Your source for Costa Rica stamps knowledge (stamps, postal history, revenues, postcards and more!)
It was common during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that important people from the government embossed their stationery. This was usually made using an embossing die made of either iron, copper or bronze. I was lucky enough to find 2 fantastic pieces of history: the embossing dies for Bernardo Soto and Tomás Guardia. Both … Read more Bernardo Soto and Tomas Guardia’s Correspondence Embossing Die
It’s the dream of every stamp collector to own the world’s rarest postage stamps. For most of us it is indeed just a dream. 9 years ago, the philatelic world had the chance to witness the auction of the biggest Costa Rica stamp collection. In October 22nd, 2008 Spink Shreves Galleries sold at an unreserved … Read more World’s rarest postage stamps. Greatest Costa Rica items from the Frederick R. Mayer Collection
There is a common question that beginner philatelist ask: what is the stamp’s printing or production process? We’ll take on this subject from a different angle: Stamp test as a design and production process. The stamp test process starts when there’s an agreement or government decree. The selected provider starts to design the stamp(s). Below … Read more Stamp test, design and production process
In July 12th, 1993 Costa Rica started implementing selling stamps through a postage stamp machine. Known in Costa Rica simply as ATM, they faced several complications, but led the way for the postage labels we use nowadays. The ATMs were dispensed by the Klussendorf postage stamp machine. They were printed by Enschede in Netherlands in … Read more Postage stamp machine: Costa Rica’s ATM
Have you ever watched the movie Inception? A dream inside a dream… We’ll, here you can see an inverted surcharge inception: an inverted “Correos” in a block of 6 with inverted surcharge. Sounds weird, I know, but let me explain it: In this issue there are stamps with inverted surcharge because the pane was upside … Read more Costa Rica Stamps – Scott 98 Perf. 14×14, block of 6 with inverted surcharge and “Correos” inverted