St. Lucia - Travel/Philately/Numismatics/Memorabilia Profile

Saint Lucia, an Island country in the Eastern Caribbean Sea located Northeast of the island of Saint Vincent has a total land area of 238 square miles and a population of around 174,000. St Lucia is a beautiful, mountainous volcanic island with high peaks, majestic rain-forests and sandy beaches.The main sectors of the economy are tourism, agriculture, offshore banking, petroleum storage and transshipment. Its educated workforce and solid infrastructure is often touted as the solid foundation for its growth. The fertile soil supports the banana industry which is the main contributor to agriculture.

Travel Resources: 

The best time to visit St. Lucia is mid-December (dry season) through mid-April. Its tropical weather, postcard perfect scenery, beaches, events and festivals are the major attractions. Tourism is the backbone of its economy and in order to attract overseas tourists many events and festivals are conducted during the low season. Its famous Carnival held before Lent was moved to mid-July for this precise reason and the Saint Lucian Jazz Festival is held in May. Major attractions include the Castries, the Pitons, Pigeon Island National Park, Rodney Bay, Mount Soufriere, Diamond Botanical Gardens, etc. Its cuisine is fruits and vegetables in abundance followed by starch and protein. Conch, plantains, green figs, and salt-fish are part of their diet.


ResourceISBN or ASINBest PriceDescription
Fodor’s In Focus Barbados and St. Lucia978-1400004669$10St. Lucia is covered in about 80 pages.
St Lucia Road Map978-9638746542$15Inset map of Castries and the Lesser Antilles.
St Lucia Grounded Adapter Plug Kit – GUB and GUDB001FD85MG$14
Other Travel NeedsNAVaries

Philatelic Profile:

The first stamps of St. Lucia were a set of three stamps released on December 18, 1860 showing Queen Victoria (QV). The set (Scott #1 to #3) catalogs for around $665 mint and around $475 used. Reissues of the same design along with several surcharge overprints were the primary stamp issues of St. Lucia during the period till 1882. A new QV key type design appeared in 1883 in a set of thirteen stamps (Scott #27 to #39) and that along with a few surcharge overprints continued through the turn of the century. The 1883 set is rare and sought after and catalogs for around $925 mint and around $700 used. The QV issues of St. Lucia are all valuable and form a good collectible theme for serious collectors. St. Lucia colonization began the settlement of French around the mid 16th century. It became a British colony in 1814. St. Lucia was part of the West Indies Federation between 1958 and 1962 and gained full independence on February 22, 1979.

St. Lucia released a set of five stamps between 1902 and 1903 showing King Edward VII. The set (Scott #43 to #48) catalogs for around $50 mint or used. A couple of reissues of the same set with additional denominations were issued during the period from 1904 to 1905 and again from 1907 to 1910. Those two sets (Scott #50 to #56 and #57 to #63) are both valuable cataloging for around $150 and $90 respectively for mint and around $230 and $125 respectively for used.

Other issues of St. Lucia enjoying good philatelic interest include:
  1. A set of twelve stamps released on March 1, 1936 showing King George V (KGV) and local scenes. The set (Scott #95 to #106) catalogs for around $140 MNH and around $115 for used. The designs show Port Castries, Columbus Square at Castries, Ventine Falls, Soldiers Monument, Fort Rodney at Pigeon Island, Government House, and Seal of the Colony.
  2. A set of thirteen stamps released between 1953 and 1954 showing Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) and Arms of St. Lucia. The set (Scott #157 to #169) catalogs for around $17 MNH and around half that for used. Another set in a similar theme showing QE II and local scenes were a set of fifteen stamps released between 1970 and 1973. The set (Scott #261 to #274A) catalogs for around $17 MNH or used. The designs show QE II and House of Assembly, Roman Catholic Cathedral, Castries Boulevard, Castries Harbor, Sulphur Springs, Vigie Airport, Reduit Beach, Pigeon Island, The Pitons and Sailboat, Marigot Bay, Diamond Waterfall, St. Lucia Flag and Motto, Coat of Arms, and Map of St. Lucia. The Pitons is a world heritage site. Other attractions on the island include drive-in volcano, sulphur springs, botanical gardens, rain forests, and Pigeon Island National Park. Most tourists arrive as a part of a cruise.
  3. A set of sixteen stamps released on May 7, 1976 in the Birds theme. The set (Scott #387 to #402) catalogs for around $45 MNH and around $35 used. The designs show laughing gull, little blue heron, belted kingfisher, St. Lucia parrot, St. Lucia oriole, brown trembler, American kestrel, red-billed tropic bird, common gallinule, brown noddy, sooty tern, osprey, white-breasted thrasher, St. Lucia black finch, rednecked pigeon, and Caribbean elaenia.
  4. A set of four stamps released on May 22, 1989 showing Indigenous Mushrooms. The set (Scott #938 to #941) catalogs for around $20 MNH or used. The designs show gerronema citrinum, lepiota spiculata, calocybe cyanocephala, and russula puiggarii.
  5. A set of fourteen stamps released on December 5, 2005 in the Fruits and Nuts theme. The set (Scott #1214 to #1227) catalogs for around $30 MNH or used. The designs show blighia sapida, solanum melongena, mangifera indica, cocoloba uvifera, carica papaya, spondias mombin, chrysobalanus icaco, artocarpus altilis, annona reticulata, psidium guajava, musa sp, manilkara achras, anacardium occidentale, and mammea americana.
Numismatic Profile:

The first coin of St. Lucia was a French Colony Countermarked Coinage Stampees with the Circle with crenalated edges countermark on one-fourth cut of Spanish Colonial Reales from the early 19th century. The issue is very rare. Certain other cut and countermarked coins denominated in Escalins, Livres, and Sous were also issued. In the modern era, British Associated State Modern Coinage (100 Cents = 1 Dollar) and currency of the British Caribbean Territories (Eastern Group) was issued from the 1970 onwards.

Collectible Memorabilia:

Wood carvings, straw mats, spices, handicraft, and clothing, leather goods, jewelry are typical souvenirs of St. Lucia.


ResourcePrice RangeDescription
Miscellaneous Collectibles$2 and upFlags, patches, postcards, etc start around $2. Vintage Ornaments start around $10. Casino Chips start around $20.

Last Updated: 12/2015.

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