Queen Elizabeth II 1952- - Sets only

ANTIGUA

Discovered by Columbus in 1493. Antigua was first settled in 1632 by a few British families. It is the most important island of the Leeward Group in the British West Indies. Stamps of Great Britain were used from 1858-1860 prior to the issue of its own stamps in 1862.

1953-62 Wmk Mult Script CA

ASCENSION

A British Colony situated in the South Atlantic, 700 miles north-west of St Helena. First occupied in 1815, it was retained as a Royal Naval Base from 1816 until 1922 when it became a dependency of St Helena. Stamps first issued in 1922 prior to which British stamps were used.

1956 Wmk Mult Script CA

BAHRAIN

An archipelago some 20 miles off the coast of Saudi Arabia, about half way down the Persian Gulf. An independent Sheikdom, it had an Indian postal administration from 1884 until 1948 during which time stamps of India were used and then later overprinted for use from 1933. A British postal administration operated from 1948 until 1965 overprinting and surcharging the stamps of Great Britain up until 1960.

1952-54 Surcharges on GB Wmk Tudor Crown

1953 Coronation

1955-60 Surcharges on GB Castles

1956-7 Surcharges on GB Wmk Edward Crown

1957-59 Surcharges on GB New Currency

BARBADOS

The most northern of the West Indian Islands, Barbados had been a British Colony since 1625 and became independent in 1966. Stamps first issued in 1852.

1953-61 Wmk Mult Script CA

BASUTOLAND

A former British Crown colony which became an independent Kingdom in 1966 and was renamed Lesotho. The country is entirely surrounded by South Africa and issued its first stamps in 1933. Prior to this the stamps from the Cape of Good Hope and South Africa were in use.

1954-58 Wmk Mult Script CA

BERMUDA

A British Colony, first settled in 1609, the Bermudas consist of a cluster of some 360 islands in the Atlantic about 600 miles off the coast of the United States. Provisional stamps were first issued in 1848 with the famous "Perot" issue by the then Postmaster with later adhesive stamps first appearing in 1865.

1953-62 Wmk Mult Script CA

BRITISH GUIANA

A former British Crown Colony situated on the north-east coast of South America, British Guiana finally came under British control in 1814. It became independent in 1966 and the country was renamed Guyana. First stamps were issued in 1850 prior to that the stamps of Great Britain were used. Famous for its issue of the rarest stamp in the world, the 1856 1c black on magenta (SG 23, Scott 13) of which it is reported only one example exists.

1954-63 Wmk Mult Script CA

BRITISH HONDURAS

A former British Crown Colony in Central America the country was given self-government in 1964 and renamed Belize in 1973. Independence was given in 1981. First stamps issued in 1865 prior to which stamps from Great Britain were used.

1953-62 Wmk Mult Script CA

BRITISH POSTAL AGENCIES IN EASTERN ARABIA

Great Britain stamps surcharged in Annas and Rupees and later Naye Paise were first issued in 1948 for use in certain Arab States in Eastern Arabia. They were valid for use in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat and Doha & Umm Said in Qatar as well as being used in Bahrain and Kuwait.

1952-54 Surcharges on GB Wmk Tudor Crown

1953 Coronation

1956-57 Surcharges on GB Wmk Edward Crown

1957-59 New Currency Surch on GB Wmk Edward Crown

1960-61 Surcharges on GB Wmk Mult Crown

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

A Crown Colony in the West Indies comprising of about 100 small islands many of which are uninhabited. Stamps first issued in 1866 prior to which Great Britain stamps were used from 1858-1860.

1956-62 Wmk Mult Script CA

CAYMAN ISLANDS

A group of three islands, Grand Cayman; Cayman Brac and Little Cayman in the Caribbean Sea some 178 miles from Jamaica and 150 miles south of Cuba. A former dependency of Jamaica and since 1962 a British Crown Colony. Stamps first issued in 1901 prior to which Jamaican stamps were in use.

1953-62 Wmk Mult Script CA