URUGUAY 1877-1920

Return To Catalogue - Uruguay 1856 Diligencia issue - 1858 and 1860 'Sun' issues - 1864-1876 issues

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.

For stamps of Uruguay from 1864 to 1876 click here.

1877 Numerals, rouletted

  1 c brown
  5 c green
  10 c red
  20 c brown
  50 c black
  1 P blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	**	**	Also exists lithographed
5 c	***	*
10 c	***	*
20 c	***	**
50 c	R	***
1 P	RR	RR

Overprinted '1883 Provisorio'

Normal oveprinted stamp and one with 'Provisorio' missing.

  5 c green

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 c	***	***	Exists with inverted overprint: RR

Overprinted 'Provisorio 1 CENTESIMO 1884'

1884 overprint

  1 c on 10 c red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c on 10 c	*	*	Exists with inverted surcharge: R

1880 President Joaquin Suarez (1843-1852)

(Reduced size)

  7 c blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
7 c	***	***

1882 Inscription 1882

(Sorry, no picture available yet)

  1 c green
  2 c red

There are numbers below the central design (from 1 to 100). These stamps were to be used on newspapers (1 c for use inside Uruguay and 2 c for foreign use).

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	***	***
2 c	***	***

Overprinted 'PROVISORIO 1884'

Shifted overprint

  2 c red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
2 c	***	***	Exists with inverted overprint: RRR I've also seen shifted overprints

I've been told that these are forgeries, I have no further information.

1882 Arms (1 c and 2 c) and famous persons

  1 c green
  2 c red
  5 c blue (President Maximo Santos)
  10 c brown (Gen.Artigas)

These stamps should be perforated.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	***	***
2 c	***	***
5 c	***	***
10 c	R	***

(Imperforate stamp? Forgery? or Postal stationary of the 5 c value)

1884 Sun in diamond

  5 c blue (2 types of the '5')

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 c	***	***

Forgery of this stamp

1884 Numerals (1, 2, 5 and 20 c), famous persons (7 and 10 c) or arms (25 c)

(Images obtained thanks to Christer Bergstrom)

  1 c grey
  1 c green
  2 c red
  5 c blue
  5 c violet (1886)
  7 c brown
  7 c orange (1888)
  10 c brown
  20 c lilac
  25 c grey
  25 c red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c grey	**	**
1 c green	**	*	Also olive
2 c	*	*	Two shades of red were issued
5 c blue	**	*
5 c violet	*	*
7 c brown	***	***
7 c orange	***	***
10 c	***	**
20 c	***	***
25 c grey	***	***
25 c red	***	***

Overprinted 'Provisorio' (1884)

Forged overprint (left) and genuine overprint (right)

  5 c violet

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 c	***	**

Overprinted 'Provisorio 1891'

(Sorry, no picture available yet)

  5 c violet

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 c	*	*	Exists with errors and inverted overprint

Overprinted 'Provisorio 1892'in red

  1 c green

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	**	**

1887 Numeral

  10 c violet

Several shades exist of this stamp (see example above).

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c grey	***	***

1888 Arms

  10 c violet

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
10 c	***	**

1889 Arms (1, 5, 10 c and 1 P), numeral (2, 7 and 20 c ) or mythical persons (25 and 50 c)

  1 c green
  1 c blue (1894)
  2 c red
  2 c brown (1894)
  5 c blue
  5 c red (1894)
  7 c brown
  7 c green (1894)
  10 c green
  10 c orange (1894)
  20 c orange
  20 c brown (1894)
  20 c blue (1900)
  20 c grey (1904, design changed slightly)
  25 c brown
  25 c red (1894)
  25 c olive (1904)
  50 c blue
  50 c lilac (1894)
  1 P lilac
  1 P blue (1894)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c green	*	c
1 c blue	*	c
2 c red	**	c
2 c brown	**	c
5 c blue	***	c
5 c red	**	*
7 c brown	***	**
7 c green	R	***
10 c green	***	c
10 c orange	R	**
20 c orange	***	**
20 c brown	R	***
20 c blue	***	*
20 c grey	***	*
25 c brown	***	**
25 c red	R	R
50 c blue	R	R
50 c violet	R	R
1 P lilac	R	R
1 P blue	RR	R

