Stamps of Barbados – Philatelic Country Profile

Barbados is an island country in the Caribbean located north-east of Venezuela and is considered part of the Lesser Antilles. It is a small country with a total land area of 170 square miles and a population of just under 300,000. Almost 90% of the population are of African descent, mostly descendants of slave laborers used in the Sugar plantations from the early 17th century. The island was uninhabited when the British came in 1627 although ‘indigenous’ people (from South America) are known to have lived in the Islands as early as 400 BC. The Portuguese briefly occupied the area in the 15th Century and during that period the indigenous people ‘disappeared’ – some where used as slave laborers while others fled to neighboring islands. Barbados has a well-developed economy with tourism & offshore finance as the mainstay. It is classified among the rich countries with a purchasing power parity GDP of close to $20,000.

The first stamps of Barbados depict ‘Britannia’, a goddess first personified by the Romans and later became a figure of national personification of Great Britain. The set (Scott #1 to #4) was issued from 1852 to 1855 in four colors and denominations (1/2p deep blue, 1p dark blue, 2p slate blue, and 4p brown red). The set catalogs for around $250 MNH – A Used copy of the set is not in existence as Scott #3 was never put in use. The most valuable stamp among the first issues is MNH copy of the 1/2 p yellow green variety (Scott #1a) which fetch around $9000. Used examples of the 2p slate blue with the vertical half used as 1p on cover is also extremely scarce & valuable at around $8000. Different varieties of the ‘Britannia’ design continued until 1873 when a slightly altered design in the same theme replaced the original design. Scott #43 issued in this design is very valuable at around $1200 MNH and around $375 Used – Varieties of this stamp issued in 1878 with a 1p overprint on half of the 5sh stamps are even rarer and catalog in the $5000 to $20000 range for Mint (Scott #56 to #58). The ‘Britannia’ designs continued until 1882. Many of these stamps fetch upwards of $100.

Between 1882 and 1892, Barbados used a Queen Victoria (QV) Key Type and certain varieties with surcharge overprints. A set (Scott #60 to #68) of 9 stamps issued from 1882 to 1885 is valued at around $800 MNH and less than half that for Used. Two other QV designs in the Badge of Colony theme in several denominations & varieties across four sets formed the primary stamp issue of Barbados between 1892 and 1905. Three of the sets (Scott #70 to #80, #81 to #89, and #90 to #101) catalog in the $250 range for either MNH or Used. The fourth set (Scott #81 to #89) issued in 1897 is a variety in bluish paper. This set is even more scarce and catalog in the $1200 range for either MNH or Used.

1906 saw the issue of a set (Scott #102 to #108) of stamps depicting the Lord Nelson monument in the capital city of Bridgetown, made famous by the fact that the statue erected in 1813 is older than the statue & square in London. The set catalogs for around $100 for either MNH or Used. A sister set of three (Scott #110 to #112) released in 1907 catalogs in the $50 range for either MNH or Used. In the interim, Barbados issued a stamp (Scott #109) depicting the “Olive Blossom” (the first English ship to land in Barbados) in a stunning tri-colored design to mark the tricentennial of the British arrival. The stamp is remarkably affordable at around $10 for MNH and less than 50c for Used. The period from 1908 to 1918 saw two other sets – a set (Scott #116 to #126) of 11 stamps in three KGV (King George V) designs and a set (Scott #127 to #139) of 13 stamps in the Seal of the Colony design. The former set catalogs in the $250 range for either MNH or Used. The latter set catalogs for around $150 MNH and more than double that for Used. The Seal of the Colony theme along with several common design types dominated Barbados stamp issues till 1950. The Common Design issues are common but the Seal of the Colony issues are scarce especially in higher denominations. The victory set of 1920 (Scott #140 to #150) is also valuable at around $100 MNH and double that for used.

Other significant stamp issues of Barbados follow:

1. A set of 12 stamps (Scott #216 to #227) released on May 1, 1950 depicting local scenes of Barbados. The designs were 1c Dover Fort, 2c Sugar Cane Breeding, 3c Public Buildings, 4c Admiral Nelson Statue in Bridgetown, 6c Casting Net, 8c Schooner, 12c Flying Fish, 24c Old Main Guard Garrison, 48c Cathedral, 60c Careenage, $1.20 Map, and $2.40 Great Seal. The set catalogs for around $60 MNH and around $50 Used.
2. The Independence Set (Scott #290 to #293) released on December 2, 1966 to mark Barbados’ Independence from the British November 30, 1966. The designs were 4c Arms of Barbados, 25c Hilton Hotel, 35c Gary Sobers (Cricket Captain), and 50c Pine Hill Diary. The set is very affordable at less than $5 for MNH or Used. Barbados Philatelic Bureau was formed in 1968. They have a quality policy of releasing less than seven commemorative issues yearly and a definitive issue every four to five years.
3. A long set of sixteen stamps released May 4, 1970 (Scott #328 to #343) depicting local scenes focused on architecture & industry. The set is very affordable at less than $15 for MNH and less than $20 for Used. The designs were 1c Lion at Gun, 2c Trafalgar Fountain, 3c Montefiore Drinking Fountain, 4c St. James Monument, 5c St. Ann’s Fort, 6c Old Sugar Mill, 8c Cenotaph, 10c South Point Lighthouse, 12c Barbados Museum, 15c Sharon Moravian Church, 25c George Washington House, 35c St. Nicholas Abbey, 50c Bowmanston Pumping Station, $1 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, $2.50 Modern Sugar Factory, and $5 Seawell International Airport. The set was reissued in glazed paper in 1971 and another reissue consisting of a subset of 13 stamps debut in 1972. That set (Scott #331a to #343a) is more expensive and catalogs for around $50 for MNH or Used.
4. A long Birds set of eighteen stamps (Scott #495 to #511) released in 1979. The beautiful set catalogs for around $40 MNH and around $60 Used. The birds depicted are Grass Canaries, Rain Birds, Sparrows, Frigate Birds, Cattle Egrets, Green Gaulins, Hummingbirds, Ground Doves, Blackbirds, Green Throtted Caribs, Wood Doves, Ramiers, Black breasted plower, Yellow Breasts, Pee Whistlers, Christmas Birds, Kingfishers, and Red-seal Coot.
5. A set of five stamps (Scott #856 to #860) released on January 11 1994 in the sports theme. The designs show Cricket, Motor Racing, Golf, 10K Barbados Run, and Swimming. The set is very affordable at around $10 for MNH or Used. A beautiful long ships set of fourteen stamps (Scott #872 to #885) was also released in the same year. That set catalogs in the $50 range for either MNH or Used.
6. A long Tourism set of fifteen stamps (Scott #982 to #995) released in the “Sites of Barbados” theme in 2000. The set catalogs for around $50 for MNH or Used. The designs were 5c Drax Hall House, 10c Reaping Sugar Cane, 40c Needham’s Point Lighthouse, 45c Port of St. Charles, 65c Synagogue, 70c Bridgetown port, 90c Harrison’s Cove, $1.15 Villa Nova, $1.40 Cricket at Kensington Oval, $1.75 Sunbury House, $2 Bethel Methodist Church, $3 Barbados Wildlife Reserve, $5 Royal Westmore Golf Course, and $10 Grantley Adams International Airport.