High Face Value For Diana Beach Stamps.

The date of issue of Antigua-Barbuda's "Princess Diana's Visit to Barbuda" set and miniature sheet which I have previously mentioned, was 12 July 2011. This is about the only set of stamps issued by the pair of islands in 2011 whose subject matter had any direct relevance to them and therefore the only stamps produced during that year which I have bought from there for my collection. Unfortunately the "Princess Diana Beach" issue is really rather expensive since there are 2 stamps in the set each with a value of EC$10 (£2.28) but made more expensive since they are generally being sold in (admittedly very attractive) sheetlets of five along with a EC$50 miniature sheet. The total cost is therefore EC$150 or about £34.24p. The two EC$10 stamps show pictures of a very relaxed and informal princess during her visit to Barbuda in April 1997.

She is portrayed with her two young sons on one of the values.

The stamp in the miniature sheet portrays the princess against a background of an idyllic-looking beach on the island, presumably this is the beach which has since been named after her.

Certainly the territory kept collectors (and their bank accounts) busy during 2011. Here is a complete list of issues from Antigua-Barbuda which were released in 2011 (where stamps were issued in sheetlets which contained multiples of the same stamp I have counted them as single stamps):- 3 January:- Year of the Rabbit (1 miniature sheet); "Beijing 2010", pandas (4 stamps & 1 m.s.); 17 January:- Christmas 2010 (4 stamps); 14 February:- Engagement of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton (3 stamps & 2 m.s.); 4 April:- 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War (12 stamps); "Indipex 2011", Mahatma Gandhi (8 stamps); Beatification of Pope John Paul II (2 stamps & 1 m.s.); 12 July:- 1997 Visit of The Princess of Wales (2 stamps & 1 m.s.); 3 August:- Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Germany (6 stamps); 15 August:- Shells of the Caribbean (10 stamps & 2 m.s.); Wedding of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge (6 stamps & 1 m.s.; 9 September:- Elvis Presley (8 stamps & 1 m.s.); 50th anniversary of the Inauguration of John Kennedy as President of The USA (7 stamps & 1 m.s.); 50th Birthday of US President Obama (4 stamps & 1 m.s.); Space anniversaries (8 stamps & 2 m.s.); 50th anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales (4 stamps & 1 m.s.); 30 September:- Tropical fish (8 stamps & 2 m.s.); 24 October:- Leaders of China (1 stamp & 1 m.s.); 15 November:- Christmas (4 stamps); 19 December:- Abraham Lincoln & the US Civil War (4 stamps & 1 m.s.); Lunar New Year Calendar (12 stamps). That appears to add up to 133 stamps and 20 miniature sheets. Certainly I expect Antigua-Barbuda to be highly placed in the Greediest Stamp Issuers list for 2011. Issues from the territory so far this year are:- 25 January 2012:- Centenary of the sinking of The Titanic (4 stamps & 1 m.s.) and 26 March:- Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (who of course is Queen of Antigua-Barbuda)(4 stamps & 1 m.s.). I shall buy the latter but not the former since the loss of The Titanic seems to have no relevance at all to Antigua-Barbuda.