  T he change from the Queen's Head type to the King's Head type of design came in 1902, the new general Colonial key plate being used. It is numbered 1 in a similar manner to the numbering on the Queen's Head plates. All the denominations in the previous set were repeated, and a 2s. value was added; later (May, 1905) three new stamps appeared of the face values 1s. 6d., 2s. 6d. and 3s. respectively. Of these three denominations it is stated that only 6000 Watermarked Crown C.A.
In May, 1905, appeared also three new values printed on multiple Crown C.A. paper, each stamp shewing portions of two or more watermark designs instead of one more or less complete design as heretofore. The new values were the 5d., 7½d. and 10d. These being rather unusual denominations, their appearance caused considerable ferment among collectors, who ascribed their issue to motives not strictly associated with legitimate postal business. Reference to the Post Office Ordinance No. 6 of 1897 (quoted in Chapter I.) will shew that the fees for insured parcels in force in the Gambia were 5d. for compensation up to £12, 7½d. up to £24, and 10d. up to £36; so it is not unreasonable if, as one may assume, the colonists availed themselves of these rates of insurance, that there was a use for such denominations. The new multiple watermarked paper had been adopted for the 1d. value in 1904, and was during 1905-6 introduced for all the regular denominations except the 1s. 6d., 2s. 6d. and 3s. On this paper, therefore, we get the following— Multiple Crown C.A.
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