Guatemala 1879(?) - Postally Used In 1940!

This stamp must have an interesting story to tell. It's one of a series of definitives issued by Guatemala in 1879 - well, it must be, even though neither my Gibbons Simplied nor the Gibbons online website lists a 3c in the series. I can only assume that this is an oversight - my guess is that the stamp was added to the series at a later date.



My interest in this stamp was taken by the fact that the cancel shows the date 1940. This would make it 71 years between issue and date of postal use. I wonder if this is a record!

Since Guatemala issued a very similar looking stamp in 1935 (only the frame was different), I can only assume that in 1940 someone decided to make use of older stamp they had lying around the place.

Does anyone else know any instances of stamps being postally used over 70 years after they were first issued?

It may be 1939 JJ
(The resplendent Quetzal)
SG403 (old cat) 3c turquoise green and yellow brown min CV

This 3 centavo stamp is Scott 295 issued in 1939. It's design is similar to the 1879 issue but it is not a later addition of the 1879 issue. The 1879 stamps were a Peso currency and the 1939 issues are the Quetzal currency still in use today.

Is it the same frame, rod222?

If so, how strange to issue a stamp with exactly the same appearance 70 years later!!

Thanks for the help, guys - I'll probably delete the thread a little later on, though, as it won't be of much interest to anyone ever again.

jimjamtwo,

I believe your stamp is Scott #294 (design number A121), 3c red orange & turquoise green, issued September 7, 1939. Scott 295, the other 3c of that issue, was printed in olive bistre and turquoise green. But judge for yourself as I'm colorblind and my wife isn't available to help me on this one!

Steve

Take a close look at the tail feathers, 1879 do not extend into the lower frame, 1939 do extend over the frame. The "3" is perfectly horizontal for 1939. Numbers on 1879 issue are angled. Scroll work in the frames are different. Yes, there are many similarities but the stamp's details reveal the issues to be very different. More trivia: when Guatemala changed their currency between 1926 and 1928, all previous stamps with the Peso value, including centavo varieties were declared not legal for postal use. An exception was for Peso value stamps that were overprinted with a Quetzal value

guigngt, thanks for the info!

I'm just surprised that so much later a country would issue stamps that looked so similar to a previous issue.

I suppose Norway is still issuing posthorns that look quite similar to some that were issued many decades ago!

Similar JJ
but alongside each other you can see early quality shine through,
resplendent quetzl on a "capitol"? I think tthey call it.

Why alter a great design ?

It is a great design - and it seems they used it on at least four occasions!

There were similar issues (different frames) in 1924 and 1935!

I think having the bird's tail stick out of the frame was a stroke of genius!

I wonder whether anyone else did anything like that before.

Rod, You have shown this "Guatemala expert" that he doesn't know his stamps as well as he thought. I see that the 1 cent number on the 1879 issue is also horizontal and not angled as are Quetzal stamps of 1881.

The design was also used again in 1924,54,57,58,60,63,64 (with overprint) and lastly 1984-87. The last one issued was on March 25, 1987. These are all mono-color and a bit smaller than the 1879,81 and 1939 issues. The 1935 issue had the same center but a very distinct frame. Noteworthy is that the 1879 and 81 issues are more valuable as used (not CTO) than as mint. That is due, at least in part, to the demonetizing of the Peso when Guatemala adopted the Quetzal monetary system. An unknown and potentially large number of mint stamps were suddenly worthless and dumped on the market.

Always good to see a Guatemala thread...the two 1879 stamps were issued in 200,000 for the 1/4 R and 100,000 for the 1 r..much smaller amounts than the 1881 1c 2c and 5c which were issued in 1,500,000 each..a pretty large issuing for Guatemala since they still had them left when they changed currency !

Ther are many differences in the 1881 and 1939 issues..but then I look at them all the time...the more modern ones are obviously larger then the older ones !!

Seems I am a little late to help on this one as I pulled out some books on Guatemala before bed last night but you seem to have been answered thoroughly.
And you wanted to delete this thread Jim. Never underestimate the Guatemala Goon squad on SCF.

Viva the resplendent Quetzal that can not live in captivity !