Pitcairn 2007 Bounty Definitive

The Bounty's origins were as a ship named Bethia but later renamed by the British Navy when she was purchased and commissioned for an expedition involving the collection and transportation of breadfuit from Tahiti to the West Indies with the goal of the breadfruit plants becoming a staple food for slaves. However, having collected the breadfruit from Tahiti, mutiny broke out on board the Bounty. Running from the British Navy, the mutineers eventually settled on Pitcairn Island, where they burnt and sunk the Bounty to avoid discovery.

The replica Bounty on which this stamp issue is largely based is that which was commissioned by the film studio MGM in 1962 and later donated to charity by Ted Turner. From 2002-2007 she has been undergoing a $3M restoration but still managed to feature in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. She has just completed the voyage to the UK where the ship is scheduled to commence a repeat of the famous voyage of the original Bounty to Pitcairn and Tahiti.

The original HMAV Bounty featured many items of 'detail' that make the ship intriguing to many followers throughout the world. Many of these feature in this stamp issue, including the sextant, compass and the figurehead portraying a woman in a riding habit.