Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

, a group of islands in the

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, was previously uninhabited when the British established a settlement in 1612.

Early mails

In its isolated location, the colony originally depended on packet ships for mail, connecting via St Thomas,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, or Halifax at different periods. A packet agent managed external mails from 1818, with packet handstamps known from 1820. Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. ''The Stamp Atlas''. London: Macdonald, 1986, p.144. ''

The Bermuda Gazette ''The Bermuda Gazette'' was a Bermudian English-language weekly newspaper. Published from 1784 to 1816 by Joseph Stockdale (and by his three daughters from 1803 to 1816), it was Bermuda's first newspaper. In 1782, the Bermudian Legislature a ...

'' operated a domestic mail service from 1784, later taken over by the local government. In 1859, both internal and external mail service became the colony's responsibility, with the chief postmaster being based at St. George's.

First stamps

Bermuda's first

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...

s were produced locally in 1848 by Hamilton postmaster William B. Perot, consisting of the words "HAMILTON BERMUDA" in a circle, with the year and Perot's signature in the middle. Known as the Perot provisionals, they are among the great rarities of philately. A crown-in-circle design used at St. George's in 1860, also rare, is attributed to postmaster James H. Thies. General stamp issues began in 1865, with a set of three (1d, 6d, and 1sh), each with a different design based on the profile of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

. These were supplemented with 2d and 3d values in 1866 and 1873. In 1902,

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...

was not honored with a depiction on new stamps; instead the issue depicted a Bermudian dry dock, and remained in use throughout his reign. These were the first stamps in the British Empire that did not depict the monarch's head. The unusual practice continued, at least in part, with

George V of the United Kingdom George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

, with the low values of the issue of 1910 depicting the seal of the colony (a

caravel The caravel (Portuguese: , ) is a small maneuverable sailing ship used in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave it speed and the capacity for sailing win ...

), while the higher values (2sh and up) were large-format designs featuring the king's profile.

First commemorative stamps

Bermuda's first commemorative stamps were an issue of 1920, marking the 300th anniversary of representative institutions. The design consisted of the caravel seal and a profile of George V, with the inscriptions "BERMUDA COMMEMORATION STAMP" above and "TERCENTENARY OF ESTABLISHMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS" below. A second issue, in 1921, commemorated the same occasion with a completely different design, with George V in the centre and various symbols in the corners.Bermuda Postage Stamps At Bermuda Online
Retrieved 11 April 2014 Bermuda issued a pictorial series of stamps in 1936, consisting of nine stamps with seven different designs depicting local scenery. Several of the designs were reused, and three more added, for a 1938 issue featuring

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

. A commemorative issue of 1949 marked the 100th anniversary of Perot's provisional stamp.

References and sources

;References ;Sources * Scott catalogue

External links

Identifying King George VI Stamps: Bermuda 12/6 First Three Printings
by

Eric Yendall Eric Peter Yendall is a British philatelist who, in 2009, was awarded the Crawford Medal by the Royal Philatelic Society London for his work ''King George VI large key type revenue and postage high value stamps 1937-1953''."Eric Yendall Receives ...

Bermuda Collectors Society
{{PostalhistoryAmericas Philately of Bermuda

Early mails

First stamps

First commemorative stamps

See also

References and sources

Further reading

External links