First Day Covers from the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Series, 1977
Turks & Caicos
Queen Elizabeth II 1977 Silver Jubilee postage stamps
Among the newer of Britain's colonies is the Turks & Caicos Islands, located in the West Indies. The name Turks derives from a native cactus, shown on the coat of arms, that resembles a Turkish fez, and the Spanish cayos for key, meaning a
small island, or reef. Famous Spanish explorer Iuan Ponce de Leon first sighted the islands in 1512; however, the islands were not inhabited until 1678. The Turks & Caicos Islands became a crown colony in 1962, having previously been a dependency of Jamaica. The coat of arms displays the Turks Head cactus, a Queen conch shell, and a spiny lobster, three species native to the islands.
First Day of Issue ceremonies were held February 7, 1977, on Grand Turk, principal island and seat of government, for new stamps honouring the Queen's Silver Jubilee.