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Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao)

CURRENCY
Dutch.

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED (inscribed CURAÇAO) 23 May 1873.
Little used before 1877, when Curaçao joined the UPU.

Colony of the Dutch West India Company from 1634 to 1791 and of the United Netherlands in 1792-5. Under British occupation 1807-15. Dutch colony until made autonomous part of the Netherlands on 15 December 1954. Though known until 1948 as Curacao, the colony consisted of six main islands, the others being Aruba, Bonaire, St Eustatius, St Martin and Saba.

Postal History
Though letters are known from earlier periods, they are mostly by casual ship until 1825, when the first official Dutch government P0 was opened at Willemstad. A British P0 operated during the occupation of 1807. In 1825-34 a Netherlands Royal packet operated between Hellevoetsluis and Willemstad. In 1842-54 mail was sent by feeder services into the British packet system. From 1854 to 1885 the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company operated a regular postal service: mails, bagged between Willemstad and Breda (1854) or Moerdijk (after 1855) in Holland, were routed via Southampton. Handstamps were issued in Willemstad and elsewhere.

First opening of other island POs were:
Philipsburg, St Martin 1 January 1882
Oranjestad, St Eustatius 1 March 1884
The Bottom, Saba 1 March 1884
Kralendijk, Bonaire 1886
Oranjestad, Aruba 1888

The name NED(ERLANDSE) ANTILLEN has appeared on all stamps since 1948.

Netherlands Antilles (Aruba)

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED January 1986.

CURRENCY
Dutch to 1986.
From 1986 Aruba Florins.

A Dutch colony in the West Indies from 1828 and in the Netherlands Antilles from 1848. On 1 January 1986 it became a separate territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. A Post Office had been opened in Oranjestat in 1888 and it used the stamps of Netherlands Antilles until the New Constitution was instituted on 1 January 1986.

Under the 1983 Constitutional Conference, Aruba's separate status was agreed for 10 years from 1986, after which it would become fully independent. In the event, this decision was changed in 1994 and Aruba will now retain its separate status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.