Untitled Document

STAMPS OF St.HELENA

QUEEN ELIZABETH II PART 1 1953-1975

Due to the number of commemorative stamps issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth only those relevant to St.Helena in respect of History, Geography, Flora and Fauna of the Island will be covered.

The first Elizabethan issue was the Omnibus Coronation Celebration

1953 coronation issue

The second Elizabethan issue was the 1953 definitive issue. A description of this set can be found by clicking on this link

Two further commemorative sets were issued in 1956 to commemorate the Stamp Centenary and in 1959 Celebrating the Tercentenary of the Settlement.

In 1961 a further definitive set was issued featuring Flora and Fauna of the island. The £1 value featured a portrait of Elizabeth II with Prince Andrew.

The 1961 Definitive set

In 1961 a volcanic eruption led to the evacuation of the dependency of Tristan da Cunha. The island was resettled in 1963 and in 1961 4 values of the Tristan 1960 set were overprinted ST.HELENA Tristan Relief for release in St.Helena. Only 434 sets were sold. The St.Helena 1961 definitive was then released in Tristan overprinted Tristan da Cunha Resettlement 1963.

Further issues appeared in 1965 featuring the First Local Post, which were overprints on 4 values of the 1961 definitives, 1967 New Constitution, 1967 300th Anniversary of settlers after the Great Fire of London, 1968 30th Anniversary of Trista da Cunha as a dependency of St.Helena, and 1968 150th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery.

Great Fire of London 300th anniversary.

30th Anniversary of Tristan as a dependency

A further definitive set was issued in 1968 featuring life and flora on the island. These stamps were re-issued in 1971 in decimal currency.

1968 Definitive set.

In 1971 an issue appeared to commemeorate the 150th Death of Napoleon and in 1973 an issue to commemorate the tercentenary of the East India Company charter.

1971 Napoleon Issue

1973 East India Company Charter

Other issues appearing in this period included the omnibus issues from the crown colonies commemorating Freedom From Hunger, Red Cross, ITU, UNESCO, Churchill, World Cup. A series on Military Equipment, Charles Dickens and Easter were also issued.