Dominica 25 Different Stamps

A Caribbean Island's Postal Story —
25 Different Stamps from Dominica

Dominica is a small, mountainous island in the eastern Caribbean, nestled between the French territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Christopher Columbus sighted it on a Sunday in 1493 and named it for the Latin word for that day. Claimed and contested by France and Britain for over a century, it finally passed fully to British control in 1763 and remained a British colony until November 3, 1978, when it gained independence as the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Its stamps reflect every phase of that journey — British colonial issues bearing Queen Elizabeth II's portrait, pre-independence National Day commemoratives, and the international topicals that the newly independent republic issued through the late 1970s and '80s. The country's name appears on stamps both as "DOMINICA" and "COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA" depending on the era.

Contents vary, but here are some stamps and topics likely to appear:

• National Day commemoratives (1 Cent, 3 November 1968) — pre-independence National Day issues marking November 3, the date Dominica later chose for its independence. These colonial-era commemoratives document the years of associated statehood before full independence.
• Queen Elizabeth II portrait definitives (½c) — the standard portrait definitives of the British colonial period, featuring the Queen's profile alongside local scenes. These are the workhorses of any pre-1978 Dominica collection.
• US Bicentennial 1776–1976 — a soldier carrying the Betsy Ross flag, from Dominica's series marking the 200th anniversary of American independence. Small Commonwealth islands frequently issued US Bicentennial commemoratives, making these popular with American topical collectors.
• Winston Spencer Churchill 1874–1965 — a portrait commemorative of the British wartime Prime Minister, issued following his death in 1965. Churchill appeared on stamps across the Commonwealth in the years after his death.
• Apollo moon landing — a stamp depicting a US astronaut on the lunar surface, from Dominica's space exploration commemorative series.
• Human Rights Year — JFK portrait (1c) — a stamp bearing the portrait of President John F. Kennedy, issued for International Human Rights Year, connecting Dominica's commemorative program to global themes of the era.
• Christmas 1981 — Walt Disney's "Santa's Workshop" — a colorful issue featuring scenes from the Walt Disney animated film, part of the Disney-licensed stamp series that made Dominica's Christmas issues popular with topical collectors worldwide.

Twenty-five stamps from a Caribbean island moving through colonial status to independence — with the world's wider events reflected throughout. Order today.