New Barbados stamp issue celebrates Centenarians of Barbados  

Comprising a total of 27 new stamps, the Centenarians issue was released on 8^th December 2016 and is the single largest stamp new issue ever released on Barbados.

There are seven stamps in a Souvenir Sheet and twenty individual stamps, but all are priced at just 65c making them valid for the current internal letter rate mail.

Centenarians are individuals who have reached 100 years old or more and Barbados is blessed with more than their fair share of them. The last census in 2016 revealed that there are currently one hundred and fourteen centenarians alive on Barbados of which only eleven were men. Looks like the ladies know something the men don’t!

The National Committee on Ageing (NCOA) research also identified that by the start of 2017 there would be another thirty eight women and ten more men who would join this elite club.

Clearly it wouldn’t be possible to issue a stamp for everyone who reaches one hundred years old so for this issue individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to Barbados were chosen to be honoured.

These are the stamps in the series;

Barbados 65c Stamp – Alma Geraldine Rae

Barbados 65c Stamp – Beatrice Gertrude Carrington

Barbados 65c Stamp – Vivian Ursula Blenman

Barbados 65c Stamp – Edith Vimetta St. Clair Wilkinson

Barbados 65c Stamp – Rose Adelin Wiltshire

Barbados 65c Stamp – Olive Augusta Licorish

Barbados 65c Stamp – Elaine Ometa Walkes

Barbados 65c Stamp – Iona Viola Griffith

Barbados 65c Stamp – Christopher McDonald Smith

Barbados 65c Stamp – Winston Cameron Catline

Barbados 65c Stamp – Aldora Yearwood

Barbados 65c Stamp – Rev C. Vincent S Belle

Barbados 65c Stamp – Vera Elaine Gibbs

Barbados 65c Stamp – Doris Elese Greaves

Barbados 65c Stamp – Helen Lizetta Hutchinson

Barbados 65c Stamp – Carlotta Elise Strickland

Barbados 65c Stamp – Constance L. Inniss

Barbados 65c Stamp – Alicia Waithe

Barbados 65c Stamp – Francis Medford Clarke

 

From the Souvenir Sheet we have another seven stamps featuring;

Barbados 65c Stamp – James Emmanuel Sisnett

Barbados 65c Stamp – Emily Clarke

Barbados 65c Stamp – Marie Millicent Trotman

Barbados 65c Stamp – Melville Williams

Barbados 65c Stamp – Millicent Albertha Yearwood

Barbados 65c Stamp – Sylvia Maughan

Barbados 65c Stamp – Eleise Hortense Rock

As well as these stamps and souvenir sheet there is of course a First Day Cover for each of them which looks like this;

Overall this seems to be a very worthy issue, celebrating the people of the island and in so doing, creating stamps that will actually be used, some even by the people featured on them!