Stamp catalog › Stamps

Flagpole centred

Country:

Colombia

Series:

Insured Letter Stamps

Catalog codes:

Mi:CO-WB 5b, Yt:Unlisted

Variants:

Click to see variants

Themes:

Flags | Numbers

Issued on:

ColnectScrp

Colors:

Multicolor

Watermark:

No Watermark

Format:

Stamp

Emission:

Insured Letter

Perforation:

Imperforate

Printing:

Lithography

Face value:

50 c - Colombian centavo

Score:

96% Accuracy: Very Low

Description:

COLOMBIA CINCUENTA inside flage is white.
CENTAVOS inside flag unshaded.
Year inscribed "18"
Various forgeries exist.

"...Thanks to the Postal Services law of April 29, 1865, a new system of insured letter stamps, unique to Colombia, to be used by the public to send money and valuables, was approved. The stamp paid both the basic postage rate and the insurance fee, complying also as registration and proof of delivery receipt. They are commonly called 'cubiertas' because they were affixed to the back of the cover to seal it after the contents was verified. Cubiertas were not sold to the public as stamps did. The sender bring the unsealed addressed envelope to the post office where an official verify the contents, fulfill all data in the cubierta and seal the envelope with it. Upon receipt the addressee has to open the envelope in the presence of a post officer, confirm the contents and acknowledge receipt signing the cubierta. Generally, the cubierta was cut or torn off from cover -reason why there are so few surviving covers and the poor condition of many "cubiertas"- and sent back to the origin post office
where it was archived as proof of delivery.
(Author: Dario Diaz)

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