Description

1970 stamp from the “Principality of Sealand”, depicting what appears to be a pair of dolphins.

The stamp is believed to be part of a set of five depicting various marine life – those additional values are not included here.

Cancelled-to-order (CTO) condition (see our glossary page for an explanation of what CTO means).

About Sealand

Sealand is a micronation that describes itself as "a sovereign Principality on a military fortress, seven miles from the eastern shores of Britain". Based on HM Fort Roughs, a naval fort built to protect the Thames Estuary during the Second World War, the Principality of Sealand was established by the Bates family in 1967, after they took occupation of the disused military structure with the intention of operating a pirate radio station there. At the time, the structure was located within international waters; Britain's territorial waters were only extended to encompass the area around Sealand on 1 October 1987.

Within their new principality, Roy Bates and his wife Joan styled themselves as Prince Roy and Princess Joan; since Roy's death in 2012, his son, Michael, has claimed the title Prince Michael. Sealand celebrated the "50th anniversary of independence" in 2017.

Sealand issued its first stamps, denominated in Sealand dollars (SX$), in 1969, with further issues following during the 1970s. After a long break, several more new issues were released in the 2000s, with the most recent appearing in 2023 - the first new Sealand stamps in 13 years. Sealandic stamps are considered Cinderellas, given that the Principality is not a recognised government postal administration.

The Sealand website includes more details about the micronation's history and a regularly updated news section.