Cape Verde — Stamps & Postal Service

Postal Service Overview

Correios de Cabo Verde is Cape Verde’s national postal operator. Cape Verde — an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa — was uninhabited before Portuguese settlement in 1462 and issued stamps from 1877 as a Portuguese colony. Cape Verde gained independence in July 1975. The island nation has developed one of Africa’s most stable democracies and economies, reflected in a well-maintained philatelic programme. Cape Verde is the birthplace of the morna — a melancholic musical genre associated with the legendary singer Cesária Évora.

Notable Stamp Issues

Cape Verde’s first stamps in 1877 were the standard Portuguese colonial “Crown” design. The Ceres definitive series (1914–1940) appears in Cape Verdean printings within the Portuguese colonial programme. Pre-independence Cape Verde colonial stamps feature the unique landscape of the volcanic islands, traditional fishing boats, and African-Portuguese cultural blends. Post-independence stamps from 1975 depicted the PAIGC liberation movement symbols and Cape Verdean culture. Modern stamps feature Cesária Évora (the “Barefoot Diva”), the blue Atlantic, traditional music, and the islands’ unique geology.

Collecting Tips

Afinsa catalogue covers Portuguese Cape Verde. Scott Africa covers the republic. Cape Verde’s colonial stamps within the Ceres series framework are a Portuguese colonial sub-specialty. Cesária Évora stamps attract world music thematic collectors. Cape Verde’s morna music heritage stamps are unique in African philately. The islands’ sea turtle conservation stamps attract marine wildlife collectors. The Atlantic migratory bird route stamps — Cape Verde sits on a major flyway — attract ornithological collectors. Cape Verde’s sailing and fishing heritage stamps are popular with maritime collectors.

Part of the Africa Postal Directory.