Surface printing of the 1½d stamp was introduced during the First
World War to reduce costs and because the halfpenny war tax on all mail
except newspapers had led to unexpected demand for this value. The original
recess printed 1½d stamp had been intended for parcel rates, not
standard mail.
The surface printed 1½d stamp was printed
using a plate engraved locally by W.R. Bock. However, the stamps were not
up to the required standard and were replaced by plates produced by
Perkins, Bacon in London along with the 2d and 3d plates in the 'King
George V Surface Print' issue.

The local print
is very coarsely drawn with a diagonal background pattern and with rather
poorly spaced diagonal shading lines on the face and neck. The surface
print stamps have a similar background but with horizontal shading on
George V's face and neck. The recess print stamps have diagonal shading
on George V's face and neck and a very fine and complex pattern of
alternating arcs with a criss-cross hatching over the top giving the
appearance of almost solid shading.