First Day Cover, 1953 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Aerogramme

Postmarked June 3, 1953 — the day after Queen Elizabeth II's coronation — this aerogramme bears the British 6-penny Coronation stamp (SG 532), which was issued on June 2, 1953, the date of the coronation itself, and depicts the young Queen Elizabeth II in her coronation portrait. The aerogramme is a special Coronation issue, printed in red with the royal cypher "ER," the floral emblems of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, and the word "Coronation 1953" — making the entire piece a matched set of stamp and stationery produced specifically for the occasion.

The coronation of Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953 was the first British coronation to be televised, and an estimated 27 million people in the United Kingdom watched it on television — more than had ever watched any single event before. Millions more listened on radio worldwide. Westminster Abbey had hosted every English coronation since 1066, and the ceremony followed traditions stretching back centuries. Elizabeth was 27 years old at the time of her coronation, having acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI.