A privately run
packet service for mail existed in
British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
in 1796, and continued for a number of years. Postage stamps of Britain were used in those days at
Georgetown (Demerara) and Berbice. The first adhesive stamps produced by British Guiana were issued in 1850.
British Guiana is famous among philatelists for its early postage stamps, some of them considered to be among the rarest, most expensive stamps in the world. These include the unique
British Guiana 1c magenta
The British Guiana 1c magenta is regarded by many philatelists as the world's most famous rare stamp. It was issued in limited numbers in British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1856, and only one specimen is now known to exist. It is the only major p ...
from 1856, which sold in 1980 for close to $1 million.
In June 2014 the 1856 British Guiana one-cent magenta stamp was sold at auction in New York, to an anonymous bidder, for $9.5m (£5.6m) at auction in New York, a world record.
"Our First Postage Stamps: The 'Cottonreels'", National Trust of Guyana
Independence
In 1966 the country achieved independence from the United Kingdom, and changed its name to Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
. Later stamps were issued by Guyana.
See also
*Arthur D. Ferguson
Arthur D. Ferguson FRMS (1869 – 24 May 1928) was a banker with the British Guiana Bank and a philatelist who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1923. Ferguson was an expert in the stamps of British Guiana about which he wrote in ' ...
*Postage stamps and postal history of Guyana
Guyana became independent from Great Britain on 26 May 1966 and began producing its own stamps as an independent nation from that date. Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. ''The Stamp Atlas''. London: Macdonald, 1986, p. 167. Previously the country wa ...
*Revenue stamps of British Guiana
Revenue stamps of British Guiana refer to the various Revenue stamp, revenue or fiscal stamps, whether adhesive or impressed duty stamp, directly embossed, which were issued by British Guiana prior to the colony's independence as Guyana in 1966. B ...
References and sources
;References
;Sources
* W.A. Townsend and F.G. Howe, ''Postage Stamps and Postal History of British Guiana,'' London, Royal Philatelic Society (August 1970)
Further reading
* Proud, Ted. ''The Postal History of British Guiana''. Proud-Bailey Co. Ltd., 2000.
L. N. Williams, "British Guiana's Cottonreels", ''Encyclopedia of Rare and Famous Stamps,'' v.I, pp.13-23. David Feldman (1992)
External links
The British Guiana Study Circle.The British West Indies Study Circle.The British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group.Guyana Philatelic Society
{{PostalhistoryAmericas
Philately of British Guiana
Postage stamps of British Guiana