Queen Elizabeth II 25th Anniversary Coronation First Day Cover, Sierra Leone postmarked on September 14, 1978.

Sierra Leone

Named after the rugged Sierra Leone (Lion Mountain) peninsula by the Portuguese Pedro da Cinta, the country in 1460 consisted of a mosaic of peoples living by subsistance agriculture, and the exploitation of forests and rivers. Iron was worked, and wood and ivory carving was of the highest standard. During the 17th and 18th centuries slavery took a heavy toll; up to 2000 people being captured and sold into servitude annually, but later the settlement at Freetown became a centre first for slaves freed in Britain and the U.S., then for those freed during the suppression of the slave trade in West Africa. The hopes of British abolitionists to thus spread Christianity and Empire came to fruition in 1896, when, the Creoles from the Crown Colony of Freetown having spread trade inland, Britain declared a 'protectorate' over the whole of the country. Britain's protection appeared initially in the form of a house-tax, which produced armed rebellion within two years. The people of Sierra Leone had to wait until 1951 for autonomy, and the country regained its independence in 1961.

The principal economic activity of most Sierra Leonians is agriculture, although this is changing. Iron ore and bauxite are important new sources of wealth, second only to diamond extraction for the industrialised nations, chiefly Britain. But transfer of labour to this from domestic rice production has also created serious problems, and turned the country from a rice exporter into a rice importer. Geographically the country consists of coastal mangrove swamps, giving way to bush-fallow and oil palm covered plains and savannah. The climate is hot and humid.

The theme of the Coronation Anniversary is represented by Sierra Leone with three stamps, designed by Leslie Curtis and printed by Harrison and Sons in lithography. They were released in August, 1978.

5c — Coronation Regalia. Depicted here are the Crown of St. Edward, made for King Charles II; the Royal Sceptre with the Cross, and the Royal Sceptre with the Dove.

50c — Queen Elizabeth in the Coronation Coach. H M. The Queen is seen wearing the Imperial State Crown and coronation robes.

Lel — The Queen and Prince Philip. The royal couple are shown together in this famous Coronation Day portrait.

Shipping:

We ship via USPS, UPS or FedEx. At this time, we do not offer shipping to addresses with an APO/FPO or outside the continental United States.

Shipping Time:
Orders are normally shipped from our warehouse within 24 - 48 business hours of order placement. Please allow 7 - 10 business days for delivery after your order has shipped. Delivery times are estimated and we do not provide money-back guarantee for any shipping option other than FedEx Express or UPS Next Day.

Terms of Use and Security

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Returns & Replacements 

We accept returns within 30 days of the date of purchase unless otherwise stated on the item's page. In order to return an item, please contact us for a Return Authorization Number.  Once the Return Authorization Number is acquired, you have 30 days to return the item(s). All returned items must be unused and in new condition in their original packaging including all hardware and instructional components. Items are also subject to a 20% restocking fee. Although if you are a repeat customer who purchased from our website before, we are happy to waive the restocking fee.

Any returned item deemed not to fall within the preceding criteria will be returned with no credit issued at the customer's expense. Once your return has been inspected please allow 15 days for the credit to be applied to the credit card used for purchase. The initial cost of shipping is not eligible for a refund. Buyer pays for return shipping. To request your Return Authorization Number, please follow these steps:

1. Read and agree to the Returns Policy and Procedure above.

2. Email us at cs@phenomstores.com. We will need your order number and the Item ID number of the product you wish to return.

Refused Orders - Should you decide that you wish to refuse receipt of an item when delivered by UPS, USPS or any other common carrier and legitimately ordered from us, credit will be issued for the item, minus shipping and a restocking charge of 20%.

Exchanges - In order for us to do the exchange we would need to refund your payment, then you would need to make another purchase transaction with us for the item that you like within 7 days of your exchange request. We're asking that you return the item you bought from us within 30 days along with a tracking number so we both know that your return reached us. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. All returned items must be unused and in new condition in their original packaging including all hardware and instructional components. Any returned item deemed not to fall within the preceding criteria will be returned with no credit issued at the customer's expense. You are responsible for the return shipping cost. We also charge a 10% restocking fee for exchanges. Once we received and inspected the item we will credit** your payment. Please take note, our inventory changes constantly so the item may not be available at the time of your request. 

**A store credit will be issued on orders returned totaling less than $5.   

Damaged, Defective and Wrong Item(s) - It is your responsibility that the item(s) you received are undamaged and the correct item(s). Please examine the shipping box and all contents immediately upon receipt for any signs of damage, defect or wrong item(s). All claims must be initiated within 7 days of delivery and send us an email so we can further assist you.

Still have questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us by sending us an email to cs@phenomstores.com or by phone at 608-571-7033.

FAQ

When do I expect my order to ship out?

Our normal shipping lead times can take up to 72 hours after your order is received. However, due to unprecedented demand brought on by COVID-19 our shipping times have been extended. This is due to logistical issues that our shipping carriers are experiencing that is outside our control. Rest assured, we're doing everything we can to ship your order as soon as it's received.

How will I know my order has shipped?

As soon as your order is packed and labeled, we will email you a shipment confirmation with the tracking number so that you're able to track your order. You can look up the status of your order by entering the tracking number found on the bottom of our web page under "Track Order Status". You can also look up the shipment status of your order by entering your shipment tracking number at USPS.com, UPS.com or FedEx.com.   

How much does shipping cost?

Our shipping costs vary depending on the item you're purchasing. Most items are eligible for our FREE shipping if your purchase totals $59 and over.  And for items that are excluded from FREE shipping like bulk or oversized items, we offer FIXED shipping rate or prevailing market prices. 

Some of the items I ordered are missing. What should I do?

Please reach out to us when you have items that are missing when you originally placed your order. This happens either because,

1. The missing items are on backorder or

2. The missing items are still on its way but due to service delays from our shipping carrier (ie UPS, FedEx) your package may take longer than expected.

How soon after can I cancel my order?

Unfortunately, we cannot cancel an order once an order is placed. This is because your order is automatically placed in queue to ship out once an order is received.  

What is the best way to reach you when I have a question? 

Our customer service phone and chat lines are normally open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm CST. However, there are times when we can't be reached because all our customer service agents are helping other customers. If this happens, please leave us a voicemail at 608-571-7033 or write us a message on our "Contact Us" page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

What happens when I "Pre-Order" an item?

When you "Pre-Order" an item that is out of stock, you will be notified when we have the item in stock again. Our "Pre-Order" (or Wait-List) doesn't guarantee that your order will be fulfilled but we will do our best to make that happen.

You're also under NO obligation to purchase when you sign up for "Pre-Order".