Belgium – Leopold III issues

Leopold III became king of Belgium in February 1934.

 File:Belgium 1934 LeoII semi.jpg|1934 1f+25c Leopold III semipostal File:Belgium leopoldIII 70c.jpg|1935 70c Leopold III File:Belgium 1935 Leo III 1f.jpg|1935 1f Leopold III File:Belgium antiTB semi 1934.jpg|1934 1f+25c anti-tuberculosis semipostal File:Belgium arms II 80c.jpg|1948 80c value File:Belgium LeoIII R profile.jpg|1936 1f Leopold III, profile to right File:Belgium Leo II engraved.jpg|1936 2.45f engraved Leopold III File:Belgium 10c on 30c arms.jpg|1942 10c on 30c surcharge  In May 1940, Belgium was invaded by German troops and quickly occupied. During the occupation, most new issues were semipostal sets including the Orval set.  File:Belgium victory 2f.jpg|1944 2f victory File:Belgium 1.50f lion discount.jpg|1946 discount stamp overprint on 1944 victory lion definitive File:Belgium 5f victory discount.jpg|1946 discount stamp overprint on 1944 victory lion definitive File:Belgium 6f airmail 1946.jpg|1946 6f airmail 
 * In March 1934, a memorial stamp for King Albert was issued.
 * In 1934-35, three designs with photogravure portraits of the Leopold III were issued, the franc value larger than the others. Two semipostasl using the same design were also issued.
 * In 1934, an annual semipostal series was continued with a soldier on horseback holding a shield.
 * Beginning in 1935, a new coat of arms design series was released. More values would be released up to 1951.
 * Beginning in 1936, new photogravure portraits of Leopold III were issued with a profile facing to the left, in various perfs. More values would be issued up to 1956.
 * Beginning in 1936, a large engraved portrait design of Leopold III facing to the right was issued. More values would be added up to 1951.
 * In 1938-42, several surcharges were released on previous issues.
 * In 1938, souvenir sheets either showing the Albert Memorial or the Koekelberg Cathedral were issued. These have a commemorative handstamp in the margin that is not a cancel. Souvenir sheets missing the handstamp are scarce.
 * There are three versions of the Orval souvenir sheet. The (official) 1941 sheet has ORVAL at top and MCMXLI at bottom. In 1942, unofficially/privately, the sheet was cut down to remove those inscriptions and 1142 / 1942 was printed in two types. The overprint version also exists on intact souvenir sheets. Both were numbered and unnumbered.
 * In 1944, four coat of arms values were oveprinted with a red "V" for "victory".
 * Later in 1944, a lion rampant over "V" design was issued, a set each with French-first or Flemish-first inscriptions.
 * In May 1946, postal rates were reduced by 10%. The three commonly used values of existing definitive stamps were provisionally overprinted "-10%" by the Belgian post office by typography. Meanwhile, local post offices were authorized to overprint stamps, so there are also "moins 10%", "min. 10%", etc. overprints in hundreds of different sizes and styles, typically handstamped. This was sometimes done locally on other existing values as well. There are no doubt forgeries and stamps overprinted by favor.
 * Leopold III adbdicated in July 1951, his son Baudouin becoming king.