Ecuador 2006 Pirates set celebrates Galapagos Islands as pirate hangout

May 28, 2025, 8 AM

Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

Sept. 19, 2025, will mark the 21st annual commemoration of International Talk Like a Pirate Day. It is a few months away yet, but it’s not too early to start getting your pirate on.

Ecuador is a relatively small country on the Pacific Coast of South America bordering Colombia to the north and Peru to the east and south.

The country’s name translates to “equator,” which is entirely appropriate because the Equator runs through the country, and its capital, Quito, is situated astride that line demarcating the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern Hemisphere.

Although Ecuador lies in the tropics, many parts of the country are quite cool due to being at higher elevations in the Andes Mountains.

One of Ecuador’s major tourist attractions is the Galapagos Islands, which lie about 560 miles west of South America in the Pacific Ocean. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, the islands were noted for being a base of operations and a hideout for pirates.

The islands are also famous for Charles Darwin’s 1835 visit in which the evolutionary divergence of the islands’ isolated fauna and flora led to his theory of evolution and publication of The Origin of Species.

On Dec. 27, 2006, Ecuador issued a strip of five 30¢ Pirates stamps, a horizontal pair of 40¢ Pirates stamps, and a $1 Pirate stamp (Scott 1875-77, respectively) commemorating the pirates of the Galapagos Islands. The stamps were printed by lithography and are perforated gauge 13 by 13¼ or 13¼ by 13. The Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values the set of three at $20.25 in mint, never-hinged condition. The set is a good buy at around $10 to $12.

The stamp designs feature Sir Francis Drake, William Dampier, the Jolly Roger flag, pirate ships and other piratical subjects. This is a fun set for collectors of Ecuador, those with an interest in the Galapagos Islands and any pirate topicalists who might be lurking out there.

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