Overprinted 'Provisorio 1892' and value

(1 c on 20 c with inverted overprint)

  '1 Centesimo' on 20 c orange
  5 c on 7 c brown (overprint red)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c on 20 c	**	**	Inverted surcharge: RR
5 c on 7 c	*	c

Overprinted 'PROVISIONAL' (1898)

  '1/2 CENTAVO' on 1 c blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1/2 c on 1 c	c	c	Inverted surcharge: RR

1892 Stamps in smaller design, various arms

  1 c green
  2 c red
  5 c blue
  10 c orange

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	*	c
2 c	*	c
5 c	*	c
10 c	***	**

1894 Head and arms

  2 P red
  3 P lilac

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
2 P	RR	RR
3 P	RR	RR

1895 Various designs

(Reduced sizes)

  1 c olive (gaucho)
  1 c blue (1897)
  2 c blue (Solis Theatre in Montevideo)
  2 c lilac (1897)
  5 c red (locomotive)
  5 c green (1897, locomotive)
  5 c blue (1900, locomotive)
  7 c green (bull's head)
  7 c orange (1897)
  10 c brown (woman)
  10 c red (angel 1897)
  10 c lilac (1900)
  20 c green and black (sailship)
  20 c lilac and black (1897)
  25 c brown and black (figure)
  25 c red and blue (1897)
  50 c blue and black (head of Mercury)
  50 c green and brown
  1 P brown and black (arms)
  1 P brown and blue (1897)
  2 P violet and green (fort of San Jose)
  2 P olive and red (1897)
  3 P red and blue (cathedral of Montevideo)
  3 P lilac and red (1897)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c olive	*	c
1 c blue	*	c
2 c blue	*	c
2 c lilac	*	c
5 c red	**	c
5 c green	**	c
5 c blue	*	vc
7 c green	***	***
7 c orange	***	***
10 c brown	***	**
10 c red	***	*
10 c lilac	***	*
20 c green and black	R	***
20 c lilac and black	R	**
25 c brown and black	R	***	Inverted center: RRR
25 c red and blue	***	**
50 c blue and black	R	***
50 c green and brown	R	***
1 P brown and black	RR	R
1 P brown and blue	R	R
2 P violet and green	RRR	RRR
2 P olive and red	R	***
3 P red and blue	RRR	RRR
3 P lilac and red	R	***

Peace issue, overprinted 'PAZ 1897'

(Inverted overprint on the 5 c)

(I've been told that these are overprint trials)

  1 c blue (overprint red)
  2 c lilac (overprint blue)
  5 c green (overprint blue)
  10 c red (overprint blue)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	***	***	Inverted overprint: R
2 c	***	***	Inverted overprint: R
5 c	***	***	Inverted overprint: R
10 c	R	R	Inverted overprint: R

Overprinted 'PROVISIONAL' (1898)

  1/2 c (blue) on 1 c yellow
  1/2 c on 2 c blue
  1/2 c (red) on 7 c blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1/2 c on 1 c	*	c
1/2 c on 2 c	**	*
1/2 c on 5 c	**	**

The "PAZ 1897" overprint has been forged by Fournier, examples of this overprint from a Fournier album:

(Reduced sizes)

Fournier forged overprints.

The Paz overprint is quite rare: the following quantities were printed: 150000 of the 1c, 100000 of the 2c, 200000 of the 5c and 30000 of the 10c.

