Towards the back end of 2025, the Barbados Philatelic Bureau issued two new stamps within the space of four weeks. Not only was the space of time between issues the shortest ever, making it a unique occurrence, but it was also the first time two single commemorative stamps had ever been issued on Barbados in the same year.
In fact, excluding souvenir sheets, the last time a single commemorative stamp was issued by Barbados Philatelic Bureau was over 50 years ago in 1968 for the 20th anniversary of Economic Commission for Latin America (E.C.L.A.)
On top of that, the two stamps were totally unrelated to each other.
We Gatherin’
The first to be issued was one to commemorate ‘We gatherin’, a year long initiative inviting the Bajan diaspora to return home to Barbados for a ‘gatherin’’. Each month there was a focus on a specific parish and events were held throughout 2025 to celebrate the success of Barbados and Bajans around the world.
‘We Gatherin’ was a national initiative of the Government of Barbados, with the aim of fostering unity, promoting philanthropy, driving investment, and celebrating Barbadian culture and traditions. It also aimed to support community empowerment, stimulate economic growth and fuel environmental sustainability as it focused on the Barbados 2030 development goals.
The principal aim was to allow Barbadians to “celebrate traditional ways of life, showcase the diversity of Barbadian talent and excellence, give back to communities that contributed to their advancement, capitalise on economic opportunities, and craft a collective vision of future Barbados.”
The specific goals of ‘We gatherin’ were to “deepen the connections between Barbados and its diaspora, diversify the economy by creating opportunities for new sectors and businesses, empowering Barbadian communities through enterprise, fostering greater community spirit and philanthropy, while highlighting Barbados as a world class, authentic global brand.”
Design of the ‘We gatherin’ stamp
The logo image used on the stamp was chosen by the We Gatherin Project Implementation Unit (PIU) Secretariat, to illustrate the unity and heritage of Barbadians, it features interconnected chattel houses, symbolising the connectivity of communities from the olden days.
The stamp was a single 65c issue, the current rate for inland mail, so is unlikely to be seen widely on international mail and whilst this may be common on the island I doubt it will be readily available as a used stamp in years to come.
The official brochure that accompanies the stamp describes the design touches as:
The use of a soft script font for the text ‘ We Gatherin’ effectively embodies the warmth and personal touch of a handwritten letter. The tag line ‘Come Long Home’ ushers the call to urge Barbadians abroad to return to the land of their birth. This stylistic decision plays a crucial role in conveying the essence of community and personal connection, and was therefore chosen as a fitting representation for this commemorative stamp issue.
The stamp is actually a really nice design and appears to have ben well received by the public on Barbados. The clean, crisp lines make it eye catching and it stands as a notable reminder of the year long initiative undertaken by the Government.
There was no official First Day Cover for this issue so any that appear will be on commercial mail or, as in this case, a favour cancel.
Keep your eyes out, therefore, for any of these stamps you find dated 10th November as first day usage will be very hard to find!
Technical Details
The technical details for this stamp are:
- Designer: Leanne Sherliker
- Printer: Brebnerprint
- Process: Lithography
- Stamp size: 45.18mm x 30mm
- Sheet format: 50 (2 x 25)
- Perforation: 14 x 14.167
- Paper: CASCO Crown Watermark
- Denomination: 65c
- Release date: 10th November 2025
I will write a second article for the other stamp, the Dove of Peace, as that is another story entirely.