Barbados is a former British colony in the West Indies, now an independent state in the British Commonwealth. Looking at its stamps you can see many similarities between them and those of other British colonies. Interestingly, the first stamps of Barbados (1852-79) all picture the female figure of “Britannia”. Who was she? A Roman goddess brought by the Romans in the first century AD, giving Britain her name. During the height of the British Empire’s power, she came to symbolize that and the unity of Britain with her colonies, which is why she is featured. George Washington visited Barbados in 1751 and a 250th anniversary set commemorating the event was issued in 2001.