Stamps of the Pacific Island Nations

The Islands

Beautiful coral-crusted, white sandy beaches, fringed with palms against a glorious red sunset.

If that is the way you see the Pacific Island Nations in your mind's eye, you are pretty well correct!

These small countries have been the refuge of runaway sailors, fierce cannibals and peace-loving indigenous groups alike for centuries. Each has an interesting story and despite having so much in common, their heritage and histories are quite diverse.

The stamps of the Pacific tell the stories of the culture, native flora, fauna and landmarks which make up their unique nature.

'Little messages from the islands' is a good way to describe the philatelic produce of our Pacific Island Nations.

Take a look at the topography of each island using the island pages on this website. Select a location from the links, read a little info, check out the satellite map image and dream about these fabulous, exotic dots in the middle of the world's largest ocean.

The Stamp Catalogue

Stamps are listed on the webpage of the country of issue. Just select the nation you want from The Islands menu.

Some nations, eg Gilbert and Ellice Islands, have changed names over the years. The information on each Island's webpage will tell you alternative names for that location.

Abbreviations Used in Our Catalogue

SG No	Stanley Gibbons Catalogue Number
MUH	Mint unhinged, mint never hinged, full gum
Hgd	Mint stamps which have been hinged
Used	Used or Cancelled to Order (CTO) stamps
FDC	First Day Cover (envelope)
m/s	Miniature or souvenir sheet
s/let	Small sheet of stamps
wmk	Watermark
perf	Perforation size
Simpl	Simplified - ignores watermark, perforation size or colour variations
Defins (or defs)	Definitive stamps
o/p (or o/pr)	Overprinted stamps