T H E O X C A R T | ||||||||||||
| Editor: Hal Edwards | Summer 1997 No. 147 | |||||||||||
Quarterly Publication Of TheSOCIETY OF COSTA RICA COLLECTORS
ISSN: 0737-0954 The US$ 3.50 Volume: XXXVI OXCART Summer 1997 Serial Number: 147 Number 2 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF The Society for Costa Rica COLLECTORS Copyright © by The Society for Costa Rica Collectors (SOCORICO) Editor: Hal Edwards -OFFICERS-
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THE PRESIDENT'S PAGEPacific 97The show delivered all that it promised. The organizer worked hard to create a great show that held something for every person that entered the halls. The layout of two large halls connected by a large corridor allowed collectors to move freely without congestion. The rugs on the floor took the stress off the feet while viewing the three thousand frames of material or checking the dealer stocks. Especially welcome was the free admission which was absent in Toronto last year. That complement the publicity in the newspapers and on the busses to make the show friendly to the casual collector who heard about it. The societies had no reason to complain about their location which was close to the entrance of the North hall and clearly marked with an over-head sign. This produced a steady stream of people passing through the area. It was a pleasure to meet so many members for the first time. The opportunity to talk face to face and exchange views is something usually missing in societies with a scattered membership such as ours. There were not many Central American exhibits, but the few were high caliber. Among them were the exhibits of the following members:
Alvaro Castro Harrigan - Costa Rica in the UPU - 19th Century - Large Vermeil Medal Richard A. Washburn Honduras - 19th Century Postal History and Stamps - Large Vermeil Medal Fred O'Neill - Costa Rica - First Flights - Vermeil Medal Great presentations in other countries were made by the following members:
George Maier (Prephilatelic Ecuador) Frederick Mayer (U.S.A. 5c 1856) Alain Millet (New Caledonia) Finn Stjernholck (Brasil - Postal Stationary) Congratulations to all!
THE SECRETARY/LIBRARY PAGENew Members and Changes of AddressThe following new members have been accepted into the Society since the Spring 1997 issue of THE OXCART. The current membership is 182. SOCORICO New Members
Members are urged to send all changes of address to the Secretary before copy deadline so that The OXCART will not be lost or delayed. REVIEW OF CURRENT PHILATELIC LITERATURE(as received by the Library)Repertorio Filatelico Costarricense. No. 192 (December 1996): An imperforate block of 4 of a revenue stamp for the Orphanage is reported. This stamp 2 colones stamp was issue by the Central Bank in 1967. Another revenue stamp error is reported: a sheet of 2 cents Check revenue stamp with an inverted overprint (CRPC PR30a). The overprint was made on 1937 official stamps (CRPC O98a). These two errors were unknown prior to this report. George Cotter provides historical evidence about the design of the 1936 Coco Island stamp. The discussion is centered in the presence of Spanish or English ships called "caravels" in the Pacific Ocean and the correct coordinates for the island as shown on Scott design for #169-76. No. 195 (March, 1997):The rare Guanacaste vertical overprint reading up is discussed by Alvarez. It has been reported in only 19 stamps most of them (14) on the 2c revenue stamp with the spurious overprint "Correos" (Sc 48-54). It has been reported in all four values of the regular postage stamp, which indicates that at least one sheet of 50 of each was printed and since only 5 have been reported the other 195 stamps are lost. No. 196 (April 1997): Historical and construction characteristics of Columbus original three ships are discussed by Alvarez. Several Costa Rica stamps show these vessels and Alvarez believes that the most accurate designs are shown in the 1992 issue (Scott C924). More information on the Guanacaste vertical overprint reading up is presented by O'Neill. He described 3 more stamps but again they correspond to the 2 cents revenue stamp and were in the Bonilla Lara collection auctioned by Harmer's in New York in 1961. Central American Newsletter No. 67 (April 1997):Dr. Saundry discussed the "Implementation of the International "A.R." System in Central America". A couple of nice Costa Rica covers from 1892 and 1895 are shown. A continuation on "Guatemala: Registry Rates and Markings" by C. Grison and "Nicaragua: Postal Rates from 1913" by Michael Birks complete this always interesting journal. No. 68 (July 1997):"Nicaragua: Postal Rates from 1913" continues here. An interesting comment from our member Dr. Richard Saundry describing the private courier service of Gale J. Raymond & Assocs. during a Costa Rica postal strike in July 1973. "Postcards and Stamps from the Sandinista Revolution" by Tony James looks more like propaganda than a philatelic article, its tone will not please our Nicaraguans neighbors. PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO SOCORICO MEMBERSRepertorio Filatelico Costarricense, Apartado 2868, San Jose, Costa Rica. Monthly in Spanish. Editor Fred O'Neill. Price $13/year.