1896 Inauguration of the President Suarez memorial

  1 c lilac and black (portrait of president)
  5 c blue and black (statue)
  10 c red and black (statue, different design)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	*	c
5 c	*	*
10 c	***	***

Overprinted 'PROVISORIO 1897' (red)
  1 c lilac and black
  5 c blue and black
  10 c red and black

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c	*	c
5 c	*	*
10 c	**	**

Overprinted 'PROVISORIO 1897' and '1900'
  '5 CENTESIMOS' on 10 c red and black

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 c on 10 c	**	*

Overprinted 'PROVISIONAL' (1898)
  1/2 c (red) on 1 c lilac and black
  1/2 c (red) on 5 c blue and black

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1/2 c on 1 c	*	c
1/2 c on 5 c	*	*

1898 Head of freedom

  5 m red
  5 m violet

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 m red	c	c
5 m violet	c	c

1900 Statue of Artigas

  5 m blue
  5 m orange

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 m blue	c	vc
5 m orange	c	vc

1901 Various designs

Two types of the 5 c cow issue (second stamp is much smaller)

The two types of the 10 c value

  5 m orange (Artigas standing, 1904)
  1 c green (cows)
  1 c green (cows, 1904, design changed)
  2 c orange (angel)
  2 c orange (angel, 1904, design changed)
  5 c blue (face)
  5 c blue (cow, 1904)
  5 c blue (cow, 1906, larger size)
  7 c orange
  10 c violet
  10 c violet (1904, design changed)
  25 c brown
  50 c red
  1 P green

Overprinted 'PAZ 1904'

  1 c green (red overprint)
  2 c orange
  5 c blue (red overprint)

Surcharged with value and 'PROVISORIO' or 'Provisorio'

  8 c (red) on 10 c violet (1909)
  23 c on 25 c brown (1909)
  5 m on 1 c green (1910)
  5 c (blue) on 50 c red

Overprinted 'ARTIGAS 1811 1911'

  2 c on 7 c orange (red overprint)
  5 c on 7 c orange (blue overprint)

Overprinted 'CORREO AEREO' (1921) and airplane
  25 c brown (overprint blue, red or green)

Forgeries:

(postal forgeries)

I think this is the postal forgery mentionned in 'Postal Forgeries of the World' by H.G. Leslie Fletcher. It is very poorly printed.

1906 New arms type

  5 c blue
  7 c orange
  50 c red

Surcharged with value and 'PROVISORIO'
  5 c (blue) on 50 c red

1908 83 years of independance, warships

  1 c red and green
  2 c green and green
  5 c orange and green

These stamps were only for sale for 3 days. Stamps with inverted center seem to exist.

The following information was kindly given to me by Jorge Gaj:

Two different kinds of forgeries of these stamps seems to be described in literature; The first one seems to have been made by Henri Goetz (Brussels, Belgium in 1919). The colour green in the genuine stamps is dark green, in these forgeries it is grey-green. Furthermore the impression is dull and the forward funnel is broken at the base. The water shows also different patterns from the genuine stamps.

A second forgery is also known in literature: the colour green is pale instead of dark green. The impression is dull and there are only four horizontal bands on the forward funnel (five in the genuine stamps). As in the previous forgery, the water shows a different pattern from the genuine stamps.

Personally, I have seen forgeries (all values in sheets of 6x3) of these stamps with cancel 'MONTEVIDEO 5 PM 8 MAR 1910 URUGUAY'. (I don't know if these are one of the two above forgeries).

Forgery of the 5 c stamp

1909 New harbor in Montevideo, harbor view

  2 c brown and black
  5 c red and black

1910 Centaurion with broken chains, inscription '1810 1910'

  2 c red
  5 c blue

1910 Head of Artigas

  5 m violet
  5 m red (1914)
  5 m lilac
  1 c green (dark or light green)
  2 c brown
  2 c red (1913)
  4 c yellow (1912)
  5 c blue (dark or light blue)
  8 c black
  8 c blue (1913)
  20 c brown

The two types of the 5 c value, the '5's have different size, in the upper image the text 'WATERLOW & SONS LIMITED, LONDON' appears, this has been deleted in the lower image.

Some stamps have the text 'WATERLOW & SONS LIMITED, LONDON' printed at the bottom (the first set was printed in London). The stamps printed in Montevideo (1912 onwards) don't have this text. The 5 c also exists with different sized of the '5'.

Overprinted 'CENTENARIO DE LAS INSTRUCCIONES DEL ANO XIII' (1913)

  2 c brown
  4 c yellow
  5 c blue

1910 Commerce and trade

  23 c blue
  50 c orange
  1 P red

1911 Angle, inscription 'CONGRESO POSTAL CONTINENTAL ENERO 1911'

  5 c red and black

1918 Agriculture

  2 c green and red
  5 c brown and blue

1919 Peace issue, New York Statue of Liberty, inscription '1914 1919'

  2 c red and brown
  4 c orange and brown
  5 c grey and brown
  8 c brown and blue
  20 c brown and black
  23 c green and black

1919 Harbor view of Montevideo

  5 m violet and black
  1 c green and black
  2 c red and black
  4 c orange and black
  5 c blue and black
  8 c blue and brown
  20 c brown and black
  23 c green and brown
  50 c brown and blue
  1 P red and blue

1919 Writer Jose Enr. Rodo

  2 c red and black
  4 c orange and blue
  5 c blue and brown

1921 Mercury

  5 m lilac
  5 m black (1922)
  1 c light green
  1 c lilac (1922)
  2 c red
  3 c green (1922)
  4 c yellow
  5 c blue
  5 c brown (1922)
  8 c red (1923?)
  12 c blue
  36 c olive

Express delivery stamp, overprinted 'MENSAJERIAS'

  2 c red

Newspaper stamp, overprinted 'PRENSA' and surcharged (1922)

  4 c yellow

1921 Portrait of Damas A. Larranagas

  5 c grey

1922 Express delivery stamps, inscription 'MENSAJERIAS'

  2 c red
  2 c blue (1924, another shade of blue was issued in 1928)
  2 c black on green (smaller size, 1928)
  2 c green (smaller size, 1929)

1922 Statue with person (Artigas) on horse

  2 c red and brown
  5 c violet and brown
  12 c blue and brown

1923 Bird (Terutero)

With no text at the bottom (slightly larger size)
  5 m grey
  1 c orange
  3 c green
  5 c blue
  8 c red
  12 c blue
  20 c brown
  36 c green
  50 c oragne
  1 P orange
  2 P green

With inscription 'A.BARREIRO Y RAMOS' at the bottom (1924)
  5 m grey
  1 c red
  2 c lilac
  3 c green
  5 c blue
  8 c red
  10 c blue
  12 c blue
  15 c violet
  20 c brown
  36 c red
  50 c green
  1 P brown
  2 P violet

With inscription 'IMPRENTA NACIONAL' (1925)
  5 m grey
  1 c lilac
  2 c red
  3 c green
  5 c blue
  12 c blue

With inscription 'IMP. NACIONAL' in the bottom middle (1926)
  5 m grey
  1 c lilac
  2 c red
  3 c green
  5 c blue (two shades of blue were issued)
  8 c red
  36 c lilac

With inscription 'IMP. NACIONAL' at the right bottom side (1927)
  1 c lilac
  2 c red
  3 c green
  5 c blue
  8 c red
  20 c brown

Websites

Some nice reading material concerning Uruguay stamps can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/pdstampinfo/1911_01_28_issue.htm

http://www.uruguaystamps.com/mainframe.htm, with some articles and auctions.

Literature

The following literature has been recommended to me by Jorge Jay:

Hoffmann, Robert Estudio de las falsificaciones de los sellos postales del Uruguay / Montevideo, Uruguay : Club Filatelico del Uruguay de Montevideo, 1948. 115 p. Text in Spanish: Study of the forgeries of the postage stamps of Uruguay. Includes errata.

2) a second book which has a section on forgeries of Uruguayan stamps is Bynof-Smith, H. Forged postage stamps of the Americas, excluding British Empire : illustrated reference manual Sydney, Australia : H. Bynof-Smith, c1991 206 p. Bibliography: p. 205-206. Pages 168 to 185 are dedicated to forgeries of Uruguayan stamps, including the 1908 warship forgery.