Bahamas celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence with new stamps

By Molly Goad

The Bahamas issued a set of four stamps on July 6 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence.

After 300 years of British rule, the United Kingdom granted the Bahamas independence via a June 20, 1973, order. The order came into force on July 10, 1973, the date the country celebrates as its Independence Day.

The stamps are of four different denominations. The 15¢ stamp shows “The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Constitutional Instruments 1973” document.

The 50¢ stamp shows an image from July 10, 1973, when the new gold, black and aquamarine Bahamas flag was raised.

The 65¢ stamp features symbols and words representing the Bahamas, including a blue marlin (the country’s national fish), a flamingo (the national bird), a yellow elder (the national flower), and names of the main inhabited islands. The 70¢ stamp shows an image of Prince Charles, now King Charles III, as he laid the chief cornerstone of the Central Bank on the day prior to independence, July 9, 1973.

Also present in the photo on the 70¢ stamp are Lynden Pindling, who served as the Bahamas’ prime minister for 25 years, and Arthur Dion “AD” Hanna, deputy prime minister at the time. Hanna later served as the eighth governor-general of the Bahamas from 2006 to 2012.

The stamps were designed by the firm Bee Design. Cartor printed them by lithography in sheets of 20.

For more information about the stamp set, visit the website of Pobjoy Mint, the Bahamas’ philatelic agent, or write to the Bahamas Philatelic Bureau, email bahamasphilatelic@bahamas.gov.bs.

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