Central American Newsletter, 36 Trevor Road, Flixton, Urmston, Manchester M41 5QH, England. Quarterly. Editor Michael P. Birks for the Central American Group of the Spanish Main Society. 5 in Europe and 7 elsewhere/year. Any member of SOCORICO desiring to place an Adlet in the OXCART may do so free-of-charge. Adlets may be placed for want list items, to sell philatelic material, to request information such as for a research project, to make an announcement, or to offer a service to the membership. The adlet should be written to adhere to normal limits with regard to length and should be worded so that minimal editing is required. We reserve the right to edit the adlet, however. Each adlet will appear in three consecutive issues of the OXCART unless you advise otherwise. Please type or print your ADLET carefully.
To place or change an adlet, contact: Michael Barie, OXCART President, Box 1445, Detroit, MI 48231.
The second edition of the Costa Rica Postal Catalogue (1997) became available in April, 1997. This catalogue will be the definitive work for Costa Rica, and lists the material of interest to the specialized collector. All information listed in Saenz 1978 Catalogue will be found in this new edition. The contents have been extensively reviewed, and more information provided such as references to articles in journals, and detailed guidelines to identify genuine stamps from their fakes. A new chapter on pre-philatelic and post office markings, brings together all known markings. These additions have increased the catalogue to a total of 239 pages in a more compact lay out. The printing quality is now improved. While the format and font size remain the same, the paper has been upgraded to 60 lb weight. The illustrations (now about 1,700) have much greater clarity. The 1st. edition was not publicized because it was felt that its distribution among specialist collectors would result in additional new information to the editor. In this hope, he has not been disappointed and is very grateful for this assistance. Such cooperation is essential, and its continuation during the life of this 2nd. edition will result in a more comprehensive work in the future. With this new edition, copies will be given to major philatelic libraries and distributed to journals for review. We anticipate that this increased exposure to the philatelic community will establish the catalogue as the work of reference for Costa Rican philately.
The price of $15 to SOCORICO members represents the cost of printing. The printing cost was lowered by a donation from the printer, Steve Trebs, which is much appreciated by SOCORICO. The full price for non-members is $25. There are currently enough books for our members and other collectors interested in Costa Rican philately. The lower price for SOCORICO members cannot be maintained indefinitely, and members are urged to take advantage of the lower price at this time.
The catalogue is available from Michael Barie in Detroit, may be ordered using the form that accompanies this issue of The Oxcart.
A CD-ROM distributed exclusively by SOCORICO
We are very proud to be the exclusive distributor of the first CD-ROM dealing with Costa Rican philately. The late Dr. Carlos Saenz formed a fabulous collection and his First Issue exhibit won the Grand National Prize at the VI National Exhibition in Costa Rica in 1975. The collection was sold some years ago, but fortunately for philatelists, there is now a permanent record of the important first issue covers that it contained.
All computers with CD-ROM players can use this disk. The soft-ware to run the files is included on the CD-ROM. "Acrobat Reader" will allow the CD-ROM to be viewed regardless of the computer operating system.
What is on the CD-ROM? First, there are 52 outstanding covers of the 1863 issue. You will have the experience of seeing covers that have never been exhibited outside Costa Rica, including one of two known covers bearing the one peso value. An explanation for each cover is given in English in one file and in Spanish on another. There is a biography of Dr. Saenz and a copy of his major accomplishment, the Catalogo de Sellos Postales de Costa Rica. In all, a real tribute to the memory of Costa Rica's pioneer philatelic scholar.
