Anguilla

Anguilla's "Salt Industry" commemoratives issued on January 4, 1969 depict "Bagging salt,"
"Packing salt," the "Salt pond" and "Loading salt."

In 1624, a Dutch sea captain noticed a "salt pan with enough salt for two or three ships a year" in Anguilla and this launched an industry that continued until 1985 when its markets disappeared. At its peak in the 1820's, production reached 100,000 barrels with most of the salt being exported to the United States. With the end of slavery, production declined and in the latter years of the industry most of the salt was used locally or exported to other Caribbean destinations. In his account of Anguilla's salt industry, Kieron Edwards describes the process of harvesting the salt:

Groups of about 4-6 male and female workers used to wade into the pond on a flat bottom boat – a flat. With gloves, they brought up cakes of salt rinsed in a basket and then threw it in the flat. Then they took the full flats to the edge of the pond, and loaded the salt into barrels. This salt would be shipped to other places and some was sent to the pumphouse in Sandy Ground to grind into fine salt.

A flat on the salt pond is depicted on the 40 cent denomination of "Salt Industry" commemorative set of 1969.

Another set depicting the salt industry consisting of six stamps and a souvenir sheet (pictured below) was issued on April 14, 1980.

Souvenir sheet depicting the salt industry issued on April 14, 1980

The $2.50 denomination of the "Commonwealth Day" Issue of
February 28, 1983 depicts the "Salt Industry Salt Pond."

Go to the Salty Stamps Home Page.

Go to the Eclectic Philatelist Home Page.

© Derrick Grose, 2023