BOLIVAR, Colombia (Province)

Return To Catalogue

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.

Bolivar issued stamps from 1863 to 1906. From 1863 to 1891 the cancellations consisted almost exclusively of pen cancels.

1863 Very small stamps, imperforate

  10 c green
  10 c red
  1 P red

Two types exist of the 10 c; type I has 6 stars below the arms and type II has only 5 stars. These are the worlds' smallest stamps, measuring only 8.0 x 9.55 mm.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I've been told that the first 'O' of 'CORREOS' should be aligned with the first 'S' of 'ESTADOS' in the genuine stamps. Any stamp with cancel 'BOGOTA' is forged (source: http://www.richnoddystamps.co.uk/forgeries-reprints/bolivar-1863-1-peso/).

Probably a forgery 'O' and 'S' not aligned.

Senf made a forgery of the 10 c green stamp. This forgery was distributed with stamp journal the 'Illustrierten Briefmarken Journal', No 19 (1st October 1887) as an 'art supplement' or 'Kunstbeigabe'. The forgery always bears the overprint 'Facsimile'.

Other forgeries:

Forgeries with the central part of the shield blank. The impression is quite blur. The value inscription in the 1 Peso stamps is '1 Pc'.

(Forgery)

Forgeries from a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' (reduced sizes)

I've been told that these are Fournier forgeries as well.

Sperati forgeries:

Front and backside of a Sperati forgery of the 10 c value.

A blackprint of a Sperati forgery (taken by the British Philatelic Association from the negatives from wich Sperati made the cliches for his imitations, with 'SPERATI REPRODUCTION' printed on the backside):

(Front and backside)

The forger Oswald Schröder made a forgery of the 1 P value. I don't know the distinguishing characteristics. According to http://www.richnoddystamps.co.uk/forgeries-reprints/bolivar-1863-1-peso/ the shield is differnt and the letters are thinner.

1873 Arms, inscription 'ESTADO SOBERANO DE BOLIVAR', imperforate

  5 c blue
  10 c violet
  20 c green
  80 c red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

(Forgeries of the 80 c value, even in wrong color blue)

1874 Various types

(1874 issue left 1878 issue right, reduced sizes)

  5 c blue
  5 c blue (1878, other type)
  10 c grey 

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1879 Simon Bolivar

Inscription '1879'

  5 c blue
  10 c grey
  20 c red
  40 c brown

I've seen a 1 P orange stamp with '1879' inscribed on top. This stamp was apparently prepared, but not issued.

Inscription '1880'

  5 c blue
  10 c violet
  20 c red
  40 c brown
  80 c green
  1 P orange

Inscription '1882'

  5 c blue
  10 c violet
  20 c red
  40 c brown
  80 c green
  1 P orange

Inscription '1883'

  5 c blue
  10 c violet
  20 c red
  40 c brown
  80 c green
  1 P orange

Inscription '1884'

(Reduced size)

  5 c blue
  10 c violet
  20 c red
  40 c brown
  80 c green
  1 P orange

Inscription '1885'

(Sorry, no picture available yet)

  5 c blue
  10 c violet
  20 c red
  40 c brown
  80 c green
  1 P orange

With no date (issued 1891)

  1 c black
  5 c orange
  10 c red
  20 c blue
  50 c green
  1 P violet

The value 1 c black 1891 stamp seems to have been used provisionally in Carthagena in 1901; it is overprinted with a violet star (value: R). Other sources say 7 parallel violet lines??

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The stamps of these issues (1879 to 1882) with cancel 'CARTAJENA FRANCA' (two types, with or without ornaments at the bottom) in the colours red, violet or black are cancelled to order. These cancels were even applied to bisected stamps, example:

1882 Large sized stamps, Simon Bolivar

  5 P blue and red
  10 P red and blue

These stamps are usually perforated.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Forgeries of these stamps exist, I have seen them with overprint 'FALSCH' (they are most likely Senf forgeries):

The perforation on these forgeries is printed.

1903 Simon Bolivar in different frames, imperforate

  50 c blue on red
  50 c blue on blue
  50 c green on yellow
  50 c violet on yellow
  1 P olive on lilac
  1 P orange on lilac
  1 P red on yellow
  1 P green on yellow
  5 P red on lilac
  10 p blue on blue
  10 P violet on green
  10 P violet on yellow

These stamps exist perforated.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1903 Simon Bolivar, various frames, perforated or imperforate

  5 c grey
  10 c brown
  20 c red

These stamps exist imperforate or perforated.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1904 Number

(Reduced sizes)

  1/2 c black
  1 c blue
  2 c violet

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Miscellaneous

1903 Stamps for acknowledgment of receipt, with inscription 'R' at the left

(sorry, no pictures available yet)

  20 c red on lilac

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

This stamp exists with 'R CARTAGENA' overprint issued for Carthagena:

A whole sheet with 'R. CARTAGENA' overprints

1903 Stamps for acknowledgment of receipt, with inscription 'AR' in the center

  20 c orange on yellow
  20 c blue on yellow
  20 c blue on red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1904 Stamps for acknowledgment of receipt, with inscription 'AR' in a circle in the center

(sorry, no pictures available yet)

  2 c red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

This stamp exists with overprint 'A.R.' in a circle (issued 1904):

('A.R.' in a circle on acknowledgment stamp of 1904)

This stamp also exists with an overprint in a large ellipse 'Correos de Bolivar HABILITADO CARTAGENA COL.', this stamp was issued for Carthagena example:

1904 Stamps for acknowledgment of receipt, with inscription 'AR' in a circle in the center

(sorry, no pictures available yet)

  5 c black 

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

This stamp exists with overprint 'A.R.' in a circle (issued 1904, sorry, no picture available).

1893 'Too late' or 'RETARDO' stamps

(sorry, no pictures available yet)

  20 c red on blue
  20 c violet on blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer