FIRST
STAMPS Britain 1858-May 1860 (oblit. A06 at Belize).
FIRST STAMPS
ISSUED January 1866.
CURRENCY
1866, sterling.
1888, 100 cents = 1 dollar.
British
settlements began in 1638 after shipwreck, and were followed by a regular
colony in 1662, which was established from Jamaica to exploit the mahogany and
timber industry. The area was disputed by Spain and the rights to the area were
only accepted in 1763, though the Spanish insisted on the destruction of all
fortifications. The settlement was seized by Spain in 1779, but was returned to
Britain in 1783. Although it was recognized internationally in 1786, with the
area as well as the town known as Belize from 1788, it was again attacked by
Spain during the revolutionary wars, but on this occasion the colonials
defeated the invaders.
Letters via Jamaica are known from
1786. The first local P0 was established on 31 October 1809 but a hand-stamp
reading 'Belize' was used on foreign mail as early as 1800. The first regular
packet service ('Mexican Packet') called on the run from Jamaica to Vera Cruz
in 1829. A branch P0 directly under London was opened in 1857. The colony took
over the posts on 1 April 1860. From 1860-66 used only handstamps.
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British Honduras was declared a
colony in 1862 under Jamaica and a Crown Colony in 1871. Became independent of
Jamaica in 1884. In 1933 Guatemala repudiated a long-standing treaty of
friendship and has since threatened to invade. A small British force supported
by a Field P0 has been in operations since the 1960s.
British Honduras changed its name
on 1 June 1973 to Belize (see below), and became self-governing within the
Commonwealth on 1 January 1984. |
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