We actively participated in the development of this CD-ROM which was produced by Jose Luis Saenz, the son of Dr. Saenz. It is thanks to Jose Luis with his advanced technical knowledge of electronic publishing that the idea was born and brought to completion. Jose Luis has donated all his time and the use of his equipment. Further, he has given SOCORICO the copyright for future use of the content. This will ensure that the CD-ROM will be available to collectors in the years ahead. When Jose Luis offered to produce the CD-ROM for SOCORICO, the Board of Directors quickly accepted and provided editorial advice to move the project forward. SOCORICO is now in the vanguard of electronic publishing, and we are way ahead of many larger philatelic organizations. Our move into CD-ROM use has given us the experience to launch other projects in this medium. We envision presenting entire exhibits in color which the collector will view in his home, study at his leisure, and avoid the need to travel to exhibitions to see them. We even contemplate that young people of the present generation will be attracted to our ranks. For them, unlike their elders, computers and CD-ROMs are a basic part of life -- useful tools to get information.
We are selling this disk for $15 which is just enough to recover our costs. Members should order their copy from Michael Barie on the enclosed form.
The 1998 edition of this Catalogue was shipped in May. A review of its price changes for Costa Rica was done and only a few were found. Most changes occurred in 1907 and 1911 regular issues. The following 1907 items increased:
The complete set increase to 217.45 mint and 130.25 used, the a labeled set increased to 854.90 mint and 259.30 used.
The 10c with "Habilitado 1911" overprint (#84) increased to 9.00 mint and used. The roman I variety (#84a) was raised to 17.50 mint and 16.00 used and the perforation 14 all around (#84c) to 75.00 mint or used (!). The 5¢ surcharge on the 5c telegraph stamp with double surcharge (#100a) increased to 25.00 mint and 15.00 used and with inverted surcharge (#100b) to 25.00 mint and 8.50 used.
The only other stamp price revision was the wings overprint on 1932 telegraph stamp (#C14a) increased to 30.00. No other airmail, or official or Guanacaste stamp was changed.
Very few of these changes were reflected in Oxcart Auctions. We have not seen any excess demand on the above stamps to justify some of the steep increases. Scott pricing policy continous to be erratic and it does not reflect a broad spectrum of the market. In any case, due to the minimal price changes and no listing modifications we can not advise our readers to buy the new edition if you already have the 1997 edition.
Costa Rica entered the era of regular scheduled airmail service on March 11, 1930, when mails were flown northwards from San Jose by aircraft operated by Pan American Airways (PAA). I have always thought it particularly odd that Costa Rica should have delayed so long in concluding the necessary agreements with the U.S. carriers. Because of vital help PAA had afforded Costa Rica during the flood emergencies in 1928-29, one would have thought all the goodwill engendered would have facilitated early conclusion of a favorable airmail contract, but history tells us Costa Rica was in fact one of the last of the Central American republics to enter into an airmail agreement. Apparently a preliminary contract had been agreed as early as July 1929, and test flights into Costa Rica took place in January 1930. Figure 1 shows a test flight cover from Cristobal (Canal Zone) to Puntarenas on January 30th.
It is interesting that Chomes Beach, Puntarenas, was the landing site in Costa Rica initially preferred by PAA, presumably because of an earlier crash in December 1928. One of their planes collided with a tree at San Jose while trying to take off during flood emergency relief work. I have always assumed that by the time regular airmail service began (March 11, 1930), landing at the designated site at La Sabana, San Jose, was made safer because the site had been cleared of all trees. Furthermore a switch from Chomes Beach to San Jose would by then have probably been acceptable to PAA since their fleet of Sikorsky S-38's had been augmented with a number of Fokker F-VIII's, Fokker F-X's, and Ford Trimotors, although PAA still preferred water landing sites. Interestingly, the change of landing site to San Jose could not have been that well publicized since as late as June 1930, Puntarenas was still being listed as the Costa Rican landing site by the Mexican Post Office. Puntarenas was specified in the June 1930 airmail timetable and map published by the Mexican authorities in the Indicador del Servicio Postal (see article by Marino Riosa, October 1992, in Mexicana, Vol. 41, No.4, pp. 144-147). Because additional information has now surfaced regarding the inaugural PAA services from Costa Rica, set out in a contemporary Mexican aerophilatelic journal, El Aereo Correo, a definite question mark hangs over whether in fact in March 1930 Chomes Beach, Puntarenas, or La Sabana, San Jose, was the Costa Rican landing site used by PAA. I will return to this later.
< Apparently, it was not until February 27, 1930, that the sticking point of airmail rates, fixed in US currency, was agreed and set out in a new contract. The agreed Costa Rican airmail rates, expressed in Costa Rican currency, are shown in the accompanying table along with two subsequent rate changes. This table of airmail rates, based on 1/2 oz. (15 gm) weight steps, covers the period up to February 15, 1938, when subsequent tariffs based on 5 gm weight steps were introduced.
Country Mar. 11, 1930 Oct. 1, 1932 July 6, 1935
[Note. Covers verified by the author have been marked by an asterisk (*).]
Meanwhile, a word about reconciling airmail rates with examples of stamps on airmail covers is in order. Until September 19, 1932, letters had to bear stamps to account for the current first class surface letter rate in addition to the air mail rate. On March 11, 1930, the foreign first class letter rate was 20 centimos, except to UPAE countries which exchanged letters at the prevailing domestic letter rates, which in Costa Rica was 13 ctmos. On June 9, 1931, the Costa Rican domestic first class letter rate was reduced to 10 ctmos. and this was reflected in postage rates to UPAE countries. By Decree No 13 of September 19, 1932, it was decreed, "In the future, airmail correspondence shall be franked only with the respective and special stamps, which shall represent jointly the value of the postage to be paid to the contractors and that corresponding to the ordinary postage". Thus subsequent rate changes introduced October 1, 1932, and July 6, 1935, made due allowance for the included surface rates.
By March 1930, PAA was operating two US Foreign Air Mail Routes (FAM's) through Central America, designated Nos. 5 and 8. FAM 5 connected Miami with Cristobal in the Canal Zone, and by March 1930, the intermediary points of Belize, Havana, Managua, David (Republic of Panama), San Lorenzo (Honduras), and San Salvador (outward mails only) were being served. The second route, FAM 8, connected Brownsville, Texas, with Cristobal via Mexico City and Guatemala City, making a junction with FAM 5 at San Lorenzo. Furthermore, by the time Costa Rica was provided with FAM services, Route 5 had been extended beyond the Canal Zone to Barraquilla and Cartagena in Colombia, and to Curacao. Interchange at Miami allowed mails to be flown as far as the Caribbean, Trinidad, and the Guianas via FAM 6, or to the Bahamas via FAM 7, and connection with FAM 9 at Cristobal allowed mails to be flown down the Pacific Coast of South America to Santiago, and on to Buenos Aires or Montevideo. Thus, from the beginning of regular Costa Rican airmail services, it was possible to send airmails to most countries of the Americas and all the rates specified in the table had some genuine relevance.
The American Air Mail Catalogue records the number of covers carried from Costa Rica on the inaugural flights by PAA which allows us to compute that there were 3476 northbound first flight covers, and 684 flown to the south, a grand total of some 4160 covers.
Since I wrote up an earlier account of Costa Rica's first regular airmail services (Central American Newsletter, Vol. III, No.60 pp.363-368, July 1995) my good friend Marino Riosa, an authority on Mexican airmails, drew my attention to a contemporary account published in the Mexican aerophilatelic journal El Correo Aereo. The information provided by this Mexican journal is, I submit, extremely exciting because not only do we have an account of the first regular Costa Rican airmail services written from the perspective of collectors living in a neighboring country where some of the Costa Rican covers were actually sent, but it is probably the most contemporary account of the first flights that we have to date. For those who will not have ready access to El Correo Aereo, I must point out that the principal article was penned in Spanish by Sr. Emilio Acosta Carranza, a correspondent then living in San Jose, Costa Rica; and there was an editorial written in English by Sr. Victor M. Suarez of Merida, Yucatan. Sr. Suarez is recognized as having been one of the principal authorities on Mexican airmails, so we may safely assume that what he wrote was very accurate. I emphasize this point about accuracy from the beginning because although the information that has now surfaced fills several gaps in our knowledge of the events of March 1930, the Mexican article raises certain new questions which I find hard to answer.
In my earlier description of Costa Rican first PAA airmails I gave a breakdown of the numbers of first flight letters sent from Costa Rica over FAM Routes 5 and 8. I now quote those cited by Sr. Carranza; those in brackets were those figures I cited in my earlier article. The close agreement of the two sets of figures suggests our recently discovered Mexican report to be essentially very accurate.
USA, (inc. those to Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania) 2,466 (2,656)
Those to southward destinations (March 13, 1930):
These figures tell us 3,456 (3,476) letters were flown northwards on March 11th, and 842 (684) covers flown to southerly destinations on March 13th, a grand total of 4,298 pieces, in close agreement with the 4,160 covers I had calculated. There are some minor discrepancies, but in general the two sets of figures agree quite closely. I suggest we accept the figures given in El Correo Aereo as being authentic; the most pleasing aspect of this new information is the specification of covers flown to individual countries in South America. It would be a coup to find any covers addressed to Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, or Chile. The report of 71 covers sent to Venezuela suggests they should in theory be as plentiful as the 73 sent to Colon, but as the Colon covers seem to be relatively easy to find, and those for Venezuela seem never to be offered on the philatelic market, I tend to question the number sent to Venezuela.
Initially, there was a total of 66,000 surcharged airmail stamps placed on sale March 4th. Most were the 20 and 40 centimos denominations planned to be used in multiples to satisfy most of the newly introduced airmail rates. Most of the 8 ctmos. stamps were used in multiples of five amounting to 40 ctmos; the only reason for these stamps existence was to help make the C1.08 rate to Canada. With a fair number of stamps being snapped up by the philatelic trade, and necessary use of multiple franking to achieve correct franking, it is perhaps not too surprising that practically all the issued stamps were exhausted just by servicing the first flight covers. Genuinely used commercial covers showing these stamps are a decided rarity. I have a cover sent March 13th to Nicaragua, bearing a block of 10 of the 8 ctmos. stamps to satisfy the 80 ctmos rate (see Fig.2), but possibly this is an example of a cover that was handed in too late for the inaugural flight north. A replacement set of airmail surcharged stamps (10, 5, 20, 40 ctmos and 1 Colon denominations (SG 181-185, Scott C2-C6) had to be printed quickly, and was made available March 14 to 16.
First flight cachets, usually struck in violet ink, were provided by the Costa Rican Post Office (see Figs. 3 & 4). Sr. Carranza tells us that the signature at the bottom of the first flight cachets was that of Ricardo Toledo, Director General de Correos. If for no other reason, I shall be eternally grateful to Marino for providing me with this information included in the Mexican article. The signature had puzzled me for a number of years, and it is nice to have it explained. Personally, I find it most amazing that with so many avid collectors of Costa Rican stamps and covers, that it should have taken so long for someone to come up with the information I had requested. I suppose it was obvious it had to be the Postmaster General, but it does highlight the problem of any stamp collector living outside the country he collects having ready access to even the most basic of information.
Sr. Carranza's article about the Costa Rican first flights is backed up with illustrations of the first flight cachets employed. There were apparently nine different cachets with designations of the countries to where the letters were despatched: "Estados Unidos de A." (Fig.3), "Colombia", "Argentina", "El Salvador", "Guatemala", "Honduras", "Mexico", "America del Sur" (Fig.4) and "Extranjero". The respective cachets were originally intended to be used only on letters bearing relevant addresses but there are instances known where cachets were struck on envelopes destined for other countries. I have found examples of seven of the nine cachets but am yet to encounter examples of use of the two cachets designed for letters sent to Colombia or to Argentina. Few letters were sent to these countries (7 and 26 respectively) and if any examples have survived, they would certainly be considered rarities. I cannot remember if the existence of these particular cachets has ever been mentioned before, and any reports from our readers that they exist would be most welcome.
Covers carried to certain destinations are elusive, whereas those flown to Miami are relatively plentiful. Collectors are advised to buy covers flown to Miami only if in pristine condition since it is the present writer's distinct impression that such covers are often offered for sale, most in less than perfect condition and worth only a fraction of the asking price. Covers to certain destinations such as Haiti and Mexico are comparatively rarely encountered and it may well be that even the most discerning collector will have to compromise on condition. The only cover to Mexico I have acquired has some stamps missing but is still a useful item. Incoming first flight covers can also be collected and seem scarce. The American Air Mail Catalogue lists 46 covers from Panama (Fig. 5) and there were probably others sent from Cristobal. Incidentally, there is no listing for incoming first flight covers from Miami, Brownsville, or from any other FAM points. Possibly collectors of the time did not prepare such covers. If such a cover does exist it must be a decided rarity.
Sr. Carranza confirms that the first southward dispatch left Costa Rica on March 13th. This date has always been inferred from dates of arrival, and it is pleasing to have the date confirmed. The American Air Mail Catalogue erroneously implies the date for southward dispatch was the same as for the northward dispatch, March 11th.
Sr. Carranza goes on to tell us that the total weight of mails flown north on March 11th was 20 kilos. The mails were despatched from La Sabana airport, San Jose, and there was a special ceremony attended by the President and his Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, the Postmaster General (these were not their actual titles but this is what they approximate to when translated into equivalent British political offices), and Sr. Maximo Soto Hall, reporter of La Prensa, a Buenos Aires newspaper. Most importantly, Carranza reports that the plane flew to Chomes Beach (Puntarenas) where connection was made with the plane flying north piloted by J. S. B. Harney, and his mechanic (i.e., co-pilot) Otto Wieselmayer. This bit of information I find a little startling. I had always assumed that by March all flights were via San Jose and not via Chomes Beach. I do note, however, that there is an excellent account given by Junius B. Wood in the March 1930 edition of the National Geographic Magazine (Vol. LVII, No.3, pp. 261-325) of "Flying the World's Longest Air-Mail Route," i.e., from Montevideo via FAM Routes 9 and 5 to Miami, in October 1929. Mr. Wood clearly states that the aircraft landed at Chomes Beach, Costa Rica. However, the date of this account accords with the earlier test flights in and out of Costa Rica at Chomes Beach and adds little useful information as to whether or not PAA was using San Jose or Puntarenas in March 1930. Such accounts, as given in the National Geographic Magazine, might have clouded other people's own accounts since contemporary writers might not think of checking where the true landing site in Costa Rica by March 1930, might have been. Personally, I think it fanciful that there would have been a feeder service from La Sabana to Chomes, but in absence of alternative information, we will probably have to accept Carranza's description for the present at face value. But I really wonder why PAA would go to the bother of stationing an aircraft in Costa Rica to operate this special connecting service, especially in view of what we know happened in Costa Rica after the floods of November 1928. Sr. Suarez, however, clearly repeats this bit of information, "the main stop on the route at Costa Rica is Puntarenas, from where planes fly to San Jose, both on the Northbound and Southbound flights." Perhaps another explanation for this is that each PAA plane made two stops in Costa Rica, but this I think most unlikely. Possibly it is no coincidence that all the references to the landing site in Costa Rica as being Chomes rather than La Sabana are essentially Mexican in origin. If it really were the case how come the standard reference works such as The American Air Mail Catalogue got it wrong?
In the foregoing discussion of rates I have relied heavily on an article published by H. Dana Mitchell in the Costa Rican Philatelist (May-June 1955; Vol IV, pp. 12-15). Mitchell's article was written with the US collector in mind, who he believed would have greater opportunity to acquire Costa Rican airmail covers addressed to American destinations than would any European collector. His message was that collecting Costa Rican airmail covers demonstrating different rates would be both fascinating and a challenge to complete. Fascinating these covers most certainly are, but the possibility in the 1990s of forming a complete collection is practically zero. It is relatively easy to find examples of covers flown to destinations in the USA or the Canal Zone, and I have a handful of covers to a few of the more elusive destinations. Invariably, analysis of rates shown by stamps on cover vindicates the rates table set forth by Mitchell; those I can verify, bear an asterisk (*) in Table 1. As might be expected one does occasionally find the rogue cover that does not accord with the rate table. Some will have been caused by the sender using stamps of the wrong value, but it is possible some figures in Mitchell's rate table are incorrect. I guess some mistakes might have crept in. Remember that Mitchell's article was written long before the era of personal computers and elsewhere in his article I have identified minor typographical errors. Perhaps our readers can confirm rates to other destinations. In any event, re-publication of Mitchell's table is a most worthwhile objective since there are few countries in Latin America for which a rate table as comprehensive as that for Costa Rica is available, truly a lasting testament to one of the great pioneers of Costa Rican philately.
