EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
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Year XI, Number 2 September ‐ December 2014
EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
Year XI, Number 2
September – December 2014
Inside this issue: Director’s Column th Research about 19 Century Dear Colleagues, Postage Stamps 3 Participation at Exfil 125 & As you will probably read American collectors topics that have been CG International Philatelic this issue in the first days formed ACES! enthusiastically received: Promotion Awards 6 of 2015, we thought Small Town Cancels and Perhaps the best way to The First Postage Stamps appropriate to use one of Used Postal Stationery commemorate this twin of El Salvador 7 the 1893 New Year Wrappers. Please anniversary will be with Small Town Cancels (3) 11 greeting cards for the continue sharing with the forthcoming issue of More on Used Postal cover. these pages your the first Postal History Stationery Wrappers 18 interests, collaborations Handbook for El Of course we would like and items from your Show‐n‐Tell 19 to wish you the best for Salvador, published by Adlets 20 collections! 2015, and we would also the Collectors Club of Member Services 21 like to point out that this Chicago and covering the Cordially, year will be full of Prestamp Period (1525‐ Guillermo F Gallegos Board of Directors celebrations for AFISAL 1866). The book is and for Salvadorian already in print, and we President: Santiago Yudice philately in general. hope to share very soon Vice‐president: Carlos with you all the Quintanilla In 2015 we celebrate the information about its Secretary: José Luis Alonzo anniversaries of both release. Treasurer: Manuel Menjivar AFISAL and ACES. In First Vocal: Iván Zelaya January, AFISAL turns 75! Regarding this issue, we Second Vocal: Guillermo F And in May, it will be 40 continue having Gallegos years since a group of collaborations about two Third Vocal: Robinson Cruz
Honorary Presidents: On the Cover Ramon de Clairmont Dueñas Pierre Cahen 1893 3c New Year language of the UPU. El Salvador Philatelist is Jose Luis Cabrera greeting card and The background is a the on‐line, quarterly envelope from the composition formed by journal of AFISAL. Honorary Member: Salvadorian Postmaster. plate proofs of the Requests for reprinting Joseph D Hahn As the 3c value was for background for the 1893 articles can be sent to foreign use, the greeting postal cards. ggallegos@elsalvadorphi was in French, official lately.org 2
EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
CORREOS DE EL SALVADOR AND THE CULTURE SECRETARIAT SPONSOR RESEARCH ABOUT TH CENTURY POSTAL STAMPS Press release from Correos de El Salvador (Free Translation)
Presentation of the research by Lic. Elsa Margarita Quintanar de Ortez, General Director of Correos de El Salvador, with Dr. Ramon Rivas, Secretary
of Culture and Carlos Quintanilla.
On December 8, 2014, of Culture, Dr. Ramon o Testimonies of the Correos de El Salvador, Rivas, the General Director Tazaciones (Valuations) part of the Government of Correos de El Salvador, of Sonsonate from Ministry, and the Culture Lic. Elsa Margarita 1796. Secretariat of the Quintanar de Ortez, and o Census of Spaniards Presidency presented the the researcher Carlos and mestizos of research titled Sellos Quintanilla. Ahuachapan and other Postales de El Salvador en towns from 1810. The research is composed el Siglo XIX (El Salvador o Requests from Indians of several sections: Postage Stamps during the of the Ataco and th 19 Century), done by the o Correspondence of the Tacuba Commons from philatelist and researcher Intendant Jose María 1812. Carlos Quintanilla. Peinado between 1812 o Book of minutes from and 1814. Sonsonate from 1821. The presentation was attended by the Secretary
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
o Collection of El Salvador coins and antique generally unknown by the Postage Stamps in the engravings of El Salvador. public. Because of this, 19th Century. the research becomes a He is member of the tool for every person All the contents have been Salvadorian Philatelic interested in the Colonial digitalized from the Association (AFISAL), Period and promotes the holdings of the Archivo which will celebrate its use of new technologies General de la Nación 75th Anniversary on for future researches. (National Archive), with January 5, 2015. the objective of making The General Director of About four years ago, them more accessible to Correos de El Salvador some AFISAL members the Salvadorian public. supports Mr. Quintanilla in worked on the this project, as it documentation of the documents the important postal issues of the 19th role our institution has Century. For two years played in our country’s they studied the Diarios history. Correos de El Oficiales (Official Gazettes) Salvador has existed for of the period that were more than 165 years and kept in several will continue increasing its repositories, including the prominence in years to Archivo General de la come. Nación. The Archive opened its holdings to the researchers, and in
appreciation, Mr. Quintanilla donated to the Archive in 2013 a Carlos Quintanilla th presenting his research. collection of 19 Century postage stamps along with
Mr. Quintanilla has the decrees referring to demonstrated great them. This is the dedication to collecting collection that has been stamps and antiques, since digitalized. his childhood, when he could only see them in Several of these books. Currently, he documents describe collects stamps, postcards important historical events
(up to 1930) as well as of El Salvador, which are
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Top: The General Director of Correos de El Salvador, Lic. Elsa Margarita Quintanar de Ortez, and AFISAL President, Dr. Santiago Yudice. Bottom: Attendees to the presentation, among them Honorary AFISAL President Jose Luis Cabrera, Santiago Yudice and Leonel Barrillas. 5
EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
AFISAL PARTICIPATION AT EXFIL & CG INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC PROMOTION AWARDS Guillermo F. Gallegos
Classes, corresponding to www.elsalvadorphilately.o Philatelic Periodicals and rg . In both cases, we won Websites. Silver Medals.
EXFIL 125 Logo
In celebration of its 125th Anniversary, the Chile Philatelic Society AFISAL also participated organized EXFIL 125, an with the El Salvador international Philatelic Philatelist in the 2nd CG Exhibition with FIAF International Philatelic recognition. The Promotion Awards held in exhibition was at the October 2014 at the National Aeronautic and Briefmarken Börse Space Museum in Santiago Front & Back of EXFIL 125 Medals Sindelfingen, Germany. de Chile, from October We participated in the 20th to the 24th, 2014. The Philatelic Periodicals Digital Category alongside Fourteen FIAF member Class had 14 entries from 14 other entries, obtaining countries participated with six countries, and our 7th place with 22 points, 162 entries, including 40 participation was with the tied with Stichting participations in the first year of our on‐line Nederlandsch Maandblad Philatelic Literature journal El Salvador voor Philatelie from the Classes. Philatelist. The Websites Netherlands and AFITECOL Class had 17 entries also As a member of FIAF, (Friends of Thematic from six countries, and we AFISAL participated in two Philately in Colombia). participated with Philatelic Literature
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
THE FIRST POSTAGE STAMPS OF EL SALVADOR Guillermo F Gallegos This article was originally published in the Revista FIAF No. 25, June 2014.
encircling a smoking It has been traditionally volcano rising above considered that the the sea, surmounted by volcano in the central oval eleven stars is the San Miguel volcano. representing the However, the central oval departments existing at is an allegorical the time representation of the coat (Chalatenango, La Paz, of arms existing at the
1867 Issue Stamps. Cuzcatlan, La Libertad, time. As such, the volcano La Union, Santa Ana, depicted would be the The introduction of Miguel, San Salvador, San Izalco volcano (popularly postage stamps in El Vicente, Sonsonate and known as El Faro del Salvador was formalized Usulutan). Above and Pacífico ‐ The Lighthouse by the issuance of a Postal below the oval were of the Pacific), because the Ordinance on 15 January ornamental scrolls with decree creating the coat of 1867. However, it seems the legends CORREOS DEL arms specifically mentions that the stamps were not and SALVADOR the Izalco volcano as the placed in circulation until respectively, in unshaded inspiration for its design. March 1st when their use capital letters. Other The stamps were engraved became mandatory. scrolls on each side had and recess printed in the value in smaller The first postage stamps sheets of 100 arranged in capitals and each corner of El Salvador were 10 rows of 10, each stamp had small disks with the ordered from the measuring 24½ x18½ mm. value in numerals. The American Bank Note No plate or control background between the Company of New York numbers were used during oval and the scrolls was (ABNC). The stamp values the printing. composed of numerous were ½ real, 1, 2 and 4 tiny figures of value in the reales. There are no major errors ½r and the 4r values and recorded for this issue. The four stamps have the of letters in the 1r (UN) However, misperforated same central design: A and two (DOS) reales. stamps can be occasionally horizontally lined oval found.
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Proofs. o Single letters (less American Republics was ½ Onza): One real. twice the Interior Mail o Letters ½ up to ¾ rate. The tariff for mail Onza: Two reales. sent to the rest of the o ¾ up to one Onza; world was twice the one Three reales for Interior Mail. Although o One Onza up to 1 these rates were set, in ½ Onza: Four reales practice all outgoing ½ real & 1 real die proofs. Salvadorian mail was sent The proportion was through the postal followed for the first services of other nations, three Onzas, with the usually via Panama. In this exceeding Onzas case, the prepayment at charged at 1 real each. origin covered the journey
Newspapers and loose only to Panama City, and 2 & 4 reales Plate proofs overprinted printed matter were from then on the usual SPECIMEN by ABNC. free for internal mail. pre‐UPU multi‐step rate
The rates for letters, structure applied. As registered mail and Panama was part of printed matter received or Colombia, the tariff for a
sent to the other four single letter was two reales, twice the Interior Central American ½ real printed in green (unissued rate. color). Republics (Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua and For received mail from the Several sketches, essays, Costa Rica) were the same rest of the world, the rate die proofs, and plate as those for Interior Mail. was as follows: proofs made by ABNC are Prepaid mail coming from known. Guatemala, Honduras and o Single letters (less ½ Onza): Four reales. Rates. Nicaragua was accepted as valid for reciprocity o Letters ½ Onza: Six The first postage stamps purposes. They were the reales. were used according to only countries for which o ¾ Onza; Eight the rates stated in the paid mail at origin was reales 1867 Postal Ordinance. accepted as valid. o One Onza: Twelve The rates for Interior Mail reales. Following in were the following: The tariff for proportion. correspondence received or sent to the other Latin
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
Newspapers and printed Forgeries. oval is made up of tartan‐ matter from outside like crossed wavy lines. The 1867 issue has been Central America would be The workmanship is very counterfeited two times. free up to one Pound; any rough and this is especially additional Pound to be noticeable in the stars charged at one real. above the volcano.
Very few intact covers Type II Counterfeits: Also from the 1867 issue have lithographed, but instead survived. We have Left: ½r Spiro forgery. of the crossed wavy lines,
recorded fewer than 50. Right: 1r Type II counterfeit. they have a background of
The scarcity of covers is in multiple numbers or Type I Counterfeits: Done contrast to the abundance letters like the genuine by the Spiro Brothers in of used stamps, mostly stamps. The value the first few years after due to the philatelic inscriptions and the stars the original issue. All four custom prevalent for are crudely drawn, the values were counterfeited. many years of removing figures and rows are They can be identified stamps from their covers. irregular, and the 'C' of because they are This fact applies not only 'Correos' merges into the lithographed instead of to El Salvador but to the border design. The gauge engraved, and the majority of 19th century varies from 8 ½ to 12 ½. background outside the stamp issuing entities. The known values are ½ Real, 1 Real and 2 reales.
1 real stamp used for Internal
mail (Top), mail to Central
America (Right)
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
1 real stamps used to London via Panama (Top). 2 reales stamps used for mail to Bordeaux via Panama (Center) and New York (Bottom).
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
SMALL TOWN CANCELS ( ) Michael Peter In this third instalment of ‘Small Town Cancels’, we are happy to pass the ‘writing pen’ to our colleague Michael Peter:
Cover sent by Michael Peter in 1990 from Cuisnahuat to Konstanz, Germany.
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
Texistepeque
Cuisnahuat
Map of El Salvador with the 14 departmental divisions (Names in upper case blue are for the departments that do not have the same name of their capital).
From 1987 to 1992 I had introduced me to the From this small collection I the pleasure to live in El Salvadorian Philately. present a registered letter Salvador. I use the word from Texistepeque, During my stay I wished to ‘pleasure’ with full Department of Santa Ana combine 2 things: Learning consciousness, because and one from Cuisnahuat, and experiencing more despite the political Department of Sonsonate. about the country and situation and civil war I Salvadorian Philately. For Texistepeque (blue star on really enjoyed my stay. this reason I traveled map) is located 17 km The Salvadorian people together with my girlfriend north of Santa Ana and received me with warmth or with Salvador Cañas to was founded in the middle and friendliness and made small towns and villages in of the 18th century. Today me feel at home. One of order to see the country the population is around my collaborators in this and to send registered 20,800 people. On July time was Salvador Cañas, a letters to my address in 10th 1991 I sent the letter marvelous friend who San Salvador or even to to San Salvador and it my mother in Germany. arrived on July 17th as
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
shown in the backstamp. approximately 4 to 6 Cuisnahuat shows the year The registered letter label weeks. The airmail label at the bottom with on a simple grayish paper "PAR AVION" was printed different type of digits. It with no perforation is in December 1978 and seems there was no rule commonly found in was still in use which leads on how to put the digits. smaller towns at this time. us to the interpretation On the other hand this The town name is filled in that not many airmail observation demonstrates by hand and for the letters were sent from this that the digits for the year registration number a red village. were delivered to the post stamp was applied. The office at a different time same red stamp is applied than the postmark and the on the receipt. day and month digits. Maybe they even were produced and acquired in the village.
Cuisnahuat cancel used During one of my visits to in the 1990s (using a small post office (I don't
Retroreveal) remember anymore which
Texistepeque cancel used one) I found a whole sheet Some words about the in 1991 (using of "CIERRE OFICIAL" labels postmarks: Retroreveal) which were in use in the Cuisnahuat (red star on In those days it was 1970's and at this small map) is located south of common to make the post office 20 years later Sonsonate in the coastal cancelling devices out of were still available. It is mountain area. It is an old rubber which was glued on the same one which is village which had been a wooden handle. This shown on the letters in the founded already by the caused most of the article of Small Town end of the 16th century. postmarks to be difficult Cancels (2). The scan Today the population is to read. The digits for day, shows only the top part of around 13,000 people. On month and year were the total sheet which May 26th 1990 I sent the inserted by hand and consists of 50 labels and registered letter by airmail changed daily. The measures 273 x 376 mm. postmark of Texistepeque to Germany. Unfortunately it is not shows the year on top recorded when the letter with smaller and different arrived at my mother’s. In type of digits than day and
those days it took month. The one of
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
Cover sent by in 1991 from Texistepeque to San Salvador.
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Registration receipts from Cuisnahuat (Top) and Texistepeque (Bottom)
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
Top part of a Cierre Oficial sheet which consists of 50 labels (5 labels per row)
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MORE ON USED POSTAL STATIONERY WRAPPERS Peter Bamert.
1893 2c wrapper uprated to 9c with a 5c and two one cent stamps for triple foreign printed matter
rate. Sent on 20 March 1893 from Santa Ana to Switzerland.
I read with interest Mr. were scarce in used added a third used Hahn's article about condition. wrapper, which was postal stationery, Some addressed to the same Comments And Therefore, I wanted to person and was received Additional Examples Of share two used in Munich on the same Used Postal Stationery wrappers from my date as Mr. Bamert’s Wrappers Of El collection. second one. This Salvador. Collecting wrapper was formerly in postal stationery of El Editor’s Note: To Bill Welch’s Seebeck Salvador myself, I didn't complement Mr. collection. realize that wrappers Bamert’s note, I have
El Salvador, truly one of the last frontiers in philately. Where can you find such an impressive array of complex issues still waiting for new discoveries to be made? Whatever your interest, El Salvador has it all. Let us help you build your collection!
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EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
Top: 1897 6c wrapper, sent from San Salvador to Munich (double foreign printed matter rate). Bottom: 1897 2c wrapper uprated to 3c with a 1c stamp for the single foreign matter printed rate. 18
EL SALVADOR PHILATELIST
SHOW‐N‐TELL This section presents an illustration of an interesting item from the collection of one of our member or collaborators.
Hamilton Bank Note Specimen card with the 5 values of the 1895 Mercury Parcel Post issue and the 1896 Cierre Oficial seal.
(ex Bill Welch Collection)
We would appreciate if you could send your comments, suggestions, and contributions for El Salvador Philatelist to our e‐mail address: sfes‐[email protected] or [email protected]
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ADLETS Our adlet service allows members to publish their philatelic interests on each ‘El Salvador Philatelist’ so they can buy, sell, or exchange with other collectors. Every member is eligible to place one adlet in the journal. In order to send us the adlet you want published, please send us an email to [email protected].
Looking for El Salvador stamps Scott #'s: 57, 229, 247, 252, 257, 293, 558, C31, O223, O224, O226, 1 of (O227, O228, O230, O231), O355. If you have any of these, please e‐mail price to [email protected] ‐‐ will respond promptly.
Wanted: Errors, proofs, oddities of El Salvador. If you have any of these for sale or exchange, please send an e‐mail to: [email protected] .
Looking for Scott #’s: 25E, 190, 191A, 211, 212A, 225, 227, 230B, 232, 237H, 240A, 297 y 311B; Officials O66, O67 y O68/O72. All of them either mint or used. Please contact at
Wijesena, a lawyer from Sri Lanka & a keen philatelist, interested in contacts with fellow collectors from El Salvador and other Latin countries for the exchange of stamps, fdcs, s/s, m/s, etc. Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Essays, Color Trials, Proofs, Freaks, Fakes, Oddities. Your offers most welcomed to Pierre Cahen: [email protected] or POB 483 San Salvador, El Salvador.
Interested in trading revenue stamps of El Salvador. Bryon Batjiaka, e‐mail: [email protected]
Interested in covers with Cierre Oficial or Servicio de Valores Declarados / Cierre Oficial labels. Please send a scan and asking price. If you have covers like this, but are not interested in selling, I would be interested in 300dpi scans for my files. Michael Peter, email: [email protected]
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MEMBERS SERVICES
AFISAL regularly meets informal exchange of Ferias y Convenciones every Saturday at 3PM material and information (CIFCO). It is the largest (local time) in the between the members. museum in El Salvador, premises of the National with an extensive Museum of Anthropology MUNA is located at collection of Pre‐ (MUNA) in San Salvador. Avenida Revolución, Col. Columbian artifacts and The meetings are San Benito, in front of the ethnographic material. characterized by the Centro Internacional de
New Issues Service Collectors interested in collector. In order to save The payment is a having all recent issues of on shipping costs, the new deposit in the Society El Salvador can subscribe issues will be sent every which is debited every to our New Issues three months in a single time a new issue is Service. The general package. conditions are as follows: purchased or sent to d. In order to subscribe to the collector. Every a. The Society will provide the New Issues Service, member will receive a the members subscribed members will have to statement of his to the "New Issues send US$30 in cash or deposit along with Service" all the stamps check from US or each New Issues issued by El Salvador from Salvadorian banks made package. When the the date of the payable to Pierre Cahen subscription onwards until (checks from other deposit reaches a level the collector requests the countries are not of US$5 or less, the end of the service or accepted), along with the Society will request a leaves the Society. new issue service further advance to agreement filled out and increase the deposit. b. The stamps will be sold signed ( New Issues at face value + 10% Service.doc or New Issues e. Members may cancel commission to the Society Service.pdf ) to the the New Issues Services by in order to cover following address: sending a letter or an e‐ administrative costs. mail to Pierre Cahen elsalvadorphilatelist@els c. Shipping costs will be Vipsal 1342 alvadorphilately.org at based on current postal POB 02‐5364 least a month in advance rates to the country of Miami Florida 33102 from the date they wish residence of the USA to end the service.
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