95 Different British West Indies Stamps

Collect the British West Indies —
95 Different Stamps
Spanning Four Centuries of Caribbean History

The British West Indies carry some of the deepest history in the New World. Port Royal, Jamaica — once called the "wickedest city on earth" — was destroyed by earthquake in 1692. The Arapaima of British Guiana swam in rivers explored by Sir Walter Raleigh. The West Indies Federation of 1958 was a bold dream of Caribbean unity that lasted just four years before dissolving into independence. These are islands where history runs deep — and their stamps reflect it.

This collection of 95 different stamps draws from the full sweep of that history, from Victorian-era colonials through independence commemoratives to the modern Caribbean.

Selections will vary, but the one I looked through included:

• Jamaica 50c — 200th Anniversary of the Destruction of Port Royal — a dramatic historical scene depicting the 1692 earthquake that swallowed Jamaica's pirate capital into the sea. One of the most vivid historical commemoratives in Caribbean philately.
• West Indies Federation 1958 — Trinidad & Tobago 5c — a map stamp depicting the Caribbean Sea and the short-lived federation that attempted to unite Britain's Caribbean colonies into a single nation. A poignant piece of what-might-have-been history.
• British Guiana 72c Arapaima definitive — depicting the giant freshwater fish of the Guianese rivers, from British Guiana's celebrated QE II-era natural history series. The Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, and this engraved stamp does it full justice.
• Dominica 1c — Centenary of First Stamp (1874-1974) — a stamp-on-stamp commemorative marking 100 years of Dominica's postal history, with a reproduction of the original 1874 QE Victoria 6d issue. A must-have for philatelic history collectors.
• Barbados ½d Britannia colonial definitive — one of the earliest and most recognizable stamps from the British West Indies, featuring the classical Britannia design that defined Caribbean colonial philately for generations.
• British Guiana 4c Coronation 1953 — issued for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, from one of the Caribbean's most historic stamp-issuing territories.
• Bermuda 3d Atlantic Ocean map definitive — a distinctive cartographic stamp depicting Bermuda's position in the mid-Atlantic, from the island's celebrated pictorial definitive series.
• Leeward Islands George V portrait definitive — a finely engraved colonial-era stamp from the Leeward Islands federation, representing the classic craftsmanship of early 20th-century British colonial philately.
• British Honduras Mountain Cow (tapir) 2c — the Central American tapir depicted in warm brown tones, from British Honduras's charming wildlife definitive series.
• Nevis 15c — Statue of Liberty 100th Anniversary — featuring both the Statue of Liberty and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, a stamp that has taken on new significance since 2001.
• St. Vincent New Constitution 1951 — marking a pivotal step in St. Vincent's path to self-governance, from a George VI-era overprint series that documented the Caribbean's gradual transition from colony to independence.

Ninety-five stamps. Four centuries of Caribbean history. From pirate earthquakes to coronation ceremonies, from colonial Britannia to the World Trade Center — it's all here.

Add this collection to your holdings today.