The postal history of the Pitcairn Islands began with letters being sent without postage stamps, as none were available on Pitcairn. In 1921, the United Kingdom and New Zealand formally agreed upon a system to handle post from the island, but this arrangement was ended in 1926. In 1927, stamps from New Zealand were introduced. To improve the revenue generation of the colony, the British government established an official post office on the island in 1940. The opening of this post office saw the issuance of the first set of Pitcairn Islands stamps.
Stamps from Pitcairn became popular among stamp collectors, and profits from their sale supported a significant proportion of the colony's budget. Early funds were used to construct a school, and hire a school teacher. At one point, stamp sales made up two-thirds of total government revenue. Despite government reliance on these sales, relatively few stamp designs were produced. Stamps were used to project a certain image of the island overseas, depicting life on the island and the tale of HMS Bounty. Towards the end of the 20th century, a decrease in letter writing and in the popularity of stamp collecting led to a decline in revenue. In 2004, the territory became bankrupt.