Brunei, 50 Different Stamps

Oil, Royalty, and 1,000 Years on the Water —
50 Different Used Stamps from Brunei

Brunei is one of the oldest sultanates in Southeast Asia, ruled by the same royal family for over six centuries and made fabulously wealthy by oil discovered in 1929. It's a small country — about the size of Delaware, tucked into the northwest coast of Borneo — but its stamps tell a surprisingly rich story: two remarkable sultans, ancient traditions, independence from Britain, and a way of life that's been lived on the water for a thousand years.

Selections will vary, but here are some stamps you may find in your packet:

• Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III (10c) — the 28th Sultan of Brunei, whose engraved portrait anchored Brunei's definitive series from 1952 until 1972. He oversaw the transformation of Brunei from a modest protectorate into a prosperous modern state, using oil revenues to build schools, roads, and hospitals. He abdicated in 1967 in favor of his son, and remained deeply influential until his death in 1986.
• Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (20 sen) — his son and successor, depicted here in military uniform. Hassanal Bolkiah has ruled since 1967 and led Brunei to full independence from Britain on January 1, 1984. He is one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the world.
• Brunei $1 — Kampong Ayer — the striking high-value showing Brunei's legendary water village from above, its stilt houses clustered along the Brunei River. Kampong Ayer has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years and was once the capital of a powerful Bornean empire. When Italian explorer Antonio Pigafetta passed through with Magellan's fleet in 1521, he called it the "Venice of the East."
• Kalasar & Kampilan (10 sen) — traditional Bruneian weapons depicted against a bold purple background, from a series celebrating the country's royal regalia and cultural heritage.
• Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (10 sen) — a ceremonial soldier in full dress uniform, issued for the regiment's anniversary in 1971. Military and royal institution stamps are a recurring theme throughout Brunei's philatelic program.
• 30th Anniversary of ASEAN (30 sen, 1998) — marking Brunei's place in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with a map of the country highlighted in orange. Brunei joined ASEAN upon independence in 1984.

Brunei's stamps are compact, well-produced, and closely tied to the country's identity as an Islamic monarchy — not a widely collected country, which makes a set of 50 different a real find.