50th Anniversary of Antigua Girl Guides — BARBUDA overprint

On 14 December 1981 the Antigua commemoratives for the fiftieth anniversary of the Girl Guides were issued overprinted BARBUDA in black. Each stamp still reads ANTIGUA and 50TH anniversary GIRL GUIDES. Opinion differs on whether the overprints were a postal issue.

The designs and production are those of the Antigua set: Max Diamond; Format International Security Printers; offset lithography; the stamps 43 × 29 mm in panes of 40. Sources give the perforation as comb 14½ or 15; the sheet is harrow perforated 14½ around the stamp.

The 10 cents is a portrait of Irene Joshua in a navy Guide shirt and beret, with the World Association flag behind her; BARBUDA crosses the portrait. The 50 cents, lettered Campfire Singing, shows four Guides around a fire at night. The 90 cents, lettered Sailing, shows two Guides in a small boat with a red, white and blue sail. The 2.50 dollars, lettered Animal Tending, shows three Guides with a brown cow; one milks into a pail.

The 5-dollar souvenir sheet, 110 × 85 mm, places a stamp lettered Flag Raising on a scene of four Guides in blue uniforms and yellow ties at two flagpoles — the Antigua and Barbuda flag and the World Association flag — with a palm at the right. BARBUDA sits on the stamp below ANTIGUA.