Gibraltar

The first stamps of Gibraltar, a peninsula located at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, were issued on January 1st, 1886. Overprinted Bermuda stamps were used because the “Gibraltar” printing plates weren’t ready. As with most British Crown Colonies, Queen Victoria was the subject until the ascension to the throne of Edward VII. From 1904 to 1932, several varieties of Gibraltar stamps were printed on paper treated with a chalky substance. This was done to prevent the removal of cancellations and the reuse of stamps. To make trade easier between Gibraltar and Spain (which still claims the island), stamps were overprinted and then denominated in Spanish centimos and pesetas from 1889 until 1895.