Main >> Hobbies & Interests >> Stamps

Tonga Philately

Tonga & Tin Can Mail Study Circle

Now An Affiliate of the Society of Australasian Specialists/ Oceania

TONGA'S POSTAL HISTORY

The earliest postal communications in Tonga probably began when the ship Duff, of the London Missionary Society, arrived in Tonga in 1797. This expedition failed and it was not until the Wesleyan missionaries arrived in Tonga in 1824 that regular postal communications with the outside world were instituted -- or indeed necessary.

The establishment of an organized postal service in Tonga occurred in 1886. The first issue of Tongan stamps bore a portrait of King George Tupou I.

Surcharges and overprints abound

It didn't take long before these stamps became inadequate for Tonga's postal needs. The early postal emissions of Tonga are rife with surcharges and overprints. The first occurred in 1891 when new postal rates were introduced.

This in turn was followed by a new series of five values in 1892. The 1d and 4d stamps bore the Tongan Coat of Arms, while the 2d, 8d, and 1/- values showed an almost full-face portrait of the aging King.

In February 1893, King George I died and was succeeded by his great-grandson, George Tupou II. Stamps with the new King's portrait were to be prepared but were not released until August, 1895. In the meantime, the series of 1892 received all manner of surcharges to cope with postal rate changes and stamp shortages. Even a typewriter was used to make surcharges.

New king disliked portrait

When the long awaited King George II stamps finally debuted, the King was so displeased with his portrait that he ordered replacements. The die was reworked by the printers (Auckland Star Newspaper), but this too was found to be inadequate. More stamp shortages occurred; more surcharges appeared.

It was about this time that the Tongan Post Office decided to upgrade their stamp program and eliminate the problems of the past. An order was sent to Messrs. Thomas De La Rue of London, who engraved and printed the definitives of 1897. This basic series remained in use for fifty-six years, adding only the stamps with Queen Salote's portrait. (She succeeded her father as monarch in 1918, but Salote stamps did not appear until 1920.)

Foils and hearts and maps......oh my!

Tonga's postal affairs remained conservative until July 15, 1963, when the philatelic world was rocked by Tonga's release of the first gold foil stamps. This was followed rapid-fire by other foil issues in the shapes of hearts and maps. Self-adhesives followed rapid fire by other foil issues in the shapes of hearts and maps.

Bananas, coconuts & other weird shapes

Tonga changed almost entirely to self-adhesive freeform postage stamps in 1968. The unusual stamps came in many different shapes including bananas, coconuts, pole vaulters, oil derricks, stars, crowns, and diamonds. Immensely popular with Tongans because the self-adhesive withstood well the tropical climate, the stamps received mixed reviews from philatelists.

In 1981, the difficult-to-mount shapes were replaced with stamps of traditional rectangular appearance.