The Other Diamond Jubilee (1897)

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The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking 60 years of her reign, has produced many unforgettable moments and wonderful images.

However, for philatelists, there is another Diamond Jubilee that might be more interesting - in 1897.


It was during Queen Victoria's reign that stamps, in their modern form, were introduced with the Penny Black. But although this is perhaps the most famous stamp of this period (in fact in all philately), because it was mass-produced, it has relatively low value. However, some stamps produced to commemorate Victoria's Jubilee are significantly rarer.

Perhaps surprisingly, the British Post Office (as it was then known) did not issue any of its own stamps to mark this historic occasion. However, eight territories of the British Empire issued stamps to mark the occasion. One of the most collectable is the Canadian set.

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Part of the reason for its value is that the set had a fairly restrictive sale, not least because the cheapest stamp (priced at just half a cent) could not be bought separately. As a result they were not particularly popular at the time.