page_title: Chalon head
section_title: Bahamas
hierarchical_section_title: Chalon head / History / Bahamas
caption_attribution_description: English: Bahamas 1p stamp of 1863
context_page_description: The Chalon Head is the name of a number of postage stamp series whose illustration was inspired by a portrait of Queen Victoria by Alfred Edward Chalon.
  These stamps, printed in New York City for the Canadian colonies, and by Perkins, Bacon and Company in London, were issued in many British colonies from the 1850s until 1912 in Queensland. In chronological order, they were released in the Province of Canada in 1851, Nova Scotia in 1853, Tasmania and New Zealand in 1855, The Bahamas and Natal in 1859, Grenada, New Brunswick and Queensland in 1860, and in 1870 in Prince Edward Island.
  Because these are some of the world's first stamps or the very first stamps to bear these colonies' names, the Chalon series are objects of many studies and collections.
context_section_description: In July 1858, the governor of the Bahamas, Charles John Bayley, wanted to replace British stamps circulating on mail in the colony. In his mail to British offices, he submitted a design of a round stamp illustrated with two main productions of the islands; a pineapple and conch but, Perkins, Bacon & Co judged that such a stamp design would be too difficult to print and to perforate.
  The printing company proposed a project derived from others Chalon issues: the oval of the portrait should be reduced in size and two little ovals appeared for the two Bahamian products. A banderole precised the use of the one penny stamp: "INTERINSULAR POSTAGE".
  The first package of stamps printed in London were put on sale in the Bahamas the June 10, 1859. Perforations appeared in September 1860 but they were perfectly mastered by Perkins Bacon after 1863 (14 holes for 2 cm).
  To replace British stamps on the mail sent to North America and the United Kingdom, two new values are issued; 4 pence rose and 6 pence grey. The pineapple and conch ovals were no longer used.
caption: An 1863 stamp of the Bahamas.
exif: {}