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Stamps and the Royalty

Support the Museum.

Help preserve the history of the islands.

Commemorative Stamps

Stamps Celebrating Golden Jubilee

One of the lasting legacy that the Museum assisted with was the production of three special issues of stamps to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, these being produced by the Philatelic Bureau. The Museum provided images from its own collection and also helped by scanning images lent from private collections and which were to be used for the stamps.

The first set of 5 stamps covered past ‘Official Visits’. All are priced at 60 cents and cover the Princess Royal’s visit in 1960, Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 1966 (both images supplied from the Museum collection), Princess Alexandra’s visit in 1988, Prince Philip’s visit in 1993 (supplied by the Museum) and Prince Andrew’s visit in 2000.

The second set of 6 stamps covered the 6 ‘Jubilee Themes’ and are all priced at 25 cents. ‘Our History’ was represented by a view of the crossing place trail on Middle Caicos, ‘Our Heritage’ shows Wades Green on North Caicos (image supplied by Museum), ‘Our Environment’ shows the reef, ‘Our Faith’ is represented by St Thomas’ Church (image supplied by Museum), ‘Our Culture’ is represented by a ripsaw band and ‘Our Talent’ shows a basket maker.

The third set covers ‘Significant Occurrences in a Decade’, with one stamp representing an important event for each of the decades of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. For 1952-1962 an image showing a salt raker was selected, for 1962 to 1972 the arrival of the Mercury capsule was selected (both of these images came from the Ted Philiponna collection), for 1972 to 1982 the Legislative Chamber was chosen to represent the introduction of ministerial government (photograph taken by the Museum) and for 1982-1992 a map of the Turks and Caicos Islands was chosen to represent the Quincentennial of Columbus’ landfall. However, the most important of this series is for 1992-2002 as it shows the Turks and Caicos National Museum, and represents the great work the Museum has done in protecting, promoting and developing the country’s history during its first decade.

First day covers and souvenir stamp sheets are available from the Philatelic Bureau on Grand Turk and for a limited time from the Museum. For more details on how to purchase stamps please contact us direct or the Philatelic Bureau on Grand Turk.

Stamps Celebrating Royal Events

The Philatelic world knows that the Turks and Caicos Islands have marked many important Royal events on their World famous stamps, as well as depicting royal portraits on many of the stamps. Below is a brief record of some of these stamps and events.

Royal Portraits

The first Royal Appearance on a local stamp was Queen Victoria whose portrait was the central feature of the earliest Turks Island stamps, first issued in 1867 and included 1 penny, 6 pence and 1 shilling. Different portraits were issued throughout her reign, such as in 1881 on the 4 pence and 5 pence stamps, but she never appeared on a Turks and Caicos stamp until after her death.

The first Royal to appear on a stamp issued by the Turks and Caicos Islands was King Edward VII. These stamps were issued in 1909 and his portrait was the central feature. George V’s portrait featured on stamps issued from 1913. There was a silver jubilee series issued in 1935 with his portrait and Windsor Castle.

Soon after coming to the throne George VI was making appearances on stamps. His first stamp was to mark his coronation, and appeared in 1937, showing his portrait on the right and his wife, the present Queen Mother, on the left. Further appearances included the series of the salt Industry and Raking salt issued in 1937 and in 1950. In 1946 his portrait along with Westminster appeared on a Victory stamp issue and in 1948 he and Queen Victoria shared a stamp to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the separation of the Turks and Caicos Islands from the Bahamas.

Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on a Turks and Caicos Islands stamp in 1955. The first full series was printed in 1957 and included a 1d stamp that just carried the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II whilst the rest of the stamps had her portrait along with a typical scene from the islands, such as a spiny lobster, flamingos or a Caicos sloop.

In 1967, to mark the centenary of stamp issues in the Turks Islands, Queen Elizabeth II shared a series of stamps with Queen Victoria

Queen Elizabeth II’s Reign

Throughout the last 50 years there have been several issues to celebrate the present Queen’s accession to the throne. In 1953 a special 2 penny stamp was issued to commemorate the Queen’s coronation. The Gazette of May 9th 1953 records that the stamps were to be released on 2nd June but “to ensure despatch on the first day of delivery, orders should reach the Postmaster on or before Tuesday 26th May, 1953” and “The Coronation stamps will remain on sale until the 31st December 1953, or until stocks are exhausted, whichever is the earlier”.

The most important of the issues was in 1977 when a special first day cover was printed to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. In the following year (1978) two stamps were issued to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her coronation. In 1978 there was also an issue of stamps to mark the 25th anniversary of her coronation. These showed earlier monarchs, Queen Victoria (6 cents), Edward VII (10 cents), George V (25 cents) and George VI ($2) as well as Queen Elizabeth II ($2.50) in coronation regalia.

In 1992 a set of stamps were issued to mark the 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne. This included two $2.00 souvenir sheets: the first showing the Queen at the left and a boat at dock whilst the other shows the queen at the right in front of a shoreline.

In 1993 the 40th anniversary of her coronation saw stamps being issued which showed the chalice and paten from the royal collection (15 cents), official coronation photograph showing the Queen seated (50 cents), the coronation ceremony ($1), the Queen and Prince Philip (1.25) and a new portrait of the Queen ($2).

Wedding Issues

The first wedding celebrations to be recorded on Turks and Caicos stamps were issued in 1948 to mark the silver wedding anniversary of George VI and the present Queen Mother. These showed a portrait of King George VI stood behind his wife, both being in profile.

In 1973 the first weeding of one of the children of Queen Elizabeth II took place. Princess Anne, the Queen’s second oldest children, married Captain Mark Phillips and two stamps marked the event.

In 1981 there was a commemorative set of stamps to celebrate the wedding of Princess Charles and Lady Diana. The stamps included the couple (35 cents), Kensington Palace (65 cents) and Prince Charles (90 cents). In the same year some of these stamps were overprinted and became “Caicos Islands”.

The wedding of Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson was celebrated with the issuing of three stamps in 1986. These showed the couple (35 cents), Sarah in the coach (65 cents) and a close up of the couple ($1.10)

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 50th wedding anniversary with Prince Philip in 1997 a set of six 60 cents stamps were issued along with a $2 stamp with a wedding portrait.

Birthdays

The most common birthday issue of stamps covers the present Queen Mother. In 1980 she made an appearance on an 80-cent stamp to mark her 80th birthday and in 1990 a series of stamps (10 cents, 25 cents, 75 cents and $1.25) were issued to celebrate her 90th birthday. In 1995 four 50 cents stamps were issued to celebrate her 95th birthday. In 2000 the Queen Mother’s Birthday was marked with a special set of stamps for her 100th birthday, with the stamp souvenir sheet carrying the legend, “The Lady of the Century”.

To Mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th Birthday in 1996 three 80 cents stamps and one $2 stamp were issued. In 2001 the Queen’s 75th Birthday was also marked by a set of stamps.

Royal Visits

To mark the 10th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip’s visit to the Caribbean in 1966, which had included the Turks and Caicos Islands, a special 20 and 25 cents stamps were issued. The central part of this stamp was the inclusion of a copy of the original 1966 stamp issued at the time of the royal visit. These original 1966 stamps were valued at 8 pence and 1 shilling & six pence.

In 1988 the visit of Princess Alexandra was marked with a set of stamps, one of which included her portrait in front of Government House.

Deaths

In 2001 a set of stamps was issued to commemorate the centenary of the death of Queen Victoria.

Probably one the saddest royal events to be recorded by a commemorative set of Turks and Caicos Islands stamps were those issued in 1998 to mark the life of Princess Diana who was tragically killed in a car crash in 1997.

Culture & History

  • Golden Age of the Turks Islands
  • Nature & Environment
  • Slavery
  • Lucayans
  • Shipwrecks
  • Salt Industry
  • SIsal Industry
  • Royal Events
  • Space Race
  • Turks & Caicos History Timeline
  • Landmarks
  • Further Reading

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The Museum is a publicly funded not for profit organization.

It is not a part of the Turks & Caicos Islands Government and receives no regular support from the Government. Only your Support makes it all possible. Become a supporter today — we can’t do it without your help.

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Click here to view a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

The Colors of the Turks and Caicos Islands

RED was chosen to represent the nation’s capital, Grand Turk. The color is taken from the red/pink fruit found on the national plant, the Turks Head Cactus. They were once found in abundance on Grand Turk before they were removed to accommodate the salt ponds.

WHITE was chosen to represent Salt Cay. The color came from salt. The salt industry was largely responsible for populating the islands of Salt Cay, Grand Turk and South Caicos.

ORANGE was chosen to represent South and East Caicos. The color comes from the Spiny Lobster and fish and reflects the fishing industry in the “Big South.”

TAN was chosen to represent Middle Caicos. The color is taken from the raw material (thatch) that once covered the roofs of the houses. It is also used to make straw hats, baskets and brooms. Middle Caicos is known for the superior quality of native craftwork.

GREEN was chosen to represent North Caicos and Parrot Cay. The color is taken from the fruit trees and other types of trees that flourish in the most fertile of all the islands. North Caicos is also home of Wade’s Green Plantation, the most successful of Caicos Islands cotton plantations.

TURQUOISE was chosen to represent the islands of Providenciales, Pine Cay and West Caicos. The color is taken from the beautiful turquoise waters that surround these islands on which our famous Caicos fishing sloops sail. These turquoise waters also contribute to our newest industry, tourism.

PINK was chosen to represent the beautiful conch shell, flamingoes and the numerous uninhabited cays that make up our chain of islands.

YELLOW represents God’s glory as the sun shining down on all our beautiful islands and cays. The sun also contributes to our newest industry, tourism.

View a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

View Timeline

A Few Artifacts You’ll See at the Museum

Our collections represent the rich historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its people.

Lucayan Duho

Photo courtesy of Joanna Ostapkowicz. The Duho is one of the rarest artifacts in the museum’s collections. It was used a ceremonial seat for the cacique or chief of the Lucayans, the first inhabitants of these islands.

Fresnel Lens

The Grand Turk Lighthouse was erected in 1852 and was originally designed to burn whale oil and had an Argand reflector lamp. In 1943 the lighthouse was converted to a Fresnel Lens one of these lenses is now on display at the Museum.

Swivel Gun

The Molasses reef wreck, an early Spanish Caravel was equipped with three types of breech-loading swivel guns, one type is shown above. The swivel guns are thought to be anti-personnel weapons placed wherever convenient along the ship’s rail.

Salt Industry Post Card

The museum has diverse collection of early postcards of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Most post cards depict scenes on Grand Turk, the capital and from the salt industry.

Take a Look
TCI Governor

Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

H.E. Nigel Dakin CMG

The Turks & Caicos Islands National Museum on Grand Turk surely stands in one of the most majestic settings of any museum, anywhere! Perched on the edge of the Columbus Landfall national park. The 200-year-old building, “Guinep Lodge”, which houses a multitude of artifacts covering everything from the pre–Columbian Indians to the modern age, is a museum in its own right. The west facing building has stood firm and witnessed 200+ years of incredible TCI sunsets and has withstood every major hurricane since before records began.

The National Museum plays a vital role in recovering, preserving, recording and displaying the history of these island for all to see, enjoy and learn from. The museum’s archive is a veritable treasure trove of information, with enough information to fill two museums. With thousands of pre-Columbian artifacts from multiple archeological digs from around the TCI over the last 50 years, un-displayed artifacts from ancient warships, parish records or births, deaths and marriages dating back over 200 years; a veritable gold mine of information, just waiting to be discovered.

The museum is not only an exhibition facility for local history and artifacts, but also undertakes important work in the community with multiple events throughout the year and supports all the TCI schools, has a regular summer camp and kids club for our budding historians and archeologists of tomorrow.  The Grand Turk location includes a “science building” which is a fully fledged restoration facility to stabilize artifacts before they are displayed or stored in the archive. All of this work has been quietly undertaken since the museum was founded 30 years ago. There is also a campus on Provo and there are exciting plans underway to construct a new, multimillion dollar purpose-built facility for the wider enjoyment of our fascinating history. The Governor’s Office is proud to have supported the TCNMF over the years with vital capital projects.

Whether you are a local, or a visitor to our beautiful shores; I encourage you to visit and support the Turks & Caicos National Museum and absorb our colorful and surprisingly diverse local history.


H E Nigel Dakin CMG

Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

Minister for Tourism, Heritage & Culture for inclusion on the museum website

Hon. Josephine Connnolly

"It is a pleasure as Minister with responsibility of Heritage to welcome you to the Turks and Caicos Islands National Museum website. This Gem of an operation is perhaps the most notable establishment in regards to sites of historical interest. Since its establishment in 1991 it has always been an intricate part of our tourism product.

As a supporter, I believe the National Museum’s success depends on all resident and visitors; and as Minister I am committed to strengthening our tourism product through the infusion of authenticity and the increase in awareness of the National Museum in the development of heritage assets for sustainable tourism development.

Visit and explore the Grand Turk and Providenciales locations and experience our heritage and culture through interactive displays and exhibits. Special thanks is extended to the National Museum, a tangible product, a repository for artefacts and documents, providing a true island experience.".

Hon. Josephine Connnolly
Minister for Tourism, Heritage & Culture for inclusion on the museum website

President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

"My interest in history and research goes back to my years as a student at the then Grand Turk Secondary School, where my teacher and later mentor, the late Helena Jones Robinson instilled a curiosity in me to appreciate context.  At that time, not fully appreciating the impact that curiosity would have on me, I sought only to please my teacher.

Pursuing tertiary education at various institutions, in various countries and at various levels, my initial foundation of inquiry was further stimulated.  Libraries and museums would form a very important part of my education, specifically during my studies in Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Returning home after my studies abroad, my first visit to the Museum so captivated me that I began to tell all persons, visitors and islanders alike, that a visit to the museum was a MUST! The quaintness, yet thorough organization and presentation of artifacts of various kinds avowed me.

I found tremendous joy in taking my TCI Studies students to the Museum, standing back and listening to their expressions of excitement and curiosity as the curators and assistants would walk them through the various displays and presentations.

The Jamaican expression “likkle but tallawah” (small but strong) aptly fits our Museum.  The significance of this institution to our history and culture cannot be over stressed.

Welcome to The Museum.  A combination of history, culture and enchantment awaits you."

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Historic Photo Gallery of the Turks and Caicos Islands

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Locations

Guinep House, Front Street

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies (BWI)
Tel (01 649) 247-2160
From the US (786) 220-1159
Hours Vary - See our schedule under Locations

The Village at Grace Bay

Development Office and Caicos Heritage House
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies (BWI)
Tel (01 649) 247-2161
Grace Bay Hours: See Hours For This Location

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