1987 Centenary of the Bermuda Telephone Company

The 100th Anniversary of the Bermuda Telephone Company 1887 – 1987

Date: 1st October 1987
Stamps: BERMUDA Centenary of the Bermuda Telephone Company 1887 – 1987 15c Horse and cart carrying telegraph poles; 40c Early telephone exchange; 50c Early and modern telephones and $1.50 Communications setellite orbiting and fibre-optic.

CDS: 01.OCT87A HAMILTON BERMUDA
Cachet: BERMUDA RELEASE DATE: 1 OCT 1987 / CENTENARY OF THE BERMUDA TELEPHONE COMPANY 1887 – 1987 OFFICIAL FIRST DAY COVER
Reverse: Map of Bermuda with magnifying glass

Liner

BERMUDA
CENTENARY OF THE BERMUDA TELEPHONE COMPANY
1887-1987

Incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1887, The Bermuda Telephone Company Limited brought telephone technology to Bermuda only ten years after its invention by Alexander Graham Bell, and a mere eight years after the opening of the world’s first commercial telephone exchange. A remarkable achievement for such a tiny island.

Throughout its illustrious history, the Company has taken pride in keeping abreast of the latest in telecommunications technology.

During the past century, customers have increased from 12 in 1887 to over 25,000 in 1987, using more than 30,000 lines and in excess of 50,000 telephones – the highest per head of population for any country in the world.

This special stamp issue commemorates The Bermuda Telephone Company’s first century of service to Bermuda, from the 1887 telephone exchange with its single magnero switchboard to the Company’s present position as one of the most advanced telecommunications systems in the world.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:- The Bermuda Telephone Co. Ltd.

The stamps show:-
15c
The design is set at the time when cable routes were being established throughout the island and depicts the transportation of telegraph poles by horse and cart.

40c
The switchboard shown was in use at the turn of the century in Bermuda. Two operators are shown directing telephone calls through the apparatus.

50c
The stamp shows how dramatically the telephone has changed in the last century. Firstly the candlestick telephone that was used to contact the operator for the required number. Secondly the dial telephone that enabled the user to dial direct to another telephone number. Lastly and bringing us up to date, the push button telephone that as well as easier dialling, offers other many and varied functions.

$1.50
Communications technology is advancing at an incredible rate, with new steps being taken to improve the quality and efficiency of the service given. The stamp shows two ways by which information can be transmitted with less deterioration of signal. Satellite links have been set up throughout the world to improve such services as long distance telecommunications. Fibre-optic cables are a comparatively recent development and are aimed at providing clearer signals as well as greatly increasing the number of circuits possible.

Technical Details

Designer: Leslie Curtis
Printer: B.D.T. International Security Printing
Printing process: Lithography
Number of stamps per sheet: 50 (2 x 25)
Stamp size: 30.56 x 38mm horizontal
Values. . 15c, 40c, 50c, $1.50
Paper: CA Spiral Script Watermarked
Release date : 1 October 1987