Came across nine cards of mid-19th-century Venezuela that I bought years ago but never did anything with. The stamps are of nominal value according to Scott.
Looking at the footnotes in Scott following #36 (applies to the stamps with the small bust shown below) it states:
Quote:
Due to lack of canceling handstamps, the majority of stamps were canceled with pen marks. Fiscal cancellations were also made with the pen. The values quoted are for pen-canceled stamps.
Then after #57 (would apply to the large busts shown below):
Quote:
In 1879 and the early part of 1880 there were no regular postage stamps in Venezuela and the stamps inscribed "Escuelas" were permitted to serve for postal as well as revenue purposes. Postally canceled stamps are extremely scarce. Values quoted are for stamps with cancellations of banks or business houses or with pen cancellations. Stamps with pen marks removed are sometimes offered as unused stamps, or may have fraudulent postal cancellations added.
Note the difference between the two quotes. For the earlier issue, the implication is that anything other than pen cancel is scarce. For the later, handstamped POSTAL cancels are scarce, but not handstamped FISCAL cancels.
Judging by the pics, I have many handstamped (presumably fiscal) cancels of both types. There also are cancels like the numerals and stars that look like they might be remainders, but Scott says nothing about those.
Is there anything of value here other than some nice socked-on-the-nose fiscal cancels for my bullseye cancel collection?
Any information about this material and its scarcity (or lack thereof) would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Posted 01/05/2012 11:47 pm
