Revenue Reverend
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British Virgin Islands
Officially known as the Virgin Islands

​
Chapter overview
  • Air Passenger Tax (catalogue numbers prefixed A)
  • Postal Order poundage
  • Revenue (catalogue numbers prefixed R)
  • Revenue usage of Postage stamps (catalogue numbers prefixed F)


Acknowledgments for the British Virgin Islands section can be found on the main West Indies page. Special thanks also to John Buczacki for providing the illustrations of R5/6 and other helpful information.

Currency
  • (Until 1951) 20 shillings = 1 pound sterling (12 pence = 1 shilling)
  • (1951-1961) 100 cents = 1 British West Indies dollar
  • (1961-present) 100 cents = 1 United States dollar

Air Passenger Tax
Picture
A1
2002 (recorded usage).  Approx 8 x 7 cm.  Inscribed Terrence B. Lettsome International Airport Tortola, British Virgin Islands Government Passenger Tax (Cap - 205) Air.  Imperf.  No watermark.  Six-digit security receipt number printed in red at foot.

  A1. $10 grey-green and orange

Postal Order poundage
Picture
Illustrated above is a British postal order overprinted for use in the British Virgin Islands.  It has a face value of one shilling / five new pence with a poundage of 3½d.  British postal orders were issued in a wide range of values and it is likely that many of these were overprinted for the British Virgin Islands.  Such items are not listed on this website but further information can be obtained from the Postal Order Society.

Revenue
Picture
R1/2 and R5/6
1988-91.  35 x 28 mm.  Map of the British Virgin Islands.  Inscribed Revenue at top.  Perf 14½.  R1/2 wmk Block CA diagonal (sideways); R5/6 faint or no watermark.  Printed by Walsall Security Printers.

a) No imprint at foot
  R1. $25 magenta
​  R2. $100​ blue

b) Year imprint 1991 at foot
  R5. $25 magenta
​  R6. $100​ blue
Picture
R11/13 (top row), R21/23 (middle row), R24/26 (bottom row)
PictureR22 with printer's name in margin
1996-2011.  35 x 28 mm.  ​Coat of Arms and Turtle Dove.  Inscribed Revenue at top.  Perf 14½ (up to 2003) or perf 13 (imprints from 2007 onwards).  No watermark.  Printed by House of Questa.  Design multicoloured; Queen's head foil-stamped in silver; colour of left-hand panel given below.

a) 1996 (according to Barefoot): without imprint at foot
  R11. $10 bright green
​  R12. $40​ claret
​  R13. $50​ deep violet

b) 1999-2012: date imprint in lower right-hand corner
(recorded dates for each value given in brackets)
  R21. $10 bright green (2007, 2012)
  R22. $40​ claret (1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2012)
​  R23. $50​ deep violet (2003)
​  R24. $100​ brown-olive (2007)
  R25. $300​ blue (2011)
​  R26. $500​ purple (2011)

Note: Barefoot lists the $50 with 2002 imprint but I have not seen this.

Picture

​These enlarged illustrations show four varieties of the $40 - without imprint and then with imprints for 1999, 2002 and 2003.

Picture
R31/32
2016.  Commemorative issue for HM Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday.

  R31. $10 multicoloured
  R32. $90 multicoloured
​
Note: although these stamps are not inscribed Revenue, the Commonwealth Stamps Opinion blog states that "these stamps were ordered by the British Virgin Islands government for use as Revenue stamps", and quotes the BVI government as saying that the purpose of the issue was to "satisfy our needs, locally, here in the BVI, and not for money making on the international market".
Picture
R41/46
2020.  New revenue issue featuring Coat of Arms and Turtle Dove.  Imprint 2020 at foot of stamp.  Perf 13¼ x 13.  Designed by Bee Design and printed (litho) by Cartor Security Printing in sheets of 10.  Arms and Dove multicoloured, background colour listed below.

  R41. $10 yellow-brown
  R42. $40 claret
  R43. $50 blue
  R44. $100 green
  R45. $300 violet
  R46. $500 purple

Notes:
1. Some parts of the design including the dress and the lamps in the Coat of Arms fluoresce under ultra-violet light.
2. All six values were originally released on 22nd January 2020.  A reprint of the $10, $50 and $100 values was released on 15th June 2020.

Revenue usage of Postage stamps
Note: for ease of reference, numbering follows the Stanley Gibbons Part 1 catalogue throughout this section.  Values listed here are those recorded as having been used for revenue purposes.

Picture
F117 and F143
1938-47.  King George VI and Badge of the Colony.  Perf 14.  Wmk Multiple Script CA.  Printed (photo) by Harrison.

  F117. 1s olive-brown
1952.  Pictorial issue with portrait of King George VI.  Perf 12½ x 13.  Wmk Multiple Script CA.  Printed (recess) by De La Rue.

  F143. 24c deep brown
Picture
F157
1956-62.  Pictorial issue with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.  Perf 13 x 12½.  Wmk Multiple Script CA.  Printed (recess) by De La Rue.

  F157. 24c myrtle-green and brown-orange

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