“The rarest of stamps from the remotest of places”

A Hot New Year Stamp Investment Tip

Picture this…

The remotest and loneliest place on Earth.

A place where, in 1961, natural disaster struck with devastating consequences…

But, from that disaster emerged one of the rarest of philatelic treasures.

Something every collector of the British Commonwealth & Empire covets and aspires to own. Not everyone can afford to…

You see, it is so rare, it is also very valuable.

It has risen in value since it was first created in 1961.

And, it can only ever become rarer and, therefore, more valuable than it is today.

The Remotest Island in the World

Let me take you somewhere, far, far away.

A place which is completely free of the coronavirus…

Tristan da Cunha is famous for being the world’s remotest island.

It sits around 1,500 miles from its nearest continental land mass.

There is no airstrip on the island. The only way to get there is by boat from South Africa. There are only eight ferries which run each year.

it takes six days from Cape Town and, even then, the weather might prevent you from landing.

If you do manage to get there, you will be greeted by the most awe inspiring of sights…

The main island is extremely mountainous. The only flat area is on the north-west coast, the sole place of settlement, “Edinburgh of the Seven Seas”.

These volcanic islands are part of the submarine ridge running down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

There are only around 250 people who live there. All of them carry British Overseas Territories citizenship.

It is only 38 square miles in size.

The other islands are uninhabited, except for the South African personnel manning a weather station on Gough Island.

It is considered the world’s loneliest island.

The people of Tristan da Cunha survive with communal farming, fishing and, believe it or not, the sale of their Postage Stamps to collectors around the world.

A (very) brief history

The islands were first discovered in 1506 by the Portuguese sailor, Tristão da Cunha.

Its large visible waterfall attracted sailors as a watering stop in the circumnavigation of Africa.

It wasn’t until 1810 that the islands received their first permanent settler, Jonathan Lambert from Salem, Massachusetts. He declared the islands his property and named them the “Islands of Refreshment”.

Lambert’s rule was short-lived, as he died in a sailing accident in 1812.

Four years later, the Brits arrived and annexed the islands, ruling them from the Cape Colony in South Africa.

The British primary interest then was to ensure the French would not be able to use the islands as a base from which to free Napoleon Bonaparte, who was in exile in Saint Helena.

The islands were also important as a stopping point with the increasing number of ships on the India route, a key part of the British Empire.

When the Suez Canal opened in 1869, the islands lost their importance and it became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.

Disaster strikes

The summit of the volcano on the island, Queen Mary’s Peak, sits at an elevation of 2,062 metres.

On the 10th October, 1961 the volcano violently erupted…

Thankfully, the whole population of 264 were safely evacuated and taken to the nearby Nightingale Island. They were then collected and ferried to England via Cape Town.

Once in England, the islanders found themselves housed at an old Royal Air Force camp in Hampshire.

Tristan da Cunha’s nearest island neighbour, a mere 1,343 miles from them, is Saint Helena.

Seeing the plight of their dear neighbour, Saint Helena wanted to help…

The Stamp Story

The authorities of Saint Helena established a Relief Fund, and a supply of Tristan da Cunha stamps were surcharged “ST. HELENA Tristan Relief”.

These were put on sale to provide aid for the refugees…

St Helena 1961 (Oct 12) Tristan Relief Fund set of 4, SG172/75

But, there was a problem…

Unfortunately, only the Colonial Office in London were permitted to authorise new stamps. This fact was clearly unknown to the Governor, and the issue was withdrawn.

The stamps were only on sale for one week between the 12th and 19th of October.

Just 434 stamps were sold in that time, mainly to tourists from a visiting cruise liner, raising just £108!

A Royal Society expedition gave the all clear in 1962 and most families returned to the island in 1963.

What makes this stamp issue so special?

These stamps were only on sale for one week and most of the 434 sets issued were used for postage.

Consequently, it is one of the rarest Queen Elizabeth II stamp issues in the British Commonwealth.

It is also most unusual as, at the time, the currency of Tristan da Cunha had just changed to South African Rand and Cents yet the charity surcharge was in Sterling.

Because of their rarity and appeal, they are the most valuable modern stamps from Saint Helena.

Mint sets are very hard to find. They rarely appear for sale.

Investment Credentials

The set of stamps I have available for you are in perfect mint condition with full original gum.

They are also accompanied with a British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate of authenticity (1965).

Further provenance is provided with the original Colonial & Foreign Stamp Co. Ltd invoice (1977).

They have more than doubled in value over the past 20 years, yet still seem relatively cheap considering their rarity and desirability.

I do not believe the current market price fully reflects the true value of this famous set of stamps.

What’s more, they can only ever become rarer. Over time, more will be lost, damaged or end up within institutional collections, such as postal museums.

Tristan da Cunha’s remoteness means that postage stamps are a key part of the island’s economy. Their stamps are sold to avid collectors across the globe.

Consequently, I am confident in recommending this stamp as a hot investment tip.

Don’t miss out

To summarise: