Gibraltar, 50 Different Stamps

Gibraltar — 50 Different Stamps:
Five Decades of Commemoratives
From One of the British Commonwealth's
Most Interesting Postal Catalogs

Gibraltar may cover just over two and a half square miles, but its stamp catalog reaches far beyond its borders. As a British Crown territory with a history stretching back to 1704, Gibraltar has issued stamps that mark everything from local constitutional milestones to international causes, military history, European unity, and the full sweep of British royal history. Fifty stamps is enough to get a real feel for the range of this small but genuinely varied catalog.

Every packet is assembled differently, but here are some of the stamps and topics you may come across:

• Constitutional and political history. Gibraltar's path through the 20th century included several significant constitutional moments, and the territory's postal catalog marked them. New constitution issues and sovereignty-related commemoratives give the collection a local political dimension you won't find in most catalogs.
• Europa issues. Gibraltar participated in the Europa stamp program, issuing stamps under the common European design themes each year. These are consistently well-designed and collectible, and a 50-stamp packet is likely to include at least a few.
• Military history and HMS subjects. The Royal Navy and British Army have been central to Gibraltar's identity for three centuries. Naval vessels, regimental anniversaries, and military commemoratives appear throughout the catalog.
• International organizations and humanitarian causes. WHO anniversaries, international children's causes, and similar subjects appear alongside the more locally-focused issues — giving the catalog an outward-looking character that belies Gibraltar's small size.
• Christmas and religious subjects. Nativity scenes, devotional imagery, and seasonal issues appear consistently across the decades.

Pull one at random and you're likely to find a story worth knowing. Order today.