CAYMAN ISLANDS

The Cayman Islands is an autonomous British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean Sea. The 264-square-kilometre (102-square-mile) territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the south of Cuba and northeast of Honduras, between Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. The capital city is George Town, situated on Grand Cayman, the most populous of the three islands.

The Cayman Islands is considered to be part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone as well as the Greater Antilles. The territory is often considered a major world offshore financial haven for international businesses and many wealthy individuals, and has been placed on the EU's blacklist of foreign tax havens.

The islands are in the western Caribbean Sea and are the peaks of an undersea mountain range called the Cayman Ridge (or Cayman Rise). This ridge flanks the Cayman Trough, 6,000 m (20,000 ft) deep  which lies 6 km (3.7 mi) to the south. The islands lie in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea, east of Quintana Roo, Mexico and Yucatán State, Mexico, northeast of Costa Rica, north of Panama, south of Cuba and west of Jamaica. They are situated about 700 km (430 mi) south of Miami, 750 km (470 mi) east of Mexico, 366 km (227 mi) south of Cuba, and about 500 km (310 mi) northwest of Jamaica.  Grand Cayman is by far the largest, with an area of 197 km² (76 sq mi). Grand Cayman's two "sister islands", Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, are about 120 km (75 mi) east north-east of Grand Cayman and have areas of 38 and 28.5 km² (14.7 and 11.0 sq mi) respectively. The nearest land mass from Grand Cayman is the Canarreos Archipelago (about 150 miles away), whereas the nearest from the easternmost island Cayman Brac is the Jardines de la Reina archipelago (about 100 miles away) - both of which are part of Cuba.

The Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, came under British control in 1670, as a dependency of Jamaica, continuing in that status until 1962. The Caymans had no regular postal system until April 1889, when stamps of Jamaica came into use. There two known postmarks, "GRAND CAYMAN" for George Town, and "CAYMAN BRAC", used at Stake Bay. Jamaican stamps were valid until 19 February 1901. The first stamps of the Caymans were issued in November 1900. They were two Key Plate designs depicting Queen Victoria, with values of 1/2d and 1d. These were used for little over a year before being superseded by the same design, but with Edward VII.

Shortages of stamps occurred in 1907, and overprints were produced in both Kingston and by handstamping at Georgetown. Additional shortages in 1908 resulted in the use of manuscript frankings for short periods in May and October. At the end of 1907, a new version of the Key Plate design included the inscription "POSTAGE & REVENUE", as they were now allowed for use as revenue stamps. In 1908 a 1/4d stamp appeared, with a design consisting of the denomination in an oval frame. The Key Plate continued in use with George V in 1912, then gave way to a new design in 1921.

The Caymans' first commemorative stamps came in 1932, marking the centenary of the "Assembly of Justices and Vestry", now the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands. The set of 12 all had the same design, consisting of profiles of George V and William IV facing each other, with palm trees in between. The first pictorial series dates from 1935, and consisted of a set of 12 with five different designs. The pictorial series of 1938 also had five designs, with similar themes as those in 1935 but otherwise completely different. A 1950 pictorial set featured an older George VI and all different designs for its 13 stamps; these were reused in 1953 when Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, and two new designs added, for 4d and 1-pound denominations.

A set of two stamps issued 4 July 1959 marked the Caymans' new constitution, and on 28 November 1962 a new definitive series came out.

This is my first registered cover from Cayman Islands. It is mandatory to be used the specific R mail label on the front side of the envelope. So it causes to loose the uniformity of my envelope. But I am waiting for few new labels , then I will prepare the envelope myself with my handwriting on the label , to make the envelope match to the uniformity.

These are my first covers from Cayman Islands. The philatelic bureau works well and they issue beautiful stamps every year. There is a post office with funny name 'Hell' . Many collectors interested to get covers and postcards  postmarked from there. Even though they are British Overseas Territory, They don't use East Caribbean Dollar as other Caribbean island nations, they have own currency called Cayman Islands Dollars. 

These two covers sent back from their philatelic bureau on the same day, but they use different postmarks. Thank You Davis for the help to get back my covers in perfect condition.