COVER N. 732 - KIRIBATI

Postmark: Butaritari Republic of Kiribati Postal Service 19.05.2026

Posted on the 19th May;  Received on the 12th June 2026

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Kiribati. A new country joins the list thanks to the generous help from Eric, the Flying Dutchman, and his friend  Wolfgang. who mounted the operation. A huge many thanks to both of you. 

I've said it before: This blog is as much as mine as of some friends who relentlessly try to enrich it with mail from origins I would never ever think of, or even know about. 

Without being exhaustive at all, take Ravi's Rattlesnake island, Alex's Abkhazia, Roland's Lundy or Eric's present Kiribati covers, to name but four friends and as many uncommon origins. How on earth would I ever add these pearls to my collection without their more than generous and friendly help?

I am in debt to all of you. Without your help, I am sure my friend Mr. Postman would never get the chance to wonder "How on earth does this guy manage to get such strange mail sent to him...?"

Kiribati became famous a quarter of a century ago (my, does time pass....) for being the first country to enter into the new millennium.

Another not so happy call to fame that the Pacific Island State can unfortunately claim is that there is a strong possibility of all of its territory being submerged due to the rise of the sea levels as a consequence of climate change. As a result of this menace, Kiribati's government has already bought some land on Fiji with a view to the relocation of population in the future....

Kiribati comprises 32 Islands and atolls, 12 of them being uninhabited, and its territory spreads over an  oceanic area of 3,440 square kilometres and an extension of 2,900 kilometres, its economy relying mostly on tourism and  fishing licences on its waters.

The country, a former British protectorate, known as  Gilbert and Ellice Islands, became independent, as Kiribati, in 1979, now encompassing the Gilbert islands (Ellice Islands becoming Tuvalu) the Line islands and the Phoenix group.

Stamps:

Sir Rowland Hill  is a name that needs no introduction to Philatelists, for this teacher, inventor an social reformer who lived between 1795 and 1879, is the person to blame for originating the hobby they pursue since his was the idea of using a bit of pre-paid adhesive paper  on the letters as proof of payment of postage... we all know the concept, right?

On the centenary of his passing, which coincided with Kiribati’s year of  independence, Kiribati issued,  on 04OCT1979, a set of four stamps (10; 20; 30; 45 Australian cent) on a souvenir sheet featuring a logo mimicking a postmark, with the words Sir Roland Hill 1795 1879 and a line version of Kiribaty's coat of arms with its motto  "Te Mauri, Te Raoi, Ao Te Tabomoa," ("Health, Peace, and Prosperity").

The stamps include fac-similes of  stamps of the former Gilbert and Ellice Islands protectorate.

The marriage of the then Prince Charles to lady Diana Spencer was one of the most resonating pieces of news (if not the most...) in 1981.

Many if not all of the former British colonies and protectorates issued stamps sets celebrating the occasion, and Kiribati was no exception.

A set of four stamps (2 x 12; 2 x 50 Australian cents) was thus issued on 29JUL1981 (the date of the wedding).

Two of the stamps (12 and 50 cents) featured the portraits of the couple alongside an image of  royal yachts of days gone, namely the Katherine and the Osborne (the latter being the stamp on the cover), while the other 12 + 50 cents pair, in an elongated format,  carried the message "Congratulations from the people of Kiribati" ib between the portraits of Charles and Diana.

Postmark from Butaritari, one of the atolls of the Gilbert islands.