Postage stamps and postal history of the Pitcairn Islands

The postal history of the Pitcairn Islands can be traced to second half of the 19th century, when outgoing mail was hand stamped as "Posted on Pitcairn Island: no stamps available." Stamps were carried by passing ships and received postal stamps and cancellation at various ports of calls. However, this practice was discontinued in 1926 following reports of ship passengers mixing their own mail into the “no stamp” system set aside for the Pitcairn residents.

In June 1927, a postal agency was set up on Pitcairn to sell New Zealand stamps. The first Pitcairn postage stamps, consisting of eight denominations, were issued on October 15, 1940.

The New Zealand-based Pitcairn Islands Philatelic Bureau coordinates the territory’s stamp program. The program issues up to six commemorative stamps per year, and new definitive stamps are issued on an average cycle of five years. The sale of philatelic issues has been a source of revenue for the territory.