The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14

British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes and , forming a wedge shape that extends to the South Pole. The Territory was formed on 3 March 1962, although the UK's claim to this portion of the Antarctic dates back to

Letters Patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

of 1908 and 1917. The area now covered by the Territory includes three regions which, before 1962, were administered by the British as separate dependencies of the Falkland Islands: Graham Land, the

South Orkney Islands The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic PeninsulaSouth Shetland Islands.

Bases

There are a number of current and former bases in the territory: * Halley *

Rothera The Rothera Research Station is a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) base on the Antarctic Peninsula, located at Rothera Point, Adelaide Island. Rothera also serves as the capital of the British Antarctic Territory, a British Overseas Territory. ...

* Signy was operated from 1947 until 1996 and now is staffed only in the summer. *Two summer-only forward operating stations, at

Fossil Bluff Fossil Bluff is a seasonal British aircraft refuelling station located on the east coast of Alexander Island in Antarctica. In operation since 1961, its facilities provide fuel, storage, and ancillary support for British exploration and operation ...

and

Sky Blu Sky Blu is a forward operating station for the British Antarctic Survey located in southern Palmer Land, Antarctica. It is in an area of blue ice, an extremely hard and dense ice which has lost the air bubbles that normally cloud the ice. I ...

. * Faraday was maintained until 1996, when it was sold to Ukraine and renamed Akademik Vernadsky Station. * Port Lockroy on Goudier Island is a tourist centre operated by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. Mail is found from all of these bases, although most of it is philatelic in nature.

Postage stamps

All stamps issued to date have been issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. While some are actually used by visiting tourists and resident scientists, the bulk are sold overseas to collectors. The first issue came in 1963, an engraved set with 15 values ranging from ½d to one pound, featuring a portrait of

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...

overlooking various scenes of human activity in Antarctica. Several additional issues in the 1960s were followed by a

decimalisation Decimalisation or decimalization (see spelling differences) is the conversion of a system of currency or of weights and measures to units related by powers of 10. Most countries have decimalised their currencies, converting them from non-decimal ...

issue in 1971 produced by overprinting the 1963 stamps. Since then, stamps have come out at regular intervals, about 10–20 per year in several sets, with a full

definitive series A definitive stamp is a postage stamp that is part of the regular issue of a country's stamps, available for sale by the post office for an extended period of time and designed to serve the everyday postal needs of the country. The term is used in ...

every few years (polar explorers in 1973, plankton in 1984, fossils in 1990, research ships in 1993, etc.). The design topics are related either to Antarctic research or to the native life of Antarctica. Prior to the establishment of the territory in 1962, stamps were issued for the

South Orkney Islands The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic PeninsulaSouth Shetland Islands, and Graham Land as parts of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. All postage stamps of the British Antarctic Territory are denominated in

sterling Sterling may refer to: Common meanings * Sterling silver, a grade of silver * Sterling (currency), the currency of the United Kingdom ** Pound sterling, the primary unit of that currency Places United Kingdom * Stirling, a Scottish city w ...

. For more information see

British currency in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic The United Kingdom possesses a number of islands in the South Atlantic Ocean and claims a section of the Antarctic continent. These territories are St. Helena with Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the S ...

First day covers

The ''Falkland Islands Philatelic Bureau'' acts as the sales agent for the British Antarctic Territory. Unlike some Antarctic postal administrations, all official First Day Covers are cancelled at the relevant base in the Territory, before being returned to the Philatelic Bureau at Port Stanley for distribution. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

The Antarctic Postman

''The Antarctic Postman'', based at Port Stanley, visits BAT bases by ship to officially release new stamps and the stamps are not otherwise available for sale until this has happened. The date of the visit is recorded and the stamps are then released at the Falkland Islands Philatelic Bureau, at Port Lockroy for tourists, and elsewhere. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

References

Bibliography

* Heijtz, Stefan. ''Specialised Stamp Catalogue of The Falkland Islands and Dependencies including postal history and cancellations, 1800–2013, with British Antarctic Territory''. Stockholm
S. Heijtz
2014 272p. * Pirie, J. H. Harvey. ''Antarctic Posts and Stamps''. Batley, Yorks.: Harry Hayes, 1975 71p. * Vogel, Hal. ''Essence of polar philately''. American Society of Polar Philatelists, 2008.0862-7 * Youle, John H. ''Postmarks and Cachets of the British Antarctic Bases and South Georgia; Including: Cachets associated with the royal research ships when in Antarctic waters and the Royal Naval Antarctic patrol vessels HMS Protector and HMS Endurance 1 & 2''. Bridlington: J. Youle, 2001 188p. Addendum 200
here
{{PostalhistoryOceania British Antarctic Territory British Antarctic Territory Graham Land