Your source for Costa Rica stamps knowledge (stamps, postal history, revenues, postcards and more!)
Are you that kind of philatelic enthusiast that likes to surf the web looking for pics of stamps from time to time? Well, here I am to help you! I know that looking at stamps can be hypnotizing. I know that once you start, you’ll leave your computer until you saw the last one. I’ve … Read more Costa Rica: pics of stamps – lots of pictures
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
Quick trivia: How many medio real stamps were printed? R/5,750,000…yes, almost 6 million! Now, 3 million stamps are -or were- Scott 1 and 2.75 million of Scott 1a. But why there are 2 types of medio real? the history says that because of the quantity of stamps being printed, the plate started cracking. at the … Read more Costa Rica Stamps – First Issue: medio real (Scott 1) with broken plate…USED!
Let’s head back to 1875. By this time -and after several printings- the plate of the medio real cracked to the point that it wasn’t able to be used anymore. So, another plate was made to continue printing, but there were some differences in the plate -really easy to see- from the previous one…Scott 1a … Read more Costa Rica Stamps – Scott 1b, the rarest Costa Rica stamp from the XIX century!