I guess that to a lesser or greater degree, the collecting of first flight covers is often dismissed as being philatelic confectionery by the more traditional collector. I always defend the activities of aero-philatelists saying that were it not for the existence of many contrived first flight covers there would today be little tangible evidence that such or such a service ever operated. In the global scale of things, the FAM 5 or 8 services from Costa Rica can only be of relatively minor importance - unless you, like me, have an abiding fascination in all things related to Costa Rican philately. The flight covers of March 1930 have too often been dismissed as "easy" - what I hope is that much of what I have written here may serve to whet your appetites, to search out those covers in your own collections, to look at them critically from a fresh perspective and perhaps begin to appreciate them in a way you possibly did not do before.
During the 1932/34 period, the common device was a facsimile signature across the face of the stamp applied by hand with a rubber stamp. At least twenty-three such signatures have been recorded. In each instance this signature belonged to a higher official of the finance ministry. This requires a brief explanation.
Honduras has always viewed postage stamps as fiscal devices and placed their safekeeping with the finance ministry rather than the post office. Thus, on a day to day basis, the post offices within a Honduran department (i.e. state) will requisition and purchase the needed stamps from the finance ministry office in the department's capital. In times when control markings were felt necessary, it was applied at the finance ministry warehouse, and was already on the stamp when requisitioned by the post offices. (fig.1)
Just when it is thought that everything is known about a subject, along comes a surprise. I recently received color copies of a group of covers mailed from Utila in the Bay Islands located off the Atlantic coast of Honduras. The covers have stamps of the 1931 issue and were mailed from late 1933 to mid 1934. These covers show a previously unrecorded control marking from this period. Each stamp has "Aduana Roatan" carefully handwritten in ink. (fig.2) This was done by custom agents at Roatan the largest of the Bay Islands, and also the capital of the department. From here, the stamps, were requisitioned by the post offices (or "estancos") at Utila and Guanaja, the two smaller islands with postal facilities. Two different styles of writing indicate that at least two persons in the custom house were used in adding the control marking to the local stock of stamps. (fig.3)
Honduras in recent years has surcharged various older issues to create values in current need at post offices, and has often violated the rule that the surcharged value should be lower than the original face value of the stamp. It seems inevitable that individuals will attempt to imitate the simply printed surcharges to enhance the value of their stamps.
I recently received a photocopy showing such activity. Two stamps had fake surcharges, L.6.00 on Sc.#708 and L.3.00 on Sc.#603. These are not only fraudulent, but they are philatelic fantasies as well. To date, Honduras has not issued a surcharge above the L.1.00 value. I would appreciate hearing from any reader that has seen or possesses similar fakes.
In 1926, the government realized that it would exhaust the stock of six centavos stamps. This was the single weight letter rate for both domestic mail, and mail addressed to the United States.
The solution, already available in the vault of the finance ministry, was the demonetized remainders of the 1915 and 1919 issues. To use these stamps, various decrees and accords were issued stating that the stamps would be revalidated by the addition of a year date to six centavos stamps or a year date and a six centavos surcharge to other values. The work was done at the government printing office in Tegucigalpa, and there are many minor printing varieties to be found. Most are listed in the Scott Catalogue.
The red overprints on Sc. #177 have an interesting story behind them. The small 1926 overprint (Sc.#232) was immediately taken up by the post office and sold to the public. It was only after the supply was exhausted that post office officials realized that they had failed to set aside the 475 stamps required for distribution to other member nations of the U.P.U. To correct this omission, the government in February, 1927 ordered a small printing to be made. The printing office, not informed about the purpose of the order, used a larger font to print 1927 on the stamps. Upon discovering its error, the printing office changed the date to 1926 but still used the larger font size. (Sc.#239). In an attempt to salvage the error sheets, the workmen printed 1926 over the 1927 date (sc.#239a), and sent them along to the finance Ministry with the balance of the large date 1926 overprinted sheets.
I have been asked if bids are acceptable via "e-mail". Positively yes! And by FAX as well. Either of these two methods are great time-savers, especially when coming from Costa Rica or from overseas. Regular airmail from Costa Rica is not as reliable as it used to be. Bidders without access to either e-mail or facsimile service are urged to submit their bids as early as possible.
There is now a fairly good back-log of material for the next couple of auction sales. Please do not let this fact discourage anyone from submitting auction material; it is always welcome and will be offered in due course, with the understanding that in the case of identical lots, the earliest received will appear first. BL
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