On 5 April 2011, the Post Office of Trinidad And Tobago issued six stamps and one miniature sheet to commemorate the birth centenary of the country's first prime minister after independence, Dr. Eric Williams. I have to confess that although I received the stamps several months ago, it is only recently that I have looked at the stamps closely and have realised that they are dedicated to depicting the former prime minister in the company of various celebrities and statesmen of his time. That fact makes them of particular interest to collectors of stamps which feature such celebrities. Probably the most popular celebrities to feature in the set are John Lennon and Ringo Starr, two members of the then popular British musical group, The Beatles, who were photographed when they visited Tobago in 1966. They appear on the $4.50 value.
Other featured celebrities include the contemporary Indian prime minister, Jawarhalal Nehru, on the $5.25 value and West Indies cricketers, Sir Learie Constantine and CLR James, who feature on the $1.50 value. The set is completed by a $1.00 value (Sir VS Naipaul, Michael Anthony and Andre Deutsch), a $2.50 depicting Dr. Williams with the then Ghanaian president, Kwame Nkrumah, and a $3.75 value which features the winning design in a national stamp design competition.
The miniature sheet depicts Dr. Williams with a number of international statesmen including Sir Winston Churchill who appears on the $15 stamp contained in the miniature sheet, the portrait of the two men showing them looking very relaxed in each other's company.
The depiction of so many international statesmen and celebrities in a single set makes this issue very appealing to a number of thematic collectors who collect stamps which depict these various personalities but meanwhile the set maintains a strict relevance to Trinidad And Tobago itself. I think it is an excellent set. Finally, below, I illustrate another item issued by Trinidad And Tobago during 2011 (on 1 March) - a miniature sheet which was issued with a set of five stamps which commemorate the local carnival. The item is splendidly colourful and reflects the excitement of the occasion which is an annual highlight of Trinidad And Tobago life. The sheet is typical of stamp issues from Trinidad And Tobago over recent years - excellent and interesting but completely relevant to the country from which the stamps originate. If only other Caribbean territories of The Commonwealth could follow Trinidad And Tobago's lead.
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