Antigua year 1884 stamps One & two Penny – Victoria set Used
The year 1884 is significant in the philatelic history of Antigua as it relates to the continued use and expansion of the Queen Victoria “Key Plate” issues for the British colony.
Here are the key points regarding Antigua in 1884, specifically focusing on its stamps:
Postage Stamp Issues
The stamps issued around 1884 belong to the definitive set featuring the iconic Queen Victoria Key Plate design, a standard template used by Great Britain’s colonial printer, De La Rue, where the central portrait (the “key”) was printed in one color, and the frame and colony name (the “duty plate”) were printed in another.
Stamps often associated with the 1884 issue (or the 1884-1887 set) include:
| Denomination | Color | Watermark | Scott Catalog No. (Approx.) | Notes |
| 1 Penny | Carmine | Crown CA | #20 | This value was reissued/changed in color. |
| 2½ Pence | Ultramarine | Crown CA | #21 (Changed color from Reddish Brown) | |
| 1 Shilling | (Various) | Crown CA | #23 (or #30 in some catalogs) | This value was introduced around 1884. |
| 6 Pence | Deep Green | Crown CA | #22 (or #29 in some catalogs) |
Export to Sheets
- Design: All these stamps feature the common Queen Victoria profile in the center.
- Watermark: These issues used the Crown CA (Crown and Crown Agents) watermark, which is a key distinguishing factor from earlier and later issues.
Postal History
In terms of postal history, Antigua was still a British colony and part of the Leeward Islands grouping. The colony would eventually stop issuing its own stamps in 1890, only to resume in 1903. Therefore, the 1884 issues represent some of the last independent issues before the transition to using stamps solely inscribed “Leeward Islands.”
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