Hong Kong — Stamps & Postal Service

Postal Service Overview

Hongkong Post is the postal service of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). Hong Kong’s philatelic history spans British colonial administration from 1862 to the 1997 handover to China, and the SAR period from 1997 to present. Hong Kong was one of the British Empire’s most important commercial entrepôts, and its stamps document the growth of a global financial centre from Victorian trading port to modern metropolis. The 1997 handover produced some of the 20th century’s most historically significant stamps from multiple countries.

Notable Stamp Issues

Hong Kong’s 1862 first stamps depicted Queen Victoria in a classic Crown Colony design — the same basic format used across many British colonial territories. The 1863–1871 issues and the 1880–1902 definitive series are classic Commonwealth material. The 1941 Centenary stamps were issued during Japanese occupation. Post-WWII definitives featuring the harbourfront are iconic. The 1997 handover: both the final British Hong Kong stamps and the first Chinese SAR stamps are historically charged. Post-1997 SAR stamps feature Hong Kong’s skyline, Lantau Buddha, and traditional junk boats.

Collecting Tips

Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth catalogue covers British Hong Kong; SAR stamps are listed under China (Hong Kong) in standard catalogues. The 1897 Queen Victoria Jubilee overprints are classic rarities. Used examples on commercial covers from Hong Kong’s trading past are historically valuable. The 1941–1945 Japanese occupation stamps are a WWII specialist area. 1997 handover first-day covers with both British and Chinese cancellations are collector-prized. Post-SAR definitives featuring Hong Kong architecture are well-designed modern issues.

Part of the Asia Postal Directory.