King George V 1910-1936 - 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.

1921-29 Wmk Mult Crown CA P14

1921-29 Wmk Mult Script CA P14

1935 Silver Jubilee

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.

1934 Wmk Mult Script CA P14

1935 Silver Jubilee

AUSTRALIA

Australia was discovered by the French in the first half of the 16th Century but the first Englishman to land there was William Dampier in 1688. In 1788 the British took formal possession and established their first settlement at Port Jackson on which Sydney is built. A self-governing Dominion of the British Commonwealth, Australia includes the former British Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia. The Commonwealth of Australia came into being in 1901. The first stamps inscribed "Australia" were issued in 1913.

1931 Kingsford Smith Flights

1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge

1934 Centenary of Victoria

BAHAMAS

A former British Crown Colony, the Bahamas Islands are the most northern group of West Indian Islands stretching from Florida to Cuba. The Bahamas have been independent since 1973. Stamps of Great Britain were used prior to the first issue in 1859.

1911-19 Wmk Mult Crown CA P14

1920 Peace Issue

1921-29 Wmk Script CA P14

1930 Tercentenary

1935 Silver Jubilee

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.

1933 Ovpts on India Wmk Mult Star

1934-37 Ovpts on India Wmk Mult Star

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.

1920-21 Victory 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.

1935 Silver Jubilee

BATUM

The great oil producing region at the eastern end of the Black Sea. Occupied by British Troops from November 1918 until July 1920 under the terms of the armistice signed at Mudros in October 1918. Stamps were first issued in 1919.

1919 Litho Imperf Ovpts

BECHUANALAND

Surrounded by South Africa, the territory to the south of the Molopo River was constituted the Crown Colony of British Bechuanaland in 1885 and land to the north of the Molopo was proclaimed a Protectorate. Stamps were first issued in British Bechuanaland in 1885 and in the Protectorate in 1888. In 1966 the country became independent and was renamed Botswana.

1925-27 GB Ovpts Wmk Block Cypher