Virgin Islands, St. Ursula

British Virgin Islands · 1867 · 1 Shilling

This classic stamp features a depiction of Saint Ursula, the legendary Christian martyr and patron saint of the Virgin Islands. She is shown standing with a lamp, surrounded by eleven smaller lamps representing the 11,000 virgins of her legend. The design is finely engraved, typical of high-quality Victorian-era colonial issues.

Issued during the reign of Queen Victoria, this stamp is one of the earliest from the Virgin Islands. The design directly references the islands' naming by Christopher Columbus, who named them 'Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes' (Saint Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins).