After our swift fly through the origins of the Commonwealth, here we'll look at some key dates for stamp collectors of Commonwealth stamps.
But, now we’re well beyond the date for collectible stamps from the Commonwealth.
So let’s have a look at the Commonwealth States and some of their notable stamps:
The earliest members of the Commonwealth were those founders from 1931.
United Kingdom postal history is for another place and time.
Canada
A very attractive Canadian issue from 1870. Click the image to discover the stamp and buy it for yourself.
The birth of modern Canada was complicated and often bloody as European powers and settlers fought for land on the North American continent.
What is now Canada is a confederation of a number of colonies, some of which issued their own stamps.
They were:
British Columbia/Vancouver
British Columbia and Vancouver issued joint stamps while they were separate colonies in 1860.
In 1865 British Columbian issued their own stamps as did Vancouver.
In 1866 the colonies merged and issued stamps from1867 to 1869.
Canada
The Province of Canada existed from 1841 to 1867, divided into East and West sections.
The province issued stamps from April 23, 1851.
The final Province of Canada stamps were issued (printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York) from 1859 to 1864.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick issued stamps from 1851 and again in 1860.
Newfoundland
Newfoundland existed beyond the foundation of the Commonwealth, joining the Canadian confederation in 1949.
Stamps were issued by Newfoundland from 1857.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia issued stamps from 1851 (till 1857). A second issue was made from 1861 to 1863.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island stamps (face value in pence) were issued from 1862 to 1865 and 1868 to 1870. A series using cents were issued in 1872.
Newfoundland stamps were issued much later than you might think. Click the image to find out more.
Australia
Stamps pre-date the state of Australia, which was assembled on the landmass, and from some nearby island territories, most notably Tasmania, which was one of the six colonies that federated into the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
The colonies, with their first stamp issues, were:
New South Wales, 1850;
Victoria, 1850;
Tasmania, 1853;
Western Australia, 1854;
South Australia, 1855;
Queensland, 1860.
The Commonwealth of Australia started issuing stamps on January 1, 1901.
Elsewhere, Australian badged territories were also issuing stamps.
The Cook Islands, which for most of their colonial history have been administered from New Zealand, occasionally used overprinted Australian stamps, or Australian overprints on Cook Island stamps.
At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied. The Australia BCOF (British Commonwealth Occupation Force) had their own postal administration between 1946 and 1948. They were overprints on regular issue Australian stamps.
This Tasmanian item is more than just philatelic, it's heavy with colonial history. Click the image to discover more and buy the piece.
Australian Antarctic Terrs. The Australian Antarctic Territory has been claimed by Australia since 1959 and, isolated as it is, has used postal communication since before its inception. The first stamps were issued in 1957, confirming decisions made in 1954 and acting as a mechanism to back that claim. Stamps were issued by Australia Post.
Christmas Island was administered by Australia from 1958. The island had nominal postal independence, but the first stamps were Australian issues modified with Malay currency and Christmas Island overprints. From 1963, "Australia" was removed from the stamps though from 1968 the island's postal system was basically aligned with the Australian one. Local issues were made from 1969 (often aimed at international collectors and with Christmas in mind) and from 1993 Australia took over the island's postal system.
Cocos Islands were under Australian postal administration from1955 to 1979. In 1993 Australia Post took over postal services for the island.
Norfolk Island used New South Wales stamps from 1877 and Australian stamps from 1913 to 1947 when - from June 10 - it started to issue its own stamps, which it continued to do until 2016.
British Solomon Islands is an independent sovereign state, the Solomon Islands, now. The 1,000 or so islands were a British colony when in 1896 the first mail was sent using New South Wales stamps. The islands Resident Commission also had a handstamp for his post from April 1906. Stamps were issued - with the marque British Solomon Islands Protectorate - from February 1907. In 1913, the name was changed to British Solomon Islands. From 1975 the British was dropped and stamps with Solomon Islands was used until the islands became independent in 1978.
New Zealand
The Kiwi is the perfect New Zealand symbol. Discover the stamp by tapping the image.
New Zealand started issuing stamps in July (18th to 20th roughly) 1855. The first stamps used the unusual Chalon Head Victoria portrait and were unperforated until around 1862.
Chalon heads continued in use until 1874.
New Zealand has also issued stamps for some territories in the Antarctic.
Stamps have been issued from the Ross Dependency from 1957. Overprints on British stamps were used in 1908 and 1910 just for Antarctic expeditions. The first were named for King Edward VII Land and the 1910 Scott Expedition overprinted with Victoria Land.
Great Barrier Island had a pigeon post from 1897 to 1908.
Niue island issued its own stamps in 1920, but from 1902 to that date used overprinted New Zealand stamps.
Tokelau island issued stamps from 1948. Many modern issues are colourful issues aimed at international collectors.
South Africa 1931 (left in 1961; rejoined 1994)
A Boer War overprint illustrating the considerable conflict that forged the country. Click the image to discover this rare, exciting stamp.
What is now South Africa has been assembled from a series of colonies, the control of which was sometimes disputed between British and Boer (Dutch-origin settlers) authorities, including during two major conflicts: the First Boer War of 1880 to 1881 and the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, and much more blood shedding.
The colonies, with their first and final stamp issue dates were:
Cape of Good Hope - 1853 to 1904. From August 19, 1910 till December 31, 1937, Cape stamps remained valid throughout the Union of South Africa.
Natal - 1857 to 1909
Orange Free State - from 1868 to 1897 when it was annexed to Orange River Colony
South African Republic - 1869 to 1877 and again 1882 to 1897 when it was annexed to Transvaal
Griqualand West - from 1874 to 1879 when it was annexed to Cape Colony
Transvaal - from 1877 to 1880 and then from 1900 to 1909
Stellaland - from 1884 to 1885 when it was annexed to British Bechuanaland
British Bechuanaland - from 1885 to 1895 when it was annexed to Cape Colony
New Republic - from 1886 to 1887 when it was annexed to the South African Republic
Zululand - from 1888 to 1896 when it was annexed to Natal
Orange River Colony - from 1900 to 1909
During the Second Boer War, some cities issued their own stamps. These were:
Lydenburg (1900)
Mafeking (1900)
Pietersburg (1901)
Rustenburg (1900)
Schweizer Renecke (1900)
Volksrust (1902)
Vryburg (1899–1900)
Wolmaransstad (1900).
British overprints on Boer issues were also used during this period (and earlier conflicts) using first VRI (Victoria Regina Imperatrix) then ERI (Edward Rex Imperator).
Transvaal VR overprints were used in 1877.
Orange Free State overprints were made from May 1900.
ERI overprints were used from 1902.
The overprints - reflecting a real-world conflict - were chaotic and irregular at times and have produced a series of anomalies and rarities that collectors love.
The state was known as the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, a union of Orange Free State, Cape of Good Hope, Natal and Transvaal.
During its period outside the Commonwealth, South Africa issued stamps from a number of Bantustans (segregated "Black homelands" some of which were granted nominal independence, but almost none of which were recognised as legitimate states by other countries).
They were:
Transkei: From 1976 until reincorporation into South Africa in 1994.
Bophuthatswana: from 1977.
Venda: from 1979 to 1994.
Ciskei: From 1981 to 1994.
A Commonwealth stamp from Japan? Click the stamp to discover how.
The story of stamps is the history of the world
If anyone ever considers your passion for philately a somewhat dry, bloodless passion, you could show them a timeline like this.
Stamps tell us the story of the world. And it is often one of conflict, control, coercion, tragedy.
All line-printed on neat little squares of gummed paper.
Collecting Commonwealth stamps today
The original Commonwealth states are a wonderful focus for a collection.
Here you can see our selection of Commonwealth stamps.
