own right. This commemorative issue by Bangladesh was issued on 20th May 1978.
40p — Coronation Regalia. Depicted here are the Crown of St. Edward, the Sceptre with Cross and the Sceptre with Dove. St. Edward's Crown is worn only for the Coronation ceremony, and is a copy of Edward the Confessor's Crown, dating from the reign of Charles II. The Sceptre with Cross, also made for Charles II, is emblematic of the monarch's power, and the Sceptre with Dove symbolises 'equity and mercy'.
t3.50 — Balcony Scene. Appearing with Her Majesty in this stamp are Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, acknowledging the cheers of the crowd assembled in front of Buckingham Palace.
t5 — H.M. the Queen and Prince Philip. The newly crowned Queen is shown wearing coronation robes, and the Imperial State Crown. Her husband, then Duke of Edinburgh, wears naval uniform.
t10 — Official Coronation Portrait. Her Majesty is shown wearing coronation robes, armills (a gift from Commonwealth Heads of State) and the Imperial State Crown, which replaces the heavier St. Edward's Crown after the ceremony. She also holds the Golden Orb and the King's Royal Sceptre with the Cross.
