Tonga Niuafo'ou Mint Sets Now Available

County Stamp Center has just added extensive new listings for the South Pacific island of Tonga Niuafo'ou. An island with a rich philatelic history, Niuafo'ou, which means new coconut, is the northerly most island in the kingdom of Tonga. An active volcano, historic lava flows cut off the island's natural harbor, isolating it from all but the occasional passing ship.

Niuafo'ou was nicknamed Tin Can Island for its unique system of mail delivery. With no safe harbors where ships could dock, mail was sealed in a biscuit tin and thrown overboard by passing ships. Strong native swimmers would retrieve the tin and carry the mail to shore. An early trader acting as postmaster, Walter Quensell, stamped the mail with unique colorful marks which are now highly valued by collectors. In 1983 the Tongan government took over the tradition and began issuing special Niuafo'ou stamps.

Our new listing includes many popular topics, including sea life, navigation and Pacific mail delivery. Click the post title to browse our complete Tonga Niuafo'ou listing. The colorful, three-stamp commemorative shown is from the island's 1998 International Year of the Ocean series. Click here to order from County Stamp Center for the low price of only $1.